Lil Wayne is considered one of the elite rappers in the game. The Dedication mixtapes and Tha Carter album series, among other releases, support the theory. I’d like to talk about the Carters for a second.
The first Carter came in the summer of 2004. Fellow Hot Boys, Juvenile, B.G. and Turk had left the label, which left Wayne alone on the Cash Money island. Well, not quite. Mannie Fresh, Cash Money in-house producer, handled much of the album’s production.
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This album showed a more mature Wayne. Although it was supported by radio friendly hits like “Go D.J.,” “I Miss My Dawgs,” a track where Weezy admits he missed his departed Hot Boys, were the standout.
Weezy would show more progression as an artist on Tha Carter II and Tha Carter III. The latter came during a time when record sales had begun to descend. However, it amazingly sold over a million copies in its first week, making it the fastest-selling album in the US.
Singles were “Lollipop,” “A Milli,” “Got Money,’ and “Mrs. Officer,” which helped the album reached number one on the US Billboard 200.
Wayne kept ascending with Tha Carter IV. However, the momentum came to an erupt pause afterwards. With issues with his label, we had to wait nearly seven years before we could get the fifth and last installment.
Wayne did his due diligence to make sure the album was worth the wait. Reportedly, there were a lot of tweaking, arranging, and rearranging of the album within hours of the release. For example, Post Malone contributed to the DJ Frank E & Johnny Yukon-produced track, “What About Me,” only to be removed for “Sosamann” at the last minute.
Tunchi reached out to some big names in the game for verses such as Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Travis Scott, and label mate (or former label mate) Nicki Minaj. He was also able to get the late-XXXTentacion vocals on “Don’t Cry.”
Again, Juvenile, B.G., and Turk had departed Cash Money over multiple issues, leaving Wayne in a swim or drown situation. Tha Carters would play the role of Michael Phelps.
Which Carter Album was the Best?
[Polls Are Closed!]
Tha Carter III – 47%
Tha Carter IV – 24%
Tha Carter – 12%
Tha Carter II – 12%
Tha Carter V – 6%