Ranking the Best Lil Wayne Albums
Lil Wayne’s career arc is one of the most intriguing stories in rap history.
From fourth-string member of the Hot Boyz to so-so solo star to the biggest name in rap to … well, you know … being a fan of Lil Wayne is like experiencing the ultimate roller coaster ride. But even I can’t take away the fact that at his height, he was THE blueprint for rap success.
Which is why we’ve spent the past decade drowning in a see of Weezy clones. Thanks, Wayne.
Today, we’re finally looking back at Wayne’s 21-year solo run, ranking all his LPs from bottom to top. While I’m including his collaborative effort with Birdman, this list will NOT include his compilations, EPs and, yes, we’re skipping the mixtapes too.
So no Da Drought stuff, no Dedication stuff and no No Ceilings. The man has TWENTY-FIVE mixtapes alone, this post is long enough. Maybe we’ll get back to those next time.
In the meantime, let’s look back at the highs and lows of Weezy F. Baby. The F stands for lasagna. Or something like that.
14. Rebirth (2010)
Soul in Stereo rating: 1.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: Hey, remember that time Lil Wayne dropped a rock album? BOY I WISH I FORGOT. Look, I’m never against an artist experimenting with new sounds, but this project is an absolute mess. Most of the production sounds like generic rock ripped from a PS2 player select screen, lyrically it’s totally uninspiring, and despite his overwhelming desire to do so, Wayne has zero business singing. Outside of a couple of decent JUSTICE League beats, is essentially a wall of noise. Just put a pot on your head and bang on it with a giant wooden spoon. It’s the same experience I had listening to this.
Forgotten favorites: “Runnin,” “Knockout”
13. I Am Not A Human Being II (2013)
Soul in Stereo rating: 2 stars out of 5
Edd said: When people ask me to point to where it all went wrong with Wayne, it’s easy to say Rebirth, but, to be fair, that album was an anomaly – a passion project that went off the rails. In my eyes, the true unraveling began with I Am Not A Human Being II. Pieced together from recording sessions stretched all the way back to 2006, the follow up to Tha Carter IV was a disjointed mess, filled with lazy hooks, embarrassing punchlines and half-baked concepts. It felt like a cash-in to keep Wayne’s name buzzing and, unfortunately, kicked off a dark period that he’s yet to recover from.
Forgotten favorites: “Trigger Finger,” “Rich as F***”
12. Tha Block is Hot (1999)
Soul in Stereo rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: I’ll be real with y’all (as always): My 1999 eyes saw Mr. Wobbledy Wobbledy as Cash Money’s miniature mascot. Think Lil Twist in the Young Money era. Honestly, this album didn’t do much to change my mind. The first half of the album is pretty dull but things pick up down the line, especially when he leans on his Cash Money Brothers to do the heavy lifting. Wayne’s natural charisma helps him on some tracks but his flow drifts between choppy and outright offbeat. It’s a big distraction. Tha Block is Hot is like looking back at embarrassing grade school yearbook pics – don’t worry, Wayne, you’ll be greater later.
Forgotten favorites: “F*** Tha World,” “Enemy Turf,” “You Want War”
11. Funeral (2020)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3 stars out of 5
Edd said: Wayne’s most recent album is somewhat promising, mainly because of its flashes of brilliance. The production is a bit tighter, the concepts slightly more intriguing and he feels like he’s putting effort into his flow again. But this is yet another album plagued by Streaming Disease – projects that are ENTIRELY too long and only exist to raise streaming numbers. Case in point: 25% of this album is pretty good, 25% is aight and 50% is absolutely unnecessary. It’s also disappointing to hear Wayne mimicking the hot rap flows of the moment instead of sticking with his own. I hate when the innovators become imitators. I know Wayne stans hold Funeral in high regard because it’s a glimpse of the good ol days, but Wayne still has a long way to go.
