Ranking All The Lil Wayne Albums
Lil Wayne’s rap career began when he was nine years old and he was the youngest member of Cash Money Records after signing a contract with the record label. Over the years, he has been a dominant force in hip hop and his contributions to the music industry are massive. His dominance in rap music began in the mid 2000s where he released 17 mixtapes and co-founding Young Money Entertainment which has unearthed some incredible artists such as Drake, Nicki Minaj and Tyga. This article will rank Lil Wayne’s albums in order from the worst to the best. Here is our full ranking of Lil Wayne’s albums.
14. I Am Not A Human Being 2
When he released this album, Lil Wayne confessed that he was ready to quit music to concentrate on his newfound skateboarding hobby. Although the album was overshadowed by numerous health issues mainly due to his addiction to codeine, Weezy referred to this album as “my bum-ass album” which was a summary of what the album was all about. The album clearly showed that Lil Wayne was running out of ways to say that he was struggling with addiction. The album featured some lame puns, drug references, and the songs lacked rhythm.
13. Free Weezy Album
Prior to the release of the Free Weezy Album, Lil Wayne had been releasing some pretty lucklasture material and this one clearly raised more questions than answers. The album was released exclusively on Tidal after Lil Wayne claimed that Birdman held the long-awaited Carter V hostage. The album features some incredible tracks such as “Glory” and “Without You” which proved that Lil Wayne could drop meaningful content whenever given an inspired beat.
12. Funeral
While his contractual disputes with Cash Money Records were still ongoing, Lil Wayne announced that his next album would be called Funeral. The album received mixed reactions from critics with some outlets claiming that it sounded more of a mixtape than an album. Although listening to the whole album can feel a little exhausting, there is still evidence that Lil Wayne still had a clear vision and was aware of his position among rap legends.
11. Rebirth
This album was released in 2010 when Lil Wayne was still riding high off the success of Carter III. Even with his high standards, this album was quite absurd, and many found Lil Wayne’s taste in rock quite questionable. According to Joe Clay of The Times, Lil Wayne’s singing and songwriting were average and devoid of humor or imagination. Despite the numerous negative reviews of the album, the track “Drop the World” was a hit mainly due to Eminem’s verse which was clearly the album’s highlight.
10. I Am Not A Human Being
By the time Lil Wayne released this album, we all knew what he was capable of, and there is no doubt that he could have done better. From the album title, Lil Wayne describes himself as someone who is not from this world. Perhaps this explains why the album was released while he was serving an eight-month prison term. The album received favorable reviews from critics, and many fans compared it to some of his earlier works. The album peaked at the top position on the US Billboard 200, becoming the second album to hit the top spot while its artist was in prison, after Tupac’s 1995 album, Me Against the World.
9. Lights Out
Lights Out was Lil Wayne’s second studio album which was released in the year 2000. Although the track lacks the outstanding production of some of his later albums, it contains some fantastic songs and great beats from some typical Cash Money bangers.
8. 500 Degreez
The title of this album was inspired by Juvenile’s 1998 studio album 400 Degreez. The album was released in 2002, and it is one of Lil Wayne’s forgettable albums. Although it contains impressive tracks such as “Where You At” and “Young’n Blues,” it still lacks something spectacular. The album signified the first era of Lil Wayne’s career since his next album, The Carter, was the album that made people take note of his status as a serious rapper.
7. Tha Block Is Hot
Close to 22 years later since he released his debut studio album, The Block Is Hot, we can all agree that the album was quite an interesting way to start the career of one of the best rappers of all time. His style featured all that is cool in hip hop during that era of the late 90s. One of the best tracks in the album is “Tha Block Is Hot,” which features a heavy flow and energy. Although some of the songs in the album were pretty solid, overall, the album clearly showed that the young rapper still had much to improve on.
6. The Carter V
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkLLeOCOQ3w&list=PLxKHVMqMZqUSVMNSbqf_QrcWtc_pIENoh
The Carter V was released in 2018 as Lil Wayne’s twelfth studio album. Although the album experienced several delays before its release due to the contractual disputes between Weezy and Cash Money Records, it was tactfully crafted with a lot of passion. The album was full of crazy bars and fire from a rapper who had claimed that it would be his final album.
5. Tha Carter IV
Carter IV was not a bad Lil Wayne album. However, if you have listened to some of his other music from Tha Carter 3, you might not appreciate his effort in this one. The album contained some well-constructed tracks such as the lead song, 6 Foot 7 Foot, She Will, and my personal favorite, Mirrors, which featured Bruno Mars. Although the album received mixed reviews from fans, it still managed over 300,000 downloads online during its first four days.
4. The Carter
This is the exact album that transformed Lil Wayne from just another rapper to a legend. This album was the epitome of 2000’s rap culture. The album contains some amazing songs, such as the album’s second song, “Go DJ,” which is also the most popular track on the album. The album made its debut on the US Billboard 200 at number five and has been certified two times platinum.
3. Like Father Like Son with Birdman
Like Father Like Son was an album collaboration featuring Lil Wayne and Birdman. The album remains one of Lil Wayne’s highlights in his massive catalog. The album, which remains a cult classic to date, was a solid production that showed Lil Wayne’s lyrical evolution, which blended well with Birdman’s uncanny swagger.
2. Tha Carter III
Despite being his most absurd album, Tha Carter III remains to be one of Lil Wayne’s most illustrious and personal albums ever. The track “Shoot Me Down” sees the rapper reminiscing about when he accidentally shot himself as a 12-year-old, while “3 Peat” most likely refers to a day when a groupie shot on his tour bus. The album received critical acclaim from various outlets, with the album receiving a rating of 84 on Metacritic.
1. Tha Carter II
Among all Lil Wayne’s Carter albums, The Carter II is arguably the greatest of them all. The album is quite significant in Lil Wayne’s great catalog since it is the album that showed that he was here to stay. The album features some incredible tracks, such as “Fireman,” which is among the coolest tracks you will come across. In the track “Hustler Musik,” Lil Wayne puts in an exceptional performance, throwing a number of punchlines here and there. The album was released in 2005, and more than 15 years later, there is no doubt that it is Lil Wayne’s greatest album ever.
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