Lil Wayne has been in the music industry for 25+ years now. Not many artist have the longevity that Wayne has had and continues to influence the hip-hop culture. With over 100 million records sold worldwide and over 15 million album sales, this definitely makes Lil Wayne one of the best selling artist of all time.
From his start with Cash Money back in 1991, then joining the Hot Boys in 1996, to becoming the CEO of his own label Young Money which has signed some of the biggest artist the music industry has ever seen. Lil Wayne has never been afraid to push the boundaries of music and has a discography that could make any artist wonder how they’ll ever reach his stature.
While we wait for the highly anticipated album Tha Carter V (if Wayne and Birdman ever settle their differences) we’ve put together a list of the top 25 Lil Wayne songs of all time
This is The Carter
Tha Carter was basically Lil Wayne's introduction to mainstream media. Although Lil Wayne had 3 albums prior to this record (Tha Block Is Hot, Lights Out, 500 Degreez), Tha Carter is what transcended his career, due to a newfound transparency and maturity in his delivery. This is the Lil Wayne flow we all fell in love with, and hope to one day hear again.
On This is the Carter we're listening to an artist proclaim who he is and where he is headed. Who would've known that a decade later he would become one of the greatest to ever do it?
If getting money is wrong I ain't right at all
I Young Money a car, I just write it off
I'm the boss of my own shit, I'm my own clique
She Will
This Carter IV song features Drake and has sold over 3,000,000 records worldwide. From the start, the song has an eerie feeling, and Wayne spits his recent flow, sounding at once braggadocios and depressing. Throughout most of the song we hear references to “p*ssy poppin.”
And you could take it to the bank and deposit that
Put your two cents in and get a dollar back
Some people hang you out to dry, like a towel rack
I'm all about "I", give the rest of the vowels back
Phone Home
The "Phone Home" reference originates from the 1982 film E.T. The Extra-Terrestial, when ET desperately attempts to communicate with his planet of origin. Maybe Wayne is trying contact any rapper who can compete with him, or maybe he's simply boasting that there aren't any. After all, his mantra is ""we are not the same, I am a martian."
Lock, load, ready to aim at any target
I could get your brains for a bargain
Like I bought it from Target
Hip hop is my supermarket
Shopping cart full of fake hip hop artists
Let The Beat Build
The title explains it all. The beat progressively builds up until it reaches the hook where after, it only gets more and more complex filled with lil wayne verses that’ll blow your mind. The song was produced by Deezle and Kanye West which is why you hear that familiar sound filled with sped up samples and classic drums and kicks. According to Deezle, Lil Wayne came to him with the idea for the song and mentions that the song was recorded in about 30 minutes. Talk about Wayne taking a page out of Jay-Z’s notebook (Jay-Z is know for his infamous one takes).
Wayne’s rhyme scheme isn't the most intricate, but often times you ask yourself “how the hell did he manage that to rhyme?”. Verse 3 is where Wayne completley looses it and you understand why he’s been relevant for so many years now.
I'mma get in a nigga chest like a bunch of phlegm
Like a fucking ram
On the hunt for the lamb
I'm a dump 'em man
In a dumpster can
You ain't a soldier, ask Uncle Sam
Hair nappy like Pam
Right Above It
After his 9 month prison term, Lil Wayne released his album I am Not A Human Being. During an interview with Funk Master Flex, Wayne mentions his plans of releasing his new album and releases the first single Right Above it. Even being locked away in prison didn't stop Wayne, not to mention the over the phone freestyle from Rykers Island on the song Light Up by Drake.
Right above it was recorded before Wayne’s prison sentence but even with the release of the song while he was in prions, it seems to have a feeling of not letting things get to you. Maybe Wayne knew he was heading to prison but he wasn't going to let it phase him. In 2015 Right Above it became the theme song for the hit HBO series Ballers.
