Certain things in life happen for the sole purpose of causing us embarrassment. In the case of Lil Wayne and me, it was a stark reminder of how old I have become.

The other day, I overheard two teens arguing whether Lil Wayne was the greatest rapper alive. I had just one question in my mind as I listened to their arguments: Who the hell is Lil Wayne?

It happened that the last time I followed rap was the days of Tupac(2Pac) and Biggie(Notorious BIG). They provided me with an introduction to rap. I still have on my play list Tupac’s “Mama” and Biggie’s “Juicy.” When they were abruptly killed in the East and West coast conflict, my interest in rap was also killed. To my horror, I recently found out that their music have been relegated to the oldies.

I am pretty sure that the last rap performance I watched was that of Eminen singing with Elton John at the Academy Awards. I remembered it very well because it was the time when comedians like Chris Rocks were saying that the world was coming to an end because the best rapper was a white guy while the best golfer was a black guy.

How does one measure the greatest rapper, I asked? Well it happens that youngsters have a way of rating rhymes, how they are spat out, how much game the rapper has, how much ladies want to jump the rapper’s behind and how many asses the rapper kicks. Go figure! In fact, it matters to kids of today who writes his lyrics down and who has them composed in his head.

It is a brand new world from the one I once knew.

For some reasons which I can only attribute to old age, I missed the era of Jay-z and Nas. Though I did not know a thing about Jay-z’s music, I was aware that he was making gazillions of money from music and other business deals. I was also compelled to know everything about his love life with Beyonce, the bootylicious one. So at some level, I was in tune with Jay-z.

Nas? Nope. No clue. The same with Nelly and Ludacris.

And then there is 50 cents. I could not escape the narratives of his life, specifically the number of bullets he has taken and the ever present fear that he might still take some more. As for his music, I was only aware that he charged us all to “get rich or die trying.” What else matters in this new world of youngsters?

In fact, I tried to peep in every now and then to see what was going on in that world of rap only to be repelled by the material on the airwave. In the days of Biggie and 2 Pac, I recalled that it was more than just sex, parties, money and who jumped another’s girlfriend. There were sometimes deeper thoughts about life. Lyrics were poetic, had a flow, and were full of emotions. And of course, the vocal technique and delivery had character. I did not see any of that the last time I checked in.

But then again, isn’t that the same thing all old people say about the music of the younger generation?

Still you can imagine my shock that someone is the greatest rapper alive that I have never heard of him.

Which brings me to New Orleans born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr, known as Lil Wayne. Since 2005, he has been proclaiming himself the greatest rapper alive. Thanks to youtube, I checked him out. I listened to some of the songs in his Tha Cater I, II and III series as well as his 1999 debut, Tha Block is Hot.

With songs like “Lollipop” from Carter III topping charts, I was at a loss as to what to say about the man who coined the expression, bling bling. But then again, he sold one million CDs in one week of the CD droppin’. So the kids dig him.

It is definitely not my father’s rap music anymore. And clearly not mine, either. For me to get back into the groove, I was tempted to do what I have always wanted to do since the new era of rap began – change my name to something hip.

How about Lil Rudy?