Forgotten favorites: “Mahogany,” “Harden,” “Mama Mia”
10. 500 Degreez (2002)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3 stars out of 5
Edd said: Oddly, of all 14 albums I revisited for this ranking, 500 Degreez feels the most dated. Maybe because there’s absolutely nothing here but endless women n’ weed talk. As is the case for most CMB records of this era, the production is pretty fun, which elevates the subpar songs a bit. But it’s the most 2002 Cash Money album you’ve ever heard – and trust me, everything here has been done better elsewhere.
Forgotten favorites: “Gangsta S***,” “500 Degreez,” “Go Hard”
9. Free Weezy Album (2015)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3 stars out of 5
Edd said: What a mess this was. Oh, I’m talking about the story behind the album, not album itself … which is no prize either. Long story short, by 2015, our boy Birdman Jr was sick of his allegedly oppressive fake daddy and wanted to drop FWA to tide over fans until Tha Carter V landed. Baby tried to block his industry baby from releasing it, but the album eventually landed on Tidal on Independence Day. I see what you did there, Wayne. But maybe Birdman was right to try to lock this away because there’s not much sizzle to this overly-hyped steak. It’s wildly uneven, with tracks like “Glory” being among his best outings since his mixtape heyday, but are instantly drowned out by uninspired goofiness. “I smell her panties while she’s in the bathroom and taste whatever she left in them.” Yes, that’s an actual line from a song. We were all rooting for Weezy to win with this one (yes, even me!) but he couldn’t pull it together.
Forgotten favorites: “Glory,” “London Roads,” “He’s Dead”
8. Tha Carter V (2018)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3 stars out of 5
Edd said: Easily the stepchild of Tha Carter series, the loooooooooooong awaited Carter V is yet another incredulously long album that collapses under its own weight. When it’s good, it’s very good – Wayne gets deeply personal throughout the set, dropping some of the most introspective verses of his career. Plus we have some cool samples and solid production overall. But as I always tell y’all, you can’t cherry pick the good songs and call an album a success. The mediocre far outweighs the monumental, resulting in yet another erratic release. Yes, it’s the best “modern era” Wayne album, but it should have been so much more.
Forgotten favorites: “Dope N****z,” “Mona Lisa,” “Hittas”
7. Like Father, Like Son (2006)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: Full disclosure – this ranking is the first time I’ve heard this collabo set and … it’s OK I guess? Like Father, Like Son is a forgotten component to Wayne’s rise to power, as this feels like a more polished version of his mid-00s mixtapes. The big problem? Birdman hovering over every track like an albatross. Baby’s presence drags this one down a lot and there’s little to justify the 90-minute length but for fans who devoured everything Wayne dropped in this era, this is a somewhat satisfying meal.
Forgotten favorites: “1st Key,” “Don’t Die,” “Army Gunz”
6. Lights Out (2000)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: Lights Out is the biggest surprise of my marathon Wayne listening session. It’s much better than I remembered. While it’s follow-up 500 Degreez felt paint-by-numbers, Lights Out is the first album to show Wayne’s artistic and creative growth. There are a few bumps in the road – he’s still trying to find his flow, with mixed results, and he still struggles to break out of the Cash Money mold – but it’s a vast improvement from his debut, proving we might just have a hip-hop prodigy on our hands.
Forgotten favorites: “Hit U Up,” “Beef,” “Break Me Off”
5. I Am Not A Human Being (2010)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: IANAHB is nestled firmly in the Young Money era, and if you couldn’t tell it all you have to do is check out the tracklist. The gang’s all here, with the next generation of rap’s superstars (for better or worse…) all making their mark alongside Weezy. Recorded right before Wayne’s prison bid, IANAHB feels more like a Young Money compilation than a full Wayne project, especially all the reused lyrics and repurposed mixtape tracks. Still, nearly everything here is solid and the surprisingly concise runtime makes it a fun, breezy listen. I mean, it still clocks in at an hour, but that’s a minor miracle for a Wayne album, and it’s all the better for it. IANAHB is far from essential but it’s a fun time capsule of the days when Young Money ruled the airwaves.