Meet me on the fresh train, yes I'm in the building
You just on the list of guest names
And all of my riders do not give a fuck, X-Games
Guns turn you boys into pussies, sex change
Dough Is What I Got
Lil Wayne is known for his music all over the world, but what really set him apart was his classic mixtapes. From Da Drought series all the way down to the Dedication series, they’re all classics in his discography. Dough Is What I Got comes from the classic 2007 Da Drought 3 mixtape. Originally produced for Jay-Z’s song “Show Me What You Got”, Wayne hops on the same Just Blaze beat and gave us the Wayne versatility we all came to love. Lil Wayne gives us simile after simile all throughout the song.
I am talking to no particular audience
But understand, I'm the guardian
And understand there won't be no guarding him
You will just get played like an accordion
Stuntin Like My Daddy
From the 2006 Birdman and Lil Wayne album Like Father Like Son comes the first single Stuntin Like My Daddy. If you ever want to hear a song that perfectly reflects Cash Money this is your best bet. From references of getting paid to riding in luxurious cars this song pretty much has everything Cash Money has ever stood for.
Even though the album was released at such a pivotal time post-Katrina, in which people expected a more conscious album, Cash Money showed that life continues to move forward.
Yeah bitch I'm paid, that's all I gotta say
Can't see you little niggas cause the money in the way
And I'm - I'm sitting high, a gansta ride, blades
If you ain't gonna ride fly than you might as well hate
Shit, I gotta eat, yeah, even though I ate
No it ain't my birthday but I got my name on my cake
Way of Life
The only single from the 2002 album 500 degreez, Way of Life gives us a young Lil Wayne who is looking to fill the shoes of his fellow label mate Juvenile. 400 degreez was released in 1998 and is one of the most classic albums of all time by Juvenile, in which Lil Wayne paid homage to in his reiteration album 500 degreez. Assisted by Big Tymers (Mannie Fresh & Baby) and RnB singer TQ, Cash Money shows us what stunting is really about.
Even though the 500 degreez wasn't a commercial success compared to Juvenile’s classic album, Way of Life takes you back to an era where baggy jerseys and diamond grillz were a thing.
It was given to me at birth to stunt
So that's why I cop the Bentley with the leather and the furry cups
I Miss My Dawgs
Let’s face it, Tha Carter will forever go down as one of Lil Wayne’s best albums. So many classic songs from one album and I Miss My Dawgs is one of them. Here we have a young Wayne reminiscing on a time when things were much simpler, speaking on the separation of his former group members B.G., Turk, and Juvenile. Even though they’ve all gone their separate way, Wayne pays homage to the guys he started at the bottom with.
The Hot Boyz will forever go down as one of the most influential rap groups of all time and even though we might never hear a song from them, I Miss My Dawgs is a songs that makes you appreciate the things that once were.
Lil Wayne seems to be the kind who will live and die by your side, am I right?
If ya ever died I swear to God I got yo kids homie
Whats mine is their I gotta give homie, and yea
We still a army in this bitch homie
Yea Cash Money still the shit homie, shit homie
Best Rapper Alive
We all know Wayne has always been obsessed with the idea of becoming the best rapper alive. Even at a young age it seemed as if Wayne did things with that goal in mind. Here we have the song Best Rapper Alive from one of the best albums of all times Tha Carter II.
Even though Wayne’s rhymes aren't known for their complexity, he is known for his consistency and versatility between rhyme schemes and he shows that here.
The heart of New Orleans
Thumping and beating
Living and breathing
Stealing and feeding
Peeling and leaving
Killing and grieving
Dearly departed
Erased, deleted
No prints, no plates
No face, no trace
Out of sight, out of mind
No court, no case
Sell his chain
Celebrate
Block party
You Ain't Know
Another Classic track from the collaborative album Like Father Like Son by Lil Wayne and Baby. The catchy hook makes You Aint Know a song that can’t be forgotten to mention in the best lil wayne songs of all time. Produced by the hottest producer of the era, Scott Storch delivers a perfect melody that gives Baby and Wayne to do more stuntin’ and talk about how many fake rappers there are in the game.
This song will have everyone doing the Birdman hand-rub.
