Lil Wayne tells Katie Couric he plans to retire in five years

NEW YORK, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Rapper Lil Wayne said on the chat show "Katie" in New York this week he plans to retire from performing in five years when he is 35.

"Oh, I know I'll be able to retire at 35 because I am so ready to retire now," said the hip-hop artist, who has been hospitalized numerous times in the past year for seizure-related illnesses.

Lil Wayne also talked to interviewer Katie Couric about his four children, whom he described as "awesome" and "everything."

"Whatever they want to be, whatever they want to do," Wayne said. "I don't want to have no influence on, 'Hey you must do this, hey you must do that,' because I didn't have that. Because I didn't have that. I grew up to be exactly what I wanted to be and how I wanted to be. I want that for all of my kids."

Lil Wayne's most recent album, "I Am Not a Human Being II," was released last March.