Even though he’s not a human being, Lil Wayne is smart enough to recognize the importance of history and the need for respecting the canon of hip-hop music. How else would one explain paying homage to one of rap’s most famous music videos and adding his name to the shortlist of MCs who have taken the stage at MTV Unplugged?

The video in question is Game‘s “Red Nation”, the first single off his upcoming R.E.D. Album. With the post-apocalyptic gang vibe running deep through the clip, it’s hard not to draw comparisons to Tupac’s “California Love”. Although this one is less Mad Max and more Dawn of the Dead meets The Warriors. Check out the video below, because you apparently won’t be seeing it anywhere else.

Come June 12th, Weezy will join a very small yet impressive group of MCs, including Jay-Z, LL Cool J, A Tribe Called Quest, and De La Soul, as rappers to go unplugged for the only MTV show to not involve pregnant teenagers. As the first hip-hop act since HOV’s 2001 performance, Wayne was chosen because of his status as “…hip-hop’s forefront — leading a new generation of artists whose appeal spans across music genres and playlists,” according to Amy Doyle, MTV’s EVP of Music and Talent.

MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged will premiere on MTV2, MTV, and MTV.com on June 12th at 9 p.m. EST. Lil Wayne’s new album, Tha Carter IV, is due out June 21st via Cash Money Records.