Nigga I ain't got a money printer
So for this paper chase I'm out runnin' sprinters
Yes the last two Cash Money members
Dr. Carter
In an time where hip-hop was proclaimed to be “dead” (Nas released a whole album called Hip-Hop is Dead), Dr. Carter attempts to bring it back to life. Using slick metaphors and clever similies, Lil Wayne reminds us why he’s always been at the top of the food chain. Not to mention Talib Kweli named this one of the greatest songs he’s ever heard!
You have to remember that during this time everyone sounded like each other. All rappers were doing the same flows, same videos, and portraying the same lifestyles (reminds you of the current state of hip-hop). This was Wayne creating a statement and letting bum rappers that if you want to compete in the game you have to come with it every single time; which he does.
But I'm a doctor, they don't understand my writing
So I stopped writing
Now I'm like lightning
And you ain't Vince Young so don't clash with the Titan
Fast and exciting
My passion is frightening
Now let me put some more vocab in your I.V.
Something You Forgot
We hardly ever hear Lil Wayne’s more intimate side, but when this song came out it home to a lot of people. Something You Forgot samples the 1985 song What About Love by the Heart. Most of the song he goes on pleading his ex girlfriend Nivea to give him a second chance, but towards the end of the song we come to find out she gets engaged to famous producer/artist “The Dream”.
Sorry for the trouble that I put you and your heart through
God knows that I'd do anything for a part two, or to
Be prayin' for the day you come back to me, sayin' that you forgive me
Give me another chance, I'm needin' it like a kidney
Tie My Hands
Hurricane Katrina was one of the most devastating things to ever happen in this country. With over 1,800 lives lost and over 80% of New Orleans was flooded with over 10ft of water, times like these is where this song was more than needed. Assisted and produced by Robin Thicke, Lil Wayne gives his hometown a heartfelt message to keep their heads up because no matter the tragedy, they will move forward.
At a time where people had little to no hope, Lil Wayne managed to add such powerful meaning to a song where it helped people persevere. A lot of people in New Orleans lost everything, even till this day the city hasn't been the same, but Wayne is simply trying to give back the best way he can— through music.
Some say tragedy's hard to get over
But sometimes that tragedy means it's over
Soldier, from the academy league of rollers
I deny being down though they seem to hold us
Sky's The Limit
Another one from the classic Da Drought 3 mixtape, Wayne gives us some of his best work up to date. The song samples Mike Jones’s Mr. Jones and Wayne just does what Wayne does best.
They tell me don't get high
And I should try to make a living
I tell 'em I'm a hustler
And I'd rather make a killing
Mrs. Officer
Even when you simply read the titlte of this song, the catchy tune instantaneously starts playing in your head. When this song came out in 2008 on Tha Carter III, this song was played everywhere. Instead of saying “f*ck the police” Lil Wayne takes a different approach by actually trying to “f*ck the police”.
Another song produced by Deezle (produced Let The Beat Build as well) and the chorus is sung by no other than Bobby Valentino. Not to mention former Young Money artist (Now G-unit artist)Kidd Kidd had a catchy verse as well.
Yeah, doin' a buck in the latest drop
I got stopped by a lady cop
She got me thinking I can date a cop
Drop The World
The third single from the Rebirth album comes Drop The World. The song features Eminem and just really puts two of the greatest artist of all time together to create this massive hit. Lil Wayne rarely gives us a very introspective rap, but here it seems the bar was set when Eminem came into the picture and Wayne delivers a massive verse.
Rebirth was Lil Wayne’s attempt at a hip-hop/rock infused album, which didn't gain traction but Drop The World definitely deserves a listen because of the strong verses by Wayne and Eminem. Em really went crazy especially.
I got ice in my veins, blood in my eyes
Hate in my heart, love in my mind
I seen nights full of pain, days are the same
You keep the sunshine, save me the rain
3 Peat
The first song off of Tha Carter III perfectly sets the tone for the 3x platinum album. Referring to another repeating “championship” album (Carter I & II) 3 peat is just Lil Wayne talking his talk about being one of the greatest to ever do it.
They can't stop me
Even if they stopped me
Tha Block is Hot
Taking all the way back to 1999 to Lil Wayne’s debut album The Block is Hot. A very young Lil Wayne finds a way to pave his career by giving us perspective of what goes on in his life. From growing up in Hollygroove, to dealing dope, to being signed to one of the hottest labels of that time, Wayne gives us a piece of his world.
