Though Lil Wayne would go on to cement himself as a bonafide Best Rapper Alive contender in the early two-thousands, the Cash Money legend had been laying the foundation for years prior to his mixtape onslaught. In July of 2002, Weezy delivered his third studio album 500 Degreez, a shot at his once-close collaborator Juvenile; considering that years down the line, Young Thug would go on to name his own album Barter 6, perhaps Lil Wayne should consider chalked that one up to karma.
Either way, the Cash Money project remains a nostalgic capsule of a bygone era, one in which the soundscapes and styles were drastically different from those of today. Nowhere is that more evident than on "Look At Me," a Mannie Fresh-produced cut that finds a young Wayne kicking slick talk and braggadocious flexes. "Looking for my roof where it went, mink on the floor big shoes on the bed, he raps, over Mannie's simple but bouncy synthesizers. "Windows are the tint more wood than a bench / Working in the hood more green than the Grinch."
Fans of Lil Wayne, who continues to put out quality music to this day, would be wise to revisit some of his earlier music. If only to catch a glimpse at one of hip-hop's most electrifying evolutions on a stylistic level. What do you make of this throwback Weezy cut?
QUOTABLE LYRICS
Coupe kinda wide but I move sorta quick
Looking for my roof where it went
Mink on the floor big shoes on the bed
Windows are the tint more wood than a bench
Working in the hood more green than the Grinch