Lil Wayne Says Fear For His Safety Was The Reason He Dropped Out Of High School

Lil Wayne recently recorded a one-on-one interview with Katie Couric for the season two premier of her talk show, Katie. During the candid interview, Tune touched on a number of topics including revealing that fear for his safety was the reason why he chose to drop out of high school at his mother's urging. According to Weezy, a chance encounter with his mother before school one day led to her telling him to drop out of public school and get a GED.

"[Dropping out] was my mom's idea. I had an album out. I was platinum already, thank God. And I was still trying to go to regular public school," said Wayne who was attending Marion Abramson Senior High School at the time and reportedly making good grades. "She saw me getting ready for school one day. And she saw me putting my gun in my backpack. She said, 'You got to bring that to school with you?' I said, 'You don't want me to bring it?' She thought about it and she said, 'I do.' So I put it back in my backpack."

Wayne said after realizing that her superstar son felt he needed to pack heat for protection in order to go to school she quickly made the decision to let him get his diploma through different means. "It wasn't two minutes later she walked back to my room, she said, 'You don't go to school no more. You getting a GED,'" recounted Weezy who has since obtained his GED and even enrolled at The University of Houston for a short time in 2005.

Wayne also touched on his treatment in prison and solid plans to retire at 35. The full episode airs Monday, September 9. Check out the clips, below.