We don't know what be goin cause we so blunted from trees
And we'll be round ya all day til we "400 Degreez"
I Feel Like Dying
Another one of Lil Wayne’s more introspective songs in which samples “Once” by Ann Swanepoel. From the start the songs has a very eerie feeling in which the first couple of lines reflects on the coming down from the drugs and feeling like dying. Wayne has glorified the use of drugs throughout his career and this song makes it seem as if he’s battling his addictions and treading on a slippery slope.
I can play basketball with the moon
I got the whole world at my feet
Playin' touch football
On marijuana street
Or, in a marijuana field
You are so beneath my cleats
Hustler Musik
You can’t ever mention Lil Wayne’s discography without talking about Hustler Musik. When you want to describe what once was Lil Wayne’s flow to anyone, this is the perfect song to break down. From his tempo all the way down to the his flow perfectly showcases why Lil Wayne is Lil Wayne. Songs like this makes you wonder what ever happened to his old style.
No assistance, just
That persistence, with
That commitment, if
I don't get it somebody gon' die tonight
I know my vibe is tight
And I deserve the throne
And if the kid ain't right
Then let me die on this song
Fireman
If you don't know all the words to Fireman are you even a fan? The first single from the classic Tha Carter II, Fireman easily propelled Lil Wayne’s career into stardom. Even the video had everyone wanting to be like Lil Wayne.
You catch my girl legs open, better smash that
Don't be surprised if she ask where the cash at
Go DJ
The second single from the 2004 album that basically started it all, Tha Carter. According to Mannie Fresh (who also produced and has writting credits on the song), Go DJ was a term the rap group UNLV used to say to him on their songs. Lil Wayne remembered hearing the song growing up and wanted to go back and use the line “Go DJ, that’s my DJ” in which brought the song to life.
Up to this point in Lil Wayne’s career we hadn’t heard anything like this from him. Go DJ welcomed the originating bounce sound of New Orleans into the mainstream world. The song went on to be Lil Wayne’s biggest solo single up until the release of “lollipop” in 2008.
Go DJ is a song that will always have relevance no matter what generation you play it in.
Now you know I play it
Like a pro in the game
Naw, better yet, a veteran in hall of fame
I got that medicine, I'm better than all the names
Ay, it's Cash Money Records, man, a lawless gang
Put some water on the track, Fresh, for all this flame
Wear a helmet when you bang it, man, and guard your brain
Cause the flow is spasmatic, what they call insane
6 Foot 7 Foot
In the House of Detention for Men, the oldest prison on Rikers Island (where Lil Wayne spent 8 months in), each cell is 6 feet by 8 feet by 7 feet which is one of the theories that explains the title. The song also samples Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) by Harry Belafonte which also has the lyric “6 foot, 7 foot, 8 foot bunch”, either or the song is BANANAS.
The song was produced by Bangladesh which is also know for producing ‘A Milli’ and features Cory Gunz who was also on A Milli. Lil Wayne hasn't always been known for his lyricism, but 6 foot 7 foot changes everything.
Up to this point we hadn't heard anything like this from Lil Wayne. 6 foot 7 foot solidified Lil Wayne as one of the greatest rappers alive. Can we also give Cory Gunz credit for how crazy his verse was too?
Life is the bitch, and death is her sister
Sleep is the cousin—what a fuckin' family picture!
You know Father Time, and we all know Mother Nature
It's all in the family, but I am of no relation
A Milli
A Milli is the Second single from Tha Carter III album. Another produced track from Bangladesh, only on this song he went over the top when it came to producing (sampled Don't Burn Down the Bridge" by Gladys Knight & the Pips, and samples the Vampire Mix version of A Tribe Called Quest’s "I left my wallet in El Segundo"). With over 2 million digital copies sold worldwide, A Milli was one of Lil Wayne’s biggest hits up to date.
Tony told us this world was ours
And the Bible told us every girl was sour
Don't play in her garden and don't smell her flower
Call me Mr. Carter or Mr. Lawn Mower