The Best of Lil Wayne Part 5 (40 - 31)

"Whatever's Good, Weezy's Better: The C2C3 Countdown" is a list of the top 80 tracks that Lil Wayne released between The Carter II and The Carter III. Each week, we'll post between 10 and 15 tracks--with mp3s and reviews--and on the Monday before C3 drops, we'll drop the top 10.

Previously:
C2C3 Countdown, tracks 80 - 71
C2C3 Countdown, tracks 70 - 61
C2C3 Countdown, tracks 60 - 51
C2C3 Countdown, tracks 50 - 41

40. "Sports Center"
Heard on Dedication 2 | Download

Straight up, this way be one of my favorite tracks of all time. I mean, beyond it being a hell of a freestyle, I think it highlights a lot of not just what makes Weezy a good rapper, but what makes a good rap song in general. It doesn't go on to long, it's clever, but not forced, it's about sex and guns, but not really. And, ultimately, it's all about the ego, the awesome, the superiority of the MC who's "serving that track". It's hard for me to separate my enjoyment of this song from my overall enjoyment of Dedication 2, an album I find it almost impossible to not listen to the whole way through. That appeal comes from stuff like Sportscenter--tracks that just ooze cool and calm and complete and utter domination. On this track Wayne doesn't have to make a big show of being the best alive, because every second of it reinforces that notion. -zolmes

39. "I'm A Beast"
Heard on Carter III Sessions | Download

What is so appealing about Wayne's random associations? If any other artist started a track with a line like "rapping is my hobby/my house has a lobby" I'd assume they had just pulled out the rhyming dictionary and turn it off. But Wayne thrives on this sort of randomness, turning the fluff of his head into viable tracks. It doesn't--and shouldn't--work, but Wayne pulls it off (most) of the time whether through sheer talent or sheer insanity. His diversions work and become stuff like this track--maybe not an confirmation of the title, but something work singing along to every time. -zolmes

38. "Malcolm X"
Heard on Best Rapper Alive Vol. 4 | Download

What does it mean to compare yourself to Malcolm X is this day? Are you aligning yourself with radical Islam? Against the assimilation of the wider Civil Rights Movement? Tying your name to fallen heroes to proclaim yourself one? And if any of this is the case, why is that Lil' Wayne uses this track to affirm his life and then do none of the rest? Does it mean anything at all? or is the track just an introspective banger, something that rides on dark tones, enters your brain, and then leaves all too quickly. -zolmes

37. "Screwed Up"
Heard on Best Thang Smokin 2 | Download

Wayne drops a memorable verse here: starting with a recitation of the alphabet, Weezy proceeds to paint a gloomy streetscape over a beat that's as dark as his lyrics. The only thing is, he's not the shooter, he's is the bullet, with each line shredding the soft tissue between listener's ears.

I got a bitch named Nina, and Nina so slutty
Cuz she'll do him and everyone of his buddies

If it seems weird that a song featuring Trae made it this high on the countdown, then you should listen to the track again. Wayne's syrupy flow matches the name of the song perfectly. "Screwed Up" doesn't have much linking it thematically, but each line is an absolute delight. -bw

36. "Stuntin Like My Daddy"
Heard on Like Father Like Son | Download

I've often said that this is one of Wayne's most important efforts ever committed to wax. From verse to verse you can almost hear him transition into the freewheeling beat of an MC that he is today. The first verse is relatively tame compared to his second, a potato-chip-crunching set of lines that find Wayne shedding traditional rap conventions in favor of his own, unorthodox style. The Wayne we know today wasn't simply born, he is the product of years in the game. With "Stuntin' Like My Daddy," that growth is apparent in two quick verses, a microcosm of Weezy's career. Plus, the beat bangs. -bw

35. "Money In The Bank"
Heard on Lil Weezy Ana Vol. 1 | Download

From the opening line, "Thank God I'm a millionaire!" it is clear that Wayne isn't here to take Lil Scrappy's track for a test drive; he came for the takeover, and generally succeeds.

Fuck wit me mama, I know you want a G
And I'm a Real Blood, If you want R and B

As with most of his best efforts, the lines are infinitely repeatable and in many cases unforgettable ("Nigga I can look into the sun's eyes!"). Listening to this for the first time is like having the light turned on in a dark room: Weezy exposed Scrappy's failure on the beat, and showcased the kind of high-caliber raps that this production can support. -bw

34. "Navigator Man"
Heard on Bad Ass Grasshopper | Download

"Navigator Man" is one of Lil Wayne's greatest accomplishments: at first obnoxious and perplexing, a track that barely qualifies as rap music morphs into a catchy, fantasy-journey bursting with navigation-related sexual euphemism. If the listener can suspend all incredulity at Wayne's asinine lyrics and simply commit to having a good time with him, then "Navigator Man" is sure to be stuck on repeat for days. To put this another way, "Navigator Man" is the guiltiest of guilty pleasures. It combines tremendous orchestration with a ridiculous, sing-a-long chorus that feels great to belt out and yet demands some degree of embarrassment from even the most unabashed fan.


Wayne, however, isn't embarrassed in the slightest. The studio must have been a blast for this one. With Weezy's first words, "Buckle up, sweetheart," it's clear that the listener is in for some type of ride. No, there's nothing new lyrically here, but musically speaking, "Navigator Man" is one of Weezy's greatest experiments and it succeeds on pretty much every count--not the least of which is that he somehow sustained an five-minute sexual metaphor involving GPS and OnStar without breaking character. -bw

33. "Vans"
Heard on Lil Weezy Ana Vol 1 | Download

Wayne's foray into whispering raps is super. Short, sweet and repeatable, Weezy kills the beat with a flow that sounds like it could have been put down on the first take and doesn't feel as sleazy as the Ying Yang Twins. Where that duo's music smacks of a cheap strip clup, Wayne's flow is refined, high-quality and something that the audience can actually whisper along with. -bw

32. "100 Million"
Heard on 5 Star Stunna | Download

When stuck on a posse track of this caliber, how does one MC separate himself from the next? With the Runners on production, Khaled on the hype and a host of A-list rappers contributing lyrics, it's easy for the mediocre MC to get buried underneath it all--it's also easy for the veterans to drop a weak verse and bank on Cool & Dre's hook. The key to success on a track like this lies in distinguishing oneself. No one will ever forget Wayne's verse on "We Takin' Ova," and though his effort here on "100 Million" isn't on that level, it's different and a step above the others. "100 Million" finds Wayne operating at his most unorthodox: he abandons the obvious metaphors in favor of something much more cryptic. Wayne asserts his hood status differently than the rest:

I wish I could quit, I don't know how.
Blood gang swarm like a red ant pile
Mean mug, like I can't smile
Like my grill didn't cost me a hundred-thou

Weezy is on some other shit here. It's a short verse that won't make everyone's list of favorites, yet it deserves a nod here. There are probably about a hundred million ways to approach a track like "100 Million" as a rapper, yet Weezy manages to do the unexpected. This is the secret to his staying power: he keeps fans guessing and other MCs watching. Birdman, Jeezy and Rick Ross spit exactly what you'd expect, but when Wayne drops in the status quo is out the door. -bw

31. "Hood Shit"
Heard on I Can't Feel My Face (The Prequel) | Download

Though I campaigned to have this song placed in the top ten, it landed here at position number 31. Realistically it's not a top ten track due to the lack of any coherent theme, but Wayne's flow is truly top notch--the perfect example of a lazy flow, Wayne destroys the beat and it hardly feels like he lifted a finger.

I got a lot but I can never get enough
Man, them 26 inches got the low-low sittin up
Mama I can fix you so you need to hook it up
Rocky Marciano how I beat the pussy up
You not a Soprano play pussy get fucked
Hit a nigga from a hundred yards like *cluck*

I'm honestly tempted to just print the entire verse in lieu of any review. The truth is that--like most of Wayne's work--it can't be dismantled and broken down line-by-line, but instead must be appreciated as a whole.

These niggas air soft
Yeah, soft shell taco. Mild sauce
Move the Ferrari like a wild horse
Or I get chauffeured like a mob boss

"Hood Shit" is one of the best collabos between Santana and Wayne, just after "Nothin." Together, these two tracks make me wish that a studio version of "I Can't Feel My Face" would actually come out. Unfortunately, that album may rank as one of Wayne's few broken promises to his fans. We'll just have to wait and see. I think we all want more tracks like this one. -bw

There's less than two weeks until The Carter III drops. Expect sales like you've never seen before, and expect another the countdown to continue right to the wire. Grab all of this week's tracks in a zipped pack. See you again soon.

We're diligently at work here on the C2C3 at the moment, so blogging has been a little sparse (also because I was, like, graduating and stuff and therefore busy). And this post isn't going to whet your desire for much at the moment, but hell, we love Wale here and it would be a shame if we didn't inform those of our readers who are unaware that his Mixtape About Nothing came out today. I haven't had a chance to listen yet, but I have no doubts that it'll be worthwhile, as Wale hasn't disappointed yet.

Mixtape About Nothing

The Best of Lil Wayne Part 4 (50 - 41)

"Whatever's Good, Weezy's Better: The C2C3 Countdown" is a list of the top 80 tracks that Lil Wayne released between The Carter II and The Carter III. Each week, we'll post between 10 and 15 tracks--with mp3s and reviews--and on the Monday before C3 drops, we'll drop the top 10.

Previously:
C2C3 Countdown, tracks 80 - 71
C2C3 Countdown, tracks 70 - 61
C2C3 Countdown, tracks 60 - 51

50. "Donks"
Heard on Lil Weezy Ana 1 | Download

There's a lot of Lil' Wayne's. His more recent relseases have been divisive because they're a little more experimental, a little more free-falling, a little more crazy. "Donks", on the other hand, represents a very different Lil' Wayne. I hesitate to use the word conventional, because I feel that any Wayne track we throw on this list is anything but, but it's maybe a little more typically Wayne. Stripped down beats, ladies, money, sound effects, and some lines so clever you might actually laugh out loud ("So fly got wings tattooed on me/the gun glued on me/but I pop you in your stomach/now I got ya yesterdays food on me/now that was real rude homie")--if this isn't Weezy at his finest, than it's certainly him at his most solid. -zolmes

49. "Higher Than a Kite" f. Nicki Minaj
Heard on New Orleans Nightmare Vol. 10 | Download

It seems like Wayne will work with anyone because he probably will. But if you couldn't tell from his Hot Boys beginnings, 2006's Like Father Like Son (this album will be two years old this fall, believe that), or more recently his side project, B.A.G., Lil Wayne knows how to share when it comes to those he's closest to. His role on Nicki Minaj's mixtapes, Playtime's Over (2007) and Sucka Free (2008), demonstrate his dedication to collaboration but they also offer an artistic chemistry between lyricists that isn't just rare in music.

You heard them together first on the Drought III's "Can't Stop Won't Stop" last summer. And Weezy fans saw him in the studio working on two songs on her most recent Sucka Free mixtape on The Come Up Vol. 17 DVD (which you can catch in five installments on YouTube starting here). Overall on the tape Wayne's got features on three tracks—"Sunshine", "Higher Than a Kite", and "Big Spender". Wayne also lends the tape skits, intros and the beats from previous songs "Lollipop", "Sweetest Girl", and "Pussy MVP", top that off with Nicki's claws out cover of Trina's "Baddest Bitch" and the allegiance between the Cash Money Prez and Nicki Lewinski is clear.

On "Higher Than a Kite," Nicki murders the first verse delivering as many tight rhymes, rhythmic repetitions, onomatopoeia, jokes and culturally literate references as we've come to expect from her Young Money boss. The overall song quickly finds its footing a decadent drug number and this isn't new for Weezy fans, but the way both players trip in and out of verses which have nothing to do with drugs highlight their similar abilities to incorporate incredibly disparate subject matter to fill bars more with their own dynamic personalities than any one message or genre.

The chorus is not that far from any of Wayne's other listener-conscious virtual-reality ride anthems through the territory of drugs, sex, money, or general bad-assery, with Minaj singing:

Sniffin on some good blow/is like sippin on the tempo
And I can't come down now/Cause I'm higher than, higher than, higher than a kite.

But the cleverness here is not so much in the song structure or production, but in the verses. Wayne's rhymes are as eclectic as ever—from "let a man run a errand/I'ma hit 'im like hank"—and his sense of the songs inherent rhythms are impeccable, welding his pows, duhs, and impossibly varied pronunciation to the beat. If you want a more narrative duet check out Sunshine. If you want high gloss horns, whistles, and chipmunk backup vocals check out Big Spender, my current ringtone. But this duo works the mic with the delicacy, quickness, confidence and exuberance of Astaire and Rogers. -JESS!CA

48. "Dipset"
Heard on Da Drought 3 | Download

God DAMN this is a catchy beat. It makes me want to storm the streets, put a spotlight on my car, and yell. And god DAMN if Wayne doesn't murder this. This song is some eminently quotable I don't know if me blathering on about the damn thing will mean anything. Instead I will say that if you can't fall in love with Wayne after hearing the line "I got a great idea/We should have sex"--because there's everything in that delivery and that's everything about Wayne--than you only exist to be a hater. -zolmes

47. "Scarface"
Heard on The Carter 3 Sessions | Download

This countdown is proof of Wayne's sheer prolificness, the immense output of songs that have helped to make him famous, but tracks like these really show that. This track song pours out of Wayne, as it was unstoppable, as if he couldn't stop it once he started.


And the track is dark. One thing this countdown has helped me realize is just how well Wayne's beats match the mood of the song. This track is dark and lonely--"Protect Me From My Friends/I can take care of my enemies"--and that sense is put forth in the very first seconds of song, as the beats build and the outpour starts. -zolmes

46. "Party Like a Rockstar (Remix)"
Heard on album | Download

Although there's nothing necessary to say about this song beyond: "Remix bay-bee!!" I'll still try to present some coherent commentary. Wayne's verse is one of his shortest ever, and yet each line packs some inventive punch. Despite the brevity of Wayne's blessing, I think most listeners will agree that this beat (and song) is hardly worth spending more than 45 seconds on. A good intro, a few slick rhymes, and we're ready for the skip button--sorry, Shop Boyz.

I don't have to force 'em
They just do what I say Jack, like Wheel of Fortune

Wayne starts the verse with an explicit proclamation of the gulf that exists between himself and the rest of rap: "We are not the same, I am a martian, it's young Weezy F. Baby no abortion." Indeed, many rap pundits would be quick to agree that Wayne's flow--if not Wayne himself--certainly appears to have origins in another galaxy. More than anything, though, "Party Like a Rockstar" isn't about lyricism, it's about two chantable words that will forever be part of hip-hop's ever-evolving lexicography: Wayne brought us "bling-bling," and here he brings us, "Remix baybeee!" -bw

45. "Burn This City" f. Twista
Heard on The Drought is Over Pt. 4 | Download

Leave it to Weezy to flow over a Franz Ferdinand sample set to heavy bass. I was a huge fan of the song this samples--"This Fire"--and so when I first heard the beat for "Burn This City," I was slightly skeptical. But as usual, Wayne delivers a strong performance. Many fans will testify to Weezy's ability as the anchor on a track, but here he demonstrates his power as an opener--a spot where I feel his talents are most appropriately used. I mean, why put Wayne at the end of a song? So we can scan through all the other rappers? No, put him at the beginning and let him set the bar.

Stop playin' with me cannon in my hand
And I'll be damned if any man disrespect me on my land

These few two lines are astounding. Wayne opens his mouth and immediately shows us the direction he is headed: multi-syllabic, off-beat rhyming unlike much else going on in the industry. Pay attention to his enunciation and liquid use of "an," a sound that helps tie the flow together. For "Burn This City," Weezy reverts to his fireman persona--appropriate, considering the track's subject--and takes a lyrical detour back to The Carter II.

My pencil pump liquor I'm a special ass nigga,
No frontin', I'm in front of these extra-last niggaz
I'm a extra-bad nigga, I'm a sideways shooter
Open up the Maserati, fuck a highway trooper


For all the MCs looking to learn some breath control, "Burn This City" might make for a nice study. Wayne rips it over one of the most unexpected beats of the year. I think a lot of people in rap took a second look at Wayne after hearing him over this one--it signals a rejection of limits and bolsters a general Weezy mantra, that the future is more important than the past. -bw

44. "How You Like Me Now?" aka "Smokin"
Heard on The Carter 3 Sessions | Download

From the opening bass hit and ensuing chorus, it's clear that "How You Like Me Now" is a triumph for Wayne--playful, irreverent and heavy, this song is a tribute to the Highest Goddess in Wayne's life, marijuana.

Buck 60 on the dash, I'ma do two,
Captain Crunch, these niggaz is fruit loops!
That's why your girl wanna fuck me and my group too
And I'ma make her back it up like 'whoop whoop'

"How You Like Me Now" feels like a smoke session, which is why it is so great. Wayne just lets the words go, whether or not they make a whole lot of sense. At first it's almost confusing trying to determine where the fine line between metaphor and nonsense lies; after getting lifted with Wayne, however, the song becomes what it's meant to be: a good time. Don't overthink this one, just turn the bass up, sit back, and blaze.

Buck 40 on a ring that I don't really wear
But I bet it light up the night like the city fair
The shit ain't fair I didn't have to go there
But all this ice got me feelin' like a polar bear.

Other winning snippets: "Please, crackers with cheese," and "I'm like a turtle when I smoke the purple." Wayne is, above all else, completely unique. He makes music for the listener's pleasure, and "How You Like Me Now" perfectly illustrates this. Every line is a delight, and Wayne addresses the haters in a single sentence: "I don't know what you on, but I'm on some new shit." Indeed. -bw

43. "American Superstar" ft. Flo Rida
Heard on Mail on Sunday | Download

Look at me bitch! Look at me bitch! What Wayne, who's the superstar?

'Rida and Wayne must have been blowin' trees when they put this chorus together. It's almost as if they both forgot what the song was about for a moment. Almost.

I got guns for the snitches
And roses for the bitches
Hoppin out the whip
paparazzi takin pictures

One definitely can't get more American than guns n' roses, but the line seems to be describing Jay's American gangster, the one who's puttin' down a snitch and sending roses to the widow (read: bitch), more than it's describing an American superstar. Nevertheless, hopping out of the whip to the paparazzi flashing their cameras is definitely superstarrish. Put the two together and like Batman, pow! Wayne's an American superstar.

got two bitches one peanut butter, one jelly
I'm a oven make it gangster already

Awww yeah, Wayne can't leave out the food. That must be why I love him so much. He's always talking about food and I'm one of those guys who can just eat, eat, eat. Must be sublimininal messages or something, cuz Wayne-related satisfaction always ends the hunger.-logic

42. "World of Fantasy"
Heard on The Carter 3 Sessions | Download

Wayne doesn't tackle serious issue that more, or at least not in such a deadly serious way. Which isn't to say that this song lacks humor, only that it' darkness is clearer, it's lightness hidden against the backdrop of the rough beat and rougher stories. And once again, for me, it's all about a single line, a single intonation that sells the whole tale for me--in this case, when Wayne says "He could see the devil, see the devil in my features", a small aside that tells the whole story. Wayne may be a freestyler, a pot-head, a joker, but he's also, ultimately, a writer. -zolmes


I once described to a friend, on the way to see Weezy in concert while we listened to Da Drought 3's "Seat Down Low," how I pictured Wayne's brain working. I told him that I imagined a collage of sorts, a massive three-dimensional painting, a visual representation of every thing Wayne could think of, that he could see in front of him and manipulate always. Think interactive Imax screen. Think Wayne's World of Fantasy.


Because that's what he's living in; a World of Fantasy.

In the song, however, Wayne dedicates the last half of his verse to his mother. After telling her that he loves her, Wayne reminds her who has always been looking out. He reminds her who raised him, saying that while her second husband sees the devil in his features, she sees herself in Weezy's face.

'Member when your pussy second husband used to beat ya
Remember when i went into the kitchen got the cleaver
He aint give a fuck, I aint give a fuck either
He could see the devil, see the devil in my features

And for his mother, Wayne represents:

I am her voice and the World is my speaker
I'm speakin'

-logic

41. "California Love" f. Tyga
Heard on Various | Download

Lil Wayne absolutely wrecks this track with a sing-song flow that exists in symbiosis with the faux-romantic beat. As with so much of Wayne's music, the vocals seem to have co-evolved alongside the track, resulting in an extremely rewarding listening experience. There's a tremendous amount of lyrical experimentation going on here, and yet instead of sounding edgy, the entire production comes off feeling fun and easy, like it was no problem for Wayne whatsoever.

Speedin' like a cop behind me
Tryin' to catch up with this girl like some 57 Heinz
And you deserve lobster mami,
So how bout I make reservations at crustaceans?

The production on "California Love" sounds like something that might have been rejected from an Outkast album--it's not brilliant musically, but is catchy enough to allow Wayne some freedom with his voice and the auto-tune. And though the sound may not be on 'Kast's level, Weezy's flow aspires to Andre 3000, and ultimately succeeds in surpassing 3 Stacks on every count: from listenability to free-wheeling spontaneity and storytelling, Weezy rips it. As a bonus, "California Love" is one everybody can learn the words to, and feel great about.

Then I took her to Rodeo
She shopped all day-oh,
Then I fucked her Hollywood ass like she was from Vallejo

His flow is hardly gangster, but it can't appropriately be called love ballad crooning, either. Instead, "California Love" feels like the hazy day after; a breezy three-minute memory of the Golden State and its accompanying girls. It's nostalgic--a one-night-stand of a song. -bw

That's it for today! You can download all the mp3s from today in a zipped file. We'll be back with more of the C2C3 Countdown later this week. It's almost June, which means The Carter III is almost here. Word.

"Whatever's Good, Weezy's Better: The C2C3 Countdown" is a list of the top 80 tracks that Lil Wayne released between The Carter II and The Carter III. Each week, we'll post between 10 and 15 tracks--with mp3s and reviews--and on the Monday before C3 drops, we'll drop the top 10.

Previously:
C2C3 Countdown, tracks 80 - 71
C2C3 Countdown, tracks 70 - 61

60. "One Night Only"
Heard on The Drought is Over Pt. 4 | Download

A heightened mournful melodic sample loops as the introduction and chorus and serves as the foundation for the for the song's rythms which are further articulated by flat, crisp percussion. Fleshing out the song's driving, building throb are foreboding piano and strings tracks. Above the layers of production Wayne's rap has the long-shot narrative effect of the Berlin School films, stretching the content over an ambiguous landscape of one night stands and road-narratives. Conflating the vocalist loop with his own story, the repitition of the phrase "one night only" fills in intentionally theatrical breaks. Overall the song feels like riding a bike up a steadily-increasing incline for two miles, an endurance that fades out of the frame rather than portray its implied climax. -JESS!CA

What IS this track? A love song? A comment on groupies? The realities of womanhood? Wayne is rarely not a hero in his song, but in this track he plays an ambiguous role--he's a hell of a good lover, but the poor fan who's in love with him has to accept terrible circumstances for the relationship. He can make her love him forever--but he's gonna leave you. Is he worth it? I'm not going to say Wayne is a rapper who is able to tell ladies stories, but here, as in songs like "Prostitute Flange", he works the other end of the love story, the other end of being a groupie, of his love 'em and leave 'em life. It's a flip of perspective, a wry smile, a sort of sadness. -zolmes

59. "Poppin (Remix)" with Cassidy
Heard on Wayne's World Vol. 5 | Download

With the vocal focus largely on Cassidy, rather than Lil Wayne, this is a mild introduction to a series of new material. Redundant in both instrumentation and rythm, the first two-thirds of the track have the resulting effect of chant only distinguishable as verse or chorus. In this regard at least the attention is, as usual, drawn to Lil Wayne's gymnastic mastery of the four-four time signature. His verse, both visibly showier and more conversational than the previous two rappers, serves almost as the song's detractor on the whole as splitting the song into a version of itself that wouldn't include him and would itself be forgettable, but at least not disjointed and the current manifestation with an imbalanced distribution of talent and objective. -JESS!CA

58. "N.O. Nigga"
Heard on Da Drought 3 | Download

"N.O. Nigga" is one of those extraordinary tracks on which Lil Wayne claims complete ownership of the beat. Originally produced by the Runners for Young Jeezy, "Go Getta" was a smash hit--it even featured R. Kelly on the hook--but that initial recording is quickly forgotten in the wake of Weezy's verbal onslaught, an effort that erases any memory of Kels and Jeezy. That quality--of being able to redefine a song on the strength of one's words alone--is seen throughout Da Drought 3, and has always been Wayne's strong suit.

that red dot cover your nose like a clown bitch
so don't run cuz I'ma gun you down bitch
bitch, don't I smell don't I sound rich?
I'm like stunna, I'm blowin out the pound bitch
I don't need help I ain't gon' drown bitch
cause in the pool I'm on the ball like the round tip
Yeah, 8 ball side pocket, I leave the club with two bitches in my pocket.

Though laced with sick lyrics ("They share me like oxygen!"), the song is more than a bunch of fun wordplay. Wayne takes a track that is solidly club and transforms it into a street anthem to represent his hood--something slightly more concrete than R. Kelly's crooning in the club, and something much heavier than the original. The bottom line is that Wayne sounds at perfectly at home on this track, which is what makes it so rewarding; with lines like, "Now pack ya'll K's and leave ya'll knives! This is the life for us, gorillaz! Coke dealers! Dope dealers!" it's clear who Wayne's audience is. -bw

57. "S On My Chest" with Birdman
Heard on The Best Rapper Alive Vol. 3 | Download

This is a sing-a-long track. Wayne's flow drifts back from his more esoteric efforts into a straightforward, traditional Birdman-Weezy duet that bangs. "S On My Chest" also provides two of Weezy's most classic lines: "I'm a let the Big Mac whap ya, boy!" and "Weezy baby, cayenne pepper, no salt." This song is a chest-thumping good time that just happens to sound perfect on any car stereo--straightforward, memorable and carried by Weezy's confident flow. -bw

56. "3 N Morning"
Heard on Weezyaveli (Weezy F Baby Part 3) | Download

Clearly a track that was leaked from the original Carter III recording sessions, "3 N Morning" starts with Wayne instructing a mock crowd to: "Put your 3's up!" and continues with a few quick, emotional verses on Wayne's favorite subject, women. "3 N Morning" isn't about shaking ass or popping bottles in the club, rather it finds Wayne focusing on relationship struggles. This was a theme that Lil Wayne explored with some depth on many of those first C3 recordings: the dichotomy between the rap life and real life, between real relationships and what happens backstage. On "3 N Morning," Wayne reveals a few things to his audience, but unfortunately for most fans, the track has been forgotten--as happened with other leaks from the Carter III, rap pundits feigned ignorance while heads were left to sort things out for themselves. Of all the artists rapping today, Weezy certainly has more "lost" tracks than anyone, and two decades from now I can guarantee that there will be 10 and 15 CD sets for sale celebrating these hidden gems. Think of the way that Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan box sets line the aisles in Best Buy. Tough for the haters to stomach, I'm sure. -bw

55. "Workin' Em"
Heard on Dedication 2 | Download

It's Gangsta Grillz, you bastard. When I heard Dedication 2, it was the first time I'd listened to the lil' gremlin since I bought burned copies of Tha Last Meal and Lights Out back in 2000 at five bucks for the set. Fuck if Weezy didn't change my opinion immediately with Drama. I heard Workin 'Em first, and that's a hit. It was during some lunch break at the start of summer and I couldn't believe it. That's Weezy? What the fuck man.




Weezy f Baby, the motherfuckin' Carter
bitches on my stick, but my name aint Harry Potter

I'll call him Ron Weezy instead. Cuz that boy's a musical magician. I still don't know who lends his voice to the chorus on this one, but it sounds like an angry Cube. I can feel the spit splashin' on my face each time the chorus goes pimpin', listen:

I be pimpin' them hoes
pimp, pimpin' them hoes

Wayne's been doin' it. Believe that you camel-dick riders.-logic

54. "No Other" f. Juelz Santana
Heard on Dedication 2 | Download

Listening to "No Other," you can hear that Wayne's not quite to excellent yet. His words come off as slurred and that results in a convoluted delivery. His rhyme schemes in "No Other" seem rudimentary compared to the free verse he's mastered in his most recent efforts. But by comparing this song to those of today, off of all the mixtapes and the Carter III sessions, one can precisely gauge the level that Wayne has elevated himself to. And I'm dumbfounded by the elevation. Juelz, on the other hand, sounds the same on this track as he does now. Get your ass in the studio Santana.

Favorite line:
"Bitch Katrina turned my city to a sea shore."

Next:
"Pump put a hump in your back, they call it Igor."

And:
"Your bitch come at me for wood, and I'm the lumber jack."

They're so simple, his ideas. But the delivery, the way he words all of those drug-induced ideas and then links them, cannot be easily duplicated. Although, as I mentioned above, the ideas behind his lyrics for "No Other" and other Gangsta Grillz tracks are not up to par with his current skill level. Still, they are great songs. And this song deserves to be on the countdown. But the differences found when comparing this to recent tracks are profound. It's not apples to oranges, it's more like comparing apples to Maybachs. I doubt that many rappers, or musicians, could change their approach so drastically and expect to match the success Wayne has achieved. Practice, practice makes better than perfect? Is there such a thing? Wayne is that thing. I can't wait for Tha Carter V.

I gotta cut this short; I can't feel my face.-logic

53. "Step Back" with Freeway
Heard on Various Mixtapes | Download

Don Cannon absolutely rips the production on this one--it's one of those beats that comes in hard and makes the hair on your neck stand up in anticipation; it's a feeling every true Wayne fan has had once or twice. When Weezy isn't given the opening verse of a new track, that first listen can be exhilarating as the beat bangs and fans suffer through a mediocre rapper or two, all the while wondering in excitement, "What the fuck is Weezy going to do with this shit?!"


In the case of "Step Back," Wayne comes in for the second verse and takes complete command with a series of brilliant lines that are flawlessly tailored to Don Cannon's heavy-beat production:

Out in the desert you're not worth the effort as I Hefner
Hugh, do like you, who? Not me, never. Ever.
Never never have I ever met the devil
But spit like I got a 'fevver,' I mean fever, whatever
It's whatever, I got several black loaded pieces of metal

Not the most enlightening few bars, and yet when set to music they flow like liquid, inseparable from the soundscape. This is the difference between Wayne and Your Favorite Rapper: the Carter gives himself to every piece of music he encounters, internalizing it and then inserting himself so appropriately that other rappers on the track become irrelevant. Sorry, Freeway--we love you but wish it had been Wayne for every second of this one. -bw

52. "Love Me or Hate Me"
Heard on Weezyaveli | Download

This song is epic. Wayne is like an ultra-vulture. He don't even write--no author. So harder, so smarter, all about a dollar like four quarters.


"Love Me or Hate Me" sounds like something that had been slated for C3 and then leaked--which is terribly unfortunate, because leakage tends to relegate songs (even the best ones) to a world of obscure mixtapes inaccessible to mainstream listeners. "Love Me or Hate Me" is no exception to this, and feels a lot like buried treasure. The track is unconventional, defying traditional hip-hop song structure and relying on a tremendous orchestration that is nothing short of royal. "Love Me or Hate Me" opens with one minute of near-acapella, word-association rhyming that builds to a statement of what must be Wayne's central thesis: "My future will be better than my past. You can love me or hate me, I swear it won't make me or break me." No doubt.

Baby I am the real deal no pickle
Spit sickle cells, like O
I go off like a motherfuckin' rifle
and I'm from the underground baby like a pipe hole
I will stand tall like light poles until the lights blow

The lyrical experimentation going on here is pretty much unprecedented, a fact that most critics refuse to acknowledge. Rap has always been about bringing a unique style--the innovators are praised, the biters shunned. In this context, Wayne certainly stands at hip-hop's frontier, injecting new blood into a genre increasingly characterized by stale lyrics, derivative songs and soporific themes.

I'm just trying to stay ahead of my shadow
Man, I'm floating like a boat and a paddle
Alligators and rattlesnakes, but I promise I will take a nigga off like a Saturday
Got money to validate, I'm icy like carrot cake
Different colored diamonds make me look like a sack of grapes
I'm straight out the alleyway, it's the nigga your daddy hate
Weezy F. Baby, great.

That's the main point that Weezy's fans have been trying to make for years now: he has brought fresh blood to a game that Nas correctly identified as dead. When everyone is doing the same shit, what's the point? Wayne does what he wants, and for that, you can love him or hate him.-bw

51. "Pussy, Money, Weed"
Heard on Drought is Over pt.4 | Download

I'll do all I can to not quote this entire song, but I'm not making any guarantees. It's that good. PMW is a love song to Wayne's perfect woman, the lady he loves as much as pussy, money, weed. With Weezy, we know that's got to mean true love. Wayne starts this joint off by paying homage to outkast and then starting into his ostensibly unconnected flow, going from a doctor prescribing himself as medicine to a religion, then a dresser(a clothier), to his woman's feathers all in . Oh yes, Lil Wayne gives her wings, not Red Bull.

Oh yes I love her like Egyptian
Want a description? her body's sickenin
I can be her prescription, I can be her physician
Sexual healing, I can be her religion
And now shes kneeling, praying to the ceiling
I bless her as if she sneezed
Must be the weather, I dress her, I am her sleeves
I am her feathers, shes fly,
Flyer than you, flyer than me,

But on closer inspection, Lil Wayne is laying out all of his emotions in PMW. I don't know if she has a face, or if he's just describing his model woman, but it's obvious Wayne has been deeply in love before. And he's not afraid to profess it.

I love her, she loves me too
I love her three..times more than her mom
Time will tell that im the nigga
That she should, we should
Be wherever she wanna be

And no, Wayne doesn't miss out on a chance to get in his ob--so fucking--scure reference, "Shes poison and I am Michael Bivins."

That's only the first verse. Jesus. As Wayne, and the song, moves on, he looks to the future, beyond his wedding day, to a place in time where there are five little Carters running around his mansion. Don't miss that John Paxson reference; swoosh.

Oh yes I love her like I ought too
I see you at the alter Mrs. Carter
I see you with me daughter
Or son, more than one
Maybe five like the Jacksons
Or John Paxson

There's no passion, nor lyrical creativity, lacking as this make-believe relationship comes back to the present at the close of the second verse. Do read into it, but definitely listen to the song, because I cannot give it enough praise.

Got her wet like shes sweating out a fever
Leave her to me and she'll be smiling
Every single time you see her
From ear to ear
I wanna be beside her when she sleep and she lay
Or we can stay awake and watch the next day
Clothes are overrated, panties are debated
Einstein--her head is the greatest

Brilliant. And as if some of us weren't completely sure, or don't quite believe what Wayne is talking about in PMW, each verse is separated by a chanting reassurance that's similar to the variations that start each verse.

(oh yes I love her like) pussy, money, weed
pussy money weed, pussy money weed


Wayne starts to show off his ridiculously wide range in Pussy, Money, Weed. He can do it all, just as his always-improving approach to music has proven. His talent is unsurpassable.

I'll leave the third verse for everyone to explore for themselves. As a sidenote, this song is definitely in my top ten Weezy tracks. So cop it. Now.-logic

That does it for this installment of the C2C3 countdown. From here it will only get better as we explore the top 50 songs that Wayne put together between The Carter 2 and his forthcoming Carter III album.

Grab all ten tracks (60 - 51) instead of downloading them individually. We'll be back later this week with more Weezy. Stay tuned.

Today I'm California dreaming, specifically about my coming move to LA for the summer. I hooked up a nice pad in Hollywood, furnished and with a view, that should serve me well for during the hottest months of the year. Right now, though, I'm in limbo and my current apartment is sitting behind me, packed in boxes. All I've got is my computer and a set of speaks, which means that it's about time for a roundup.

First there are two magazine covers of significance that must be noted: Rick Ross doing his best beached whale impersonation on XXL, and Game getting suicidal for The Source. Both of these shits is ridiculous. I love it.

There's mad good tracks out there this week. Kidz in the Hall with "God Bless"; an "Out Here Grindin'" remix; unreleased Royce Da 5'9"; new CNN with Snoop, Uncle Murda, the Clipse and more; and then there's Raekwon and Ghostface coming with "The Jihad." If you're in to Mickey Factz, he's got new ish, too.

The best track that dropped this week, though, is one I wasn't really hip to at first. Lil Wayne and T-Pain combined for "Got Money," a great effort that is damn catchy. If this is off Carter III it won't hurt, but certainly pushes the disc a lot closer to the pop category than some fans might like. Wayne also dropped a remix to "Lollipop" featuring Kanye West. In other Wayne news, the Carter feels that Bun B is greater than 2 Pac (something I personally cosign), and also speaks on the BET award nominations.

In the biggest drama of the week, Suge Knight got his ass knocked down in some type of barroom brawl. Word on the street now is that there's a cool million up for grabs if Suge and his foe will rematch in Vegas. This shit absolutely cracks me up. I understand why this gets coverage in hip-hop blogs, but come on, haven't we got more important shit to worry about around here than broke-ass Suge Knight??

The Cool Kids are prepping for their Bake Sale EP, dropping May 20th on iTunes. This week they've dumped a slew of fresh tracks on us: "Miami Beach", "Jinglin'" and "What Up Man." Shit's looking serious for these two, especially in the wake of Kidz in the Hall's massive success. Full disclosure: of the two "Kids" groups, it's definitely the Cool ones that have my ear. Though Kidz in the Hall are hot as fuck, Mikey and Chuck Inglish have the new sound and are clearly on some next shit while Naledge and Double-O--as innovative as they are--haven't pushed any boundaries quite yet.

Mass Appeal is, sadly, closing up shop.

Akon finally says something about the cred-damning report by The Smoking Gun titled, "Akon's Con Job."

The Game's Bentley got repo'd,

David Banner has another story (this time about Samuel L. Jackson) and a new track, "Hello" off The Greatest Story Ever Told dropping July 15th. This disc should be money, as Banner's previous efforts--though hot--always felt lacking. I'm feeling every single off this forthcoming disc, and I love everything about David Banner, Mississippi represent.

The dudes over at Crate Kings have been linking mad good interviews lately. See: Clinton Sparks on mixtapes and networking; Large Professor on digital distribution; and Jermaine Dupri dissing Danja.

Finally, eskay has some excerpts from KING's recent interview with Nas, during which he speaks on the Hot 97 incident from 2002 (for those unfamiliar, it stems from esco's ire at being unable to burn Jay-Z in effigy during Summer Jam).

That's all for now. Too much going on to truly sort it all out. The speed of shit happening in the game right now is intense.

There was more than a little anger in the room on Sunday night. The scene was absolutely awesome and the crowd as unorthodox as any I’ve ever witnessed at a hip-hop show: from genuine rap backpackers and breakdancers to shirtless, tattooed metalheads and their longhaired friends, the audience—clad nearly entirely in black—might as well have been milling around waiting for a grindcore show. In reality the atrium at the Catalyst was packed with men waiting to see Rob Braunstein, better known as Necro, the founder of Pscyo+Logical Records and creator of albums such as “I Need Drugs,” “Gory Days,” and most recently, “The Sexorcist” and “Death Rap.”

Necro is legendary in most hip-hop circles, acknowledged at once for his brilliance behind the boards and his ultra-violent, hyper-misogynist rhymes on the mic. “I Need Drugs” cemented him as a legit lyrical force in the Brooklyn underground and marked him as a pioneer of the emerging gore rap and death rap subgenres, which also include acts like Esham and the Gravediggaz. From that first release he moved into even more explicit territory, particularly with “The Sexorcist,” a disc so lyrically ribald and downright sexist that it too demanded a new term: porn rap.

Given his history, it was impossible to know just what would go down in Santa Cruz, or what kind of a draw the Pscyo+Logical camp would pull. Apparently, however, there's a decent amount of crossover between death metal and death rap: fans wore shirts that read “Gore Obsessed” and “Kate Moss Loves La Coka Nostra” while others were fully tatted; one man sported a shaved head with “Hard Headed” inked right onto the back of his skull, just next to a bullet wound. There were enough drugs for the entire crowd and after Mr. Hyde had finished his set it became obvious that when Necro hit the stage the nascent mosh pit would deepen to involve the entire crowd. (The last time I saw a mosh pit at a hip-hop show was when Murs played in Omaha, NE.)

Necro lumbered onto stage—much heavier than any press photos ever show him—and started his set to a tremendous amount of fanfare. Though he didn’t have the greatest mic control (his gravely voice was flagging from tour stress as Santa Cruz was the final date), he did control the crowd. The kids who showed up were going completely nuts, screaming and spitting and throwing punches left and right. The entire situation was a spectacle that really defied imagination. One can say whatever they want about the content of Necro’s rhymes, but his label is poised to capitalize on an emerging fanbase that isn’t exactly metal and can’t quite be fully hip-hop. Necro calls it death rap, and if there was one thing binding the audience it must surely have been their love for mayhem and violence; the purposely dyslexic chant “Satan Cruz” sounded throughout the night.

The most intense moment in Necro’s set came when he demanded that the women in the audience make their way to the stage. Since there were only about a dozen girls in the entire building, it was no surprise that only three were brazen enough to alit the platform and share the spotlight with this giant, white monster. He launched into a track off “The Sexorcist” and before the women could even begin gyrating they were doused with full bottles of water and some of them stripped of their clothes in what was quite possibly the most degrading moment I have ever experienced live. Some of the girls—not expecting the water—were clearly furious and removed themselves from the moment, while others made their way to center stage to shake their shit for the orgy of testosterone circulating in the pit below. It was like nothing I have ever witnessed and a memory that will be tough to shake. A few songs later, Necro escorted more women to the stage for his performance of “Get On Your Knees,” during which he forced one to pantomime fellatio while he rapped—one hand on the mic, one on her head.

The energy in Santa Cruz was nuts, and though I had pegged the town as something of a back-to-nature hippie retreat, it turns out that there are some serious dudes on the north side of Monterey Bay. Judging by the number of circle pits and the amount of army boots in the crowd, I'd guess the city has a decent metal scene as well. The show was great to witness--and worth every penny--but nothing I'll pay to see again. This was an educational journey to the outer-limits of hip-hop; it was a search for boundaries. The take-home is that if enough heads get involved, we could witness a new "death rap" genre as stratified and over-labeled as metal is today.

In a lot of ways it seems like Necro has lost his luster as an artist. It’s clear what he’s trying to do with this tour and with Psycho+Logical Records, but unfortunately progress for his label comes at the expense of good music. Though “I Need Drugs” is an objectively good rap album, the same cannot be said for “Death Rap” and “The Sexoricst,” no matter how musically exploratory they are. It’s really a shame that Necro didn’t stick strictly to the gore and conspiracy theories that characterized his early work, though he’ll probably have success with this new format as it certainly crosses into territory once held by the Insane Clown Posse—whether or not Necro actually enjoys that comparison is a story yet to be told.

This post has nothing to do with Lil Wayne not getting top honors in MTV's Hottest MCs in the Game (2008) countdown that aired last night at 10. This post is about the garbage that MTV peddles as rap coverage, news and commentary. They exposed their ignorance with this one.

10. T.I.
09 .Andre 3000
08. Young Jeezy
07. Lupe Fiasco
06. 50 Cent
05. Snoop Dogg
04. Rick Ross
03. Lil Wayne
02. Jay-Z
01. Kanye West

Let's be honest, only about half of the MCs on that list deserve to be there--In fact, maybe only three: Kanye, Weezy and Rick Ross. Nearly everyone else belongs nowhere near a compilation of "hot artists," as Shake points out in his post about Andre 3000 coming in at number nine. I respect 3 Stacks, but at the midpoint of 2008, rating past lukewarm is an insult to all of the actually hot artists out here, the one's who have been putting in work. If MTV had their ear to the ground, they'd understand.

The people that tore it up and deserve a spot on that list are the ones we know well in the blogosphere; artists like Crooked I, Kidz in the Hall, Pusha, Bun B and others brought heat all year. Haven't these guys paid some dues in '08 to earn at least a nod on a hot MC's list? Mickey Factz, anyone? Does MTV even have any idea how many hip-hop weeklys Crooked I pulled together? These are the real hot artists, not the status-fucking-quo that MTV trots out every time they get a group together to chat about hip-hop.

The truth is, their coverage and commentary is stale, and those of us who know what's going on will smile and nod in respect for those named then turn around and put the truly hot artists on blast. I know what's playing in my CDP and it ain't Lupe, Jay or 50.

MTV has a lot of clout, and putting this list out reinforces their position as hype-men for deadweight on record labels. T.I. and 3 Stacks must have chuckled to see their names make the cut. What have you done for me lately?

With the Internet being what it is, there's a new formula that's started to emerge, and a lot of MCs--and heads--know what's up. Artists can distribute tracks on a weekly--if not daily--basis, and command a groundswell of support from a large group of listeners. It's all about credibility, and now that most of the distribution barriers have been broken down, there's not much excuse for an MC to be lazy: if you aren't dropping tracks regularly, you've definitely fallen off (especially if we're talking about a list of who's hot).

Communications technology is at a point where it affords every artist a tremendous amount of opportunity, if they're willing to work for it. Looking at MTV's list, I see only a handful of MCs who have displayed a level of effort equal to their ranking. It's unfortunate that the network, which has done so much for hip-hop in the past, can be so ignorant of what's actually happening in the genre today.

"Whatever's Good, Weezy's Better: The C2C3 Countdown" is a list of the top 80 tracks that Lil Wayne released between The Carter II and The Carter III. Each week, we'll post between 10 and 15 tracks--with mp3s and reviews--and on the Monday before C3 drops, we'll drop the top 10.

Previously: C2C3 Countdown, tracks 80 - 71.

70. "9MM" with Akon, David Banner, Snoop Dogg
Heard on The Greatest Story Ever Told | Download

This is one of those songs that has a line so memorable we couldn't omit the track from our list:

I got a girl you wanna meet her?
Her name is nine millimeter!!

The rapper is insane, flowing like a mad river. Indeed, Weezy's verse is short but incredibly sweet. He keeps the number nine as a central theme and has--by far--the most interesting section of the track. -bw

69. "Nike Boots" with Wale
Heard on The Drought is Over Pt. 5 (Grand Closing) | Download

I once read a piece that talked about Wayne's break-out track, "Tha Block Is Hot". It mentioned that Wayne's theatricality was showing even at that young age, because he chose to whisper the chorus, where others would have yelled it. It concluded that Wayne understood the power of messing with the expected.


The beat to this song is brash and droning and, yet, still energetic. But Wayne approaches it from left field--he slows it down. He drawls. he draws on his Vocoder obsession. I can't say that this better than Wale, and Wayne's lyrics are the sort of thing that are great for rap, but only good for him. But the slowing entices you, it changes up the expected. It experiments. And, besides getting head and money, musical experimentation has come to define Wayne and shows his desire to move beyond the standard. He's already flyer than the rest of em--now he's trying to surpass everyone. -zolmes

68. "Army Gunz" with Birdman
Heard on Like Father, Like Son | Download

In the intro to this track, Wayne states: "I'm bout to murda this shit!" and he's not lying. Though "Army Gunz" is a track with a tongue-in-cheek title and an almost cartoony hook ("Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I got Army Gunz!!"), Weezy's flow is anything but a joke. I've often commented that much of Wayne's work on Like Father, Like Son is transitionary, displaying a move from straight-laced, formulaic rhymes to the more abstract and experimental lyrics that he is known for today. "Army Gunz" is no exception to this:

But dem niggaz won't touch not a part of me, bet on it
Dem niggaz belong in a sorority, ain't that a bitch?
Burn they bodies up for the authorities, no evidence
You gon' stop fuckin' with them warriors from New Orleans


When reading those lyrics on paper, the words feel disconnected and stale, but on the track, Wayne brings them alive and makes rhymes appear where none were before--this is what it means to have a 'flow', a word that is often applied incorrectly. To remember just what it means, have a listen to Weezy's three verses on "Army Gunz."

His most important line: "You niggaz is scared of the southern part of America." Word. -bw

67. "Sweetest Girl" with Wyclef
Heard on Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant | Download

"Sweetest Girl" is like a lot of songs, including Wayne's own "Good Girl Gone Bad," as such, the subject matter isn't ground-breaking and, therefore, neither are a lot of lyrics. However it does have several things going for it strong enough to warrant its inclusion here. The first is the strength of its beats and backing--there's no denying Niia's beautiful singing throughout the track and the catchy-as-hell chorus. Second, is the way that a song about a prostitute becomes a sweeter song, a tale of childhood love gone wrong. Lastly, there's just something about the way Wayne says "she used to be the sweetest girl" that breaks my heart every damn time. Seriously. Going to show you that, more than a gangster or a thug or a hustler, Wayne is a lover, a sweetheart first. -zolmes

66. "Let's Pray" f. Juelz Santana
Heard on Lil Wayne and Friends 3 | Download

Here again, Lil Wayne demonstrates his superb ability at making the traditional rap hook interesting. He's got short verse, but his croak (and here it truly is a croak), never fully disappears from the track; in fact, it holds the thing together.

I anticipate that this pick will be pretty controversial: the mainstream blogs panned "Let's Pray," dismissing the song almost immediately after devoting a token post to it. (Is this an acknowledgment that as much as the blog hate Weezy, he generates mega-hit counts for them??) In any case, Wayne adapts his voice perfectly to this beat--his forte--and drops an unforgettable first line:

Like I dropped straight from Heaven
Five strong words Rest In Peace Lil Kevin
And this ain't how I was born, but this is how I live
So that's how I'll die and do not close my eyes
Cuz when you see me in the casket I'ma look right back at you.

Is anyone else worried about Weezy dying? If anything, this song might be encouraging us to pray for him: the amount of drugs he does is absolutely mind-bending, and the promethazine and codeine mix he is so fond of has claimed more than a few lives. Weezy has always seemed resigned to his rockstar lifestyle, come what may. On this track, he expresses that sentiment one more:

I represent that Saint's sign
I'm so high I can paint signs
And if she ain't fine, she ain't mine
Thank God I'm alive
But if we end it all today
I have done more than I can say
Amen

No one can really argue with that last line: he has indeed done more than he (or any of us) can say. This countdown is one testament to that tremendous body of work that Wayne has given fans of good music everywhere (for free, I should add). It's true, this is a short song, but I have a feeling more than a few Wayne-heads are listening to it on repeat. -bw

65. "I Took Her"
Heard on The Drought Is Over Pt. 4 | Download

Lil Wayne likes bitches, and this song is a self-aggrandizing, misogynistic romp through Wayne's world of women and money. The beat sounds like something that didn't make the cut for 5 Star Stunna, and is reminiscent of "Pop Bottles," only a lot fucking darker. Though the subject matter is a bit unpalatable at times, there's a lot of great shit going on musically here, particularly at the beginning of each verse when the beat perfectly punctuates each word from Weezy's grill (see New Orleans-repping start of verse two).


There's also tons of interesting wordplay, and more than a few ridiculous scenes setup by Wayne (mostly in the second and third verses). Take this one, for example, where Weezy breaks down a situation that most everyone has encountered at the club before:

Why your boyfriend actin like secret service
I'ma get you by yourself and get my secret service

Secret Service? Fuck yeah, I've seen that guy out with his girlfriend before--why do they even step into the club, I wonder? As Wayne explains later, though: "The girl may be yours but the pussy is mine!"

The most memorable part of "I Took Her" is actually a moment of silence: "See I am from the jungle, the mighty jungle, and the guns go..." As we've mentioned before on this countdown, Weezy integrates perfectly with pretty much every beat he spits on, and the full connection between music and voice is really one of the main factors drawing fans his way. If you didn't know, now you knew. -bw

64. "Cali Dro" with Birdman f. Kurupt and Daz
Heard on Like Father, Like Son | Download

Track 18 off Like Father, Like Son, "Cali Dro" is a monster of a song. I'm not sure why Birdman and Weezy included it so late on their collabo album--it's surely one of the best efforts on the disc, and with Kurupt and Daz on the beat, everything feels complete.

And I stay high and a still got my diploma
And I still keep the maggie on me like Homer
And I'm too sick man I'm spittin' out a coma
And I'm still lettin' the money pile like Gomer.

Wayne be with the stars, and he ain't talkin' Tinsel Town. "Cali Dro" is one of those guilty pleasures that ends up on repeat in the iPod or the whip; the beat is heavy and the lyrics were written for the weekend. -bw

63. "Self Destruction"
Heard on Bad Ass Grasshopper (The Introduction) | Download

Super-heavy-metal-rock-star Wayne drops all pretense for this one and let's the auto-tone tell it as he screams, "I fucked up, yeah I fucked up! And I'm headed for self-destruction!" More than anything, "Self Destruction" is a reflection on a life lived recklessly, and a love lost in much the same way.


In the final bars of the song, Weezy repeats an emotional plea: "It feels like I'm falling, no one here to save me! I don't want to die alone, I don't want to live alone, I don't want to be alone!" Holding these lyrics up against Wayne's large assortment of straight-club tracks, one has to wonder what's really on his mind. As much of a sex-fiend as he is, tracks like "Self Destruction" reveal that there's a much more complex suite of feelings below the surface of his work. Weezy's never been afraid to show this side (remember "Prostitute Flange," anyone?), but discerning just what his true feelings are is difficult.

"Self Destruction" is a sobering, backstage look back at the past and