Incarcerated rapper Lil Wayne has defended himself against critics, insisting he is a "great father". (JDH/JCP/WENN.COM)

Incarcerated rapper Lil Wayne has defended himself against critics who've blasted his parenting skills, insisting he is a "great father".

The Lollipop hitmaker, who is currently serving a year-long prison sentence, has often been criticised for fathering four children with four different women.

But the hip-hop star is adamant he doesn't just send the mothers money every month - he is involved in raising each one of his kids.

Speaking to Ozone Magazine before his incarceration, Lil Wayne says, "I'm not on child support with none (sic) of my kids because I'm a great father. So it's (good parenting) not determined by how much money you're paying at all. That's not what it's about. It's about being there and being that important person in their lives."

The rapper welcomed two sons last year, and is also father to another little boy, as well as a daughter.

Lil Wayne was jailed at New York's Rikers Island prison in March after pleading guilty to gun possession charges.