Forgotten favorites: “Gonorrhea,” “With You,” “I’m Single”
4. Tha Carter (2004)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: And now, we finally see the beginning of Wayne’s maturation into a superstar. Sounding like an completely different rapper entirely, Wayne makes magic with Mannie Fresh as his wingman. Not only was he delivering hits that began to drift away from the Cash Money template, Wayne found his own voice, using his laid-back drawl to startling powerful effect. While it’s a fan-favorite – and rightfully so, there’s lots of greatness here – Wayne wasn’t quite where he needed to be just yet. He was still working to tighten up some of his concepts and the rampant unevenness and pacing issues hinder a lot of his momentum. Tha Carter is far from perfect but it’s a true glimpse of the greatness to come.
Forgotten favorites: “Walk In,” “I Miss My Dawgs,” “Hoes”
3. Tha Carter IV (2011)
Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5
Edd said: Playa, Lil Wayne fans are some of the biggest apologists around – they’ve got a million excuses for every shortcoming. I’m sure the comments of this post will reflect that. So allow me to step into their weird skater shoes: I think Tha Carter IV gets a bad rap and is way better than it gets credit for. In the grand scheme, it’s a pretty solid album, with a solid mix of radio-friendly tracks, some surprising concept songs and the manic delivery that made Wayne a star. It’s biggest drawback is that it came after Tha Carter III and is unable to escape its massive shadow. The hits, well, just don’t hit as hard and several tracks feel like lesser versions of their C3 counterparts – see “6 Foot 7 Foot” cosplaying as “A Milli” and “President Carter” as a “Dr. Carter” spinoff, for example. Still, it’s a strong outing – and pretty much the swan song of golden era Wayne.
Forgotten favorites: “Nightmares of the Bottom,” The Intro/Interlude/Outro
2. Tha Carter III (2008)
Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5
Edd said: Whew, they’re gonna cuss me out for THIS placement. But lets’s start with facts: Tha Carter III is without question one of the most important albums of its era. If you’re a rap fan of a certain age, it’s very likely that this is one of the albums that introduced you to hip-hop and is the reason for your fandom today. And despite the INCREDIBLY INSANE amount of hype leading into this release after his unprecedented mixtape run, he delivered. MOSTLY. Sure, it has the renowned singles, but an album’s true measure of greatness is its album cuts and, in terms of quality, many outshine those beloved singles. But let’s be real, this album is plagued by inconsistencies. At some points it feels like Wayne specifically sequenced the album like this: Good song/OK song/good song/dumb song/Good song. And any album with that raggedy heffa “Mrs Officer” on it will forever get the side-eye from me. This one isn’t as great as your nostalgia proclaims, but it holds up and has a firm place in hip-hop history.
Forgotten favorites: “Comfortable,” “Let the Beat Build,” “Playing with Fire”
1. Tha Carter II (2005)
Soul in Stereo rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: In 2005, I was a nonbeliever. I’d heard the hype around Lil Wayne, the “best rapper alive” claims, how he allegedly was massacring every feature he landed on, how he was set to be the next great rap leader. I was unimpressed. Until I heard Tha Carter II and I was never more happy to be wrong. A clear headed, focused and hungry Wayne is dangerous man in the booth – which is why I’ve been so hard on his sloppy post-2011 material on this list. In 2005, we had peak Wayne, a man who was absolutely determined to prove to every doubter that he was indeed the best alive. Fiery punchlines, effortless delivery, and outstanding production that finally broke him out from the Cash Money mold and had him stand as his own man. Tha Carter II is a testament to mastering your craft. Wanna know why I’m so irritable about today’s young rappers who constantly phone it in and coast off hype? It’s because Wayne proved that you don’t need stan tweets and rants to prove you’re the best, you prove it in the booth. Tha Carter II is the gold standard of leveling up. I’m not convinced that we’ll ever see this Wayne on wax again, but you can never take the greatness of C2 away from him.
Forgotten favorites: “Tha Mobb,” “Receipt,” “Oh No”
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