Lil Wayne's New LP Features a Double Dedication to the Late Kobe Bryant

lil wayne at 2020 super bowl party
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for EA Sports Bowl at Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest

Track eight of 'Funeral' pays tribute to the former NBA star, who died in a helicopter crash earlier this week.

Fans have long been awaiting Lil Wayne's new LP, but there's one special piece no one would have expected to see even one week ago: a nod to the late Kobe Bryant.

The 37-year-old rapper dropped Funeral, and it has a double dedication to the NBA legend. Track eight, which is accompanied by Jay Rock, is called "Bing James," and at the very end there are 24 seconds of silence to honor Bryant.

Bryant's numbers on the Lakers, which were retired in 2017, were 8 and 24.

On Friday, the same day Wayne's album dropped, the Lakers are playing their first game since Bryant's death at Staples Center against the Portland Trail Blazers. Both his number 24 and number 8 jerseys are draped across every chair at the venue. 

Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, along with seven others, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Sunday. To pay respect to the basketball star, the Staples Center's entire court has been dedicated to Bryant.

For more on Bryant and how the Lakers are paying tribute to him, watch the video below.

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