Lil Wayne earned the title of "Best Rapper Alive" through his complex lyrical dexterity, playful tongue-tying and sheer force of will. The New Orleans-hailing rapper's fourth LP, 2004's The Carter, established Wayne -- born Dwayne...
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Lil Wayne earned the title of "Best Rapper Alive" through his complex lyrical dexterity, playful tongue-tying and sheer force of will. The New Orleans-hailing rapper's fourth LP, 2004's The Carter, established Wayne -- born Dwayne Michael Carter, but known as Weezy F. Baby to fans -- as a wordsmith and first-rate bragger; "Best rapper alive since the best rapper retired," he proclaimed on "Bring it Back," referencing Jay-Z's "retirement" of eight months earlier.
Critics said Wayne's rhymes were all style, no substance -- "Weezy, allergic to wintertime hot," he memorably boasted on 2005's "Fireman" -- but that changed when Hurricane Katrina wiped out his home town and he responded with "Georgia ... Bush," from 2006's Dedication 2 mixtape. Over a simple drum loop and a sample of Ray Charles' "Georgia on My Mind," Wayne dropped the bravado and showed heart and vulnerability, two qualities he had previously rarely displayed in his lyrics. "What happened to the levees, why wasn't they steady, why wasn't they able to control this?/I know some folk that live by the levees, they keep on tellin' me they heard explosions," he spat through his signature frog-in-throat delivery, building up to the song's half-sung chorus. "We from a town where/everybody drowned and/everybody died but/baby, I'm still prayin' wit'cha."
Keeping up with Wayne's lyrical output has been a full-time job, as new material trickles out weekly. But Wayne's flow is thrilling, crackling with wit and effortless in its delivery. Fitting his hometown, Wayne ain't big, but he makes it look easy.
