The 2011 track was on the tail-end of his nearly half-decade long reign as hip-hop king, and the rapper went out with as much power and tactful lyricism as he came in with. Cory Gunz – “6 Foot 7 Foot” – Tha Carter IVįor Wayne, “6 Foot 7 Foot” served as a reminder to many, that he still had it. Switching effortlessly between at least two different flows, Wayne saunters over the DJ Khaled beat, adding “fucking” to the list of words the F in Weezy F Baby stands for.ĥ. But for Weezy, the self-inflicted challenge was another opportunity to prove, that in 2005, he might have really been the best rapper alive. The pressure that surrounds dropping a track entitled “Best Rapper Alive” is obvious. Lil Wayne – “Best Rapper Alive” – Tha Carter II Fittingly, the song is one of only two of Weezy’s chart-topping tracks on the Hot 100.Ħ. Adding to its early 2000s glory, the track also became the #1 selling ringtone of 2008, bumping out of millions of flip-phone speakers across the nation. The song and video immediately became a major mainstay on the spin cycle at TRL - at a time when that meant a lot - with cameos from R. Static – “Lollipop” – Tha Carter IIIĪt the height of the Auto-Tune movement arose the ultimate Auto-Tune masterpiece: “Lollipop,” an iconic Lil Wayne track based around an incredibly un-subtle innuendo. Over the iconic “Swag Surf” beat, Wayne begins with a flow similar to the original, but adds the exclamation points we expect from him at this point: clever wordplay (“watch me shooting to the bank, I’m a money pistol”), nearly four different flows on one track, and a consistency that lasts for the entirety of the five minute song.ħ. In the same vein of the iconic “Walk It Out” freestyle, Wayne flips the switch on something that seemed to need no additives. But in the next few years, Wayne would stand alone at the top.Ĩ. Wayne’s voice is as raspy as ever, and the video shows him baby-faced, still surrounded by the big kids on the label. No longer just a hype man for the older guys on the label, a much-younger Lil Wayne proved his prowess with this classic track. The first thirty seconds of “I’m Me” are basically a killer compilation of all of the best Cash Money affiliates’ ad-libs and assertions, from the Birdman bird call to the “it’s Cash Money Records man, a lawless gang.” Then what ensues is the closest a rap song can get to a power ballad - a song with Wayne showing off as hard as he can go on a laid-back flow. He put it best when he said, “This is Tha Carter III, the New Testament.” The song spans a full five minutes, with Wayne not backing down once, trading in a faster flow for tact and lyrics, and flexing his iconic use of double entendres more than once.įor a generation of fans, this debut solo single was the first track they heard from the scrappy 17-year-old Atlanta rapper. On “Believe Me,” the two sound comfortable exchanging, building on each other verse for verse, and proving that Wayne was as good of a mentor as he was a rapper.ġ3. By “Believe Me,” Drake was fairly established, but the Weezy affiliation still seemed connected to his name, and parts of his flow still seemed a little borrowed from his predecessor. Drake – “Believe Me” – Tha Carter VĪfter Lil Wayne proved himself as the best out, he started working on an emcee worthy enough to pass the torch. “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” is a staple of the southern rap movement, with an infectious hook and some of the hardest bar for bars between two rappers, maybe ever - and somehow also one of arguably the best Wayne verses as he comes in for his third round.ġ4. Long before the lawsuits, the accusations, and the deteriorating label, Birdman and Wayne ruled the south. The track originally appeared on the mixtape No Ceilings, but quickly earned its spot on I Am Not A Human Being. The slower warped beat was an updated, unusual take for the rapper, but telling of Wayne’s growth by 2010. Opening with the nearly muted pieces of conversations with Nicki Minaj, “I’m Single” is a relaxed anthem for anyone newly single: “I’m Single… I ain’t trippin’ on nothin, I’m sippin’ on something.” Wayne takes the time to lament on an old relationship, all while calmly celebrating his new freedom. Lil Wayne – “I’m Single” – I Am Not a Human Being For now, let’s take a walk down memory lane and reflect on some of Weezy’s best tracks below.Ģ0. 21), concluding his fiery 14-year run with the decorated series. Though he encountered several roadblocks, including severe delays, the elusive Tha Carter V will be released next Friday (Sept. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 - Wayne’s Tha Carter III sold over a million copies during its opening week. Thanks in part to his tuneful single “Lollipop” - which became his first No. Lil Wayne on Life, Lawsuits & The Long Road To 'Tha Carter V'Īfter proving his lyrical prowess on Tha Carter and Tha Carter II, Lil Wayne morphed into a full-fledged superstar with his release of Tha Carter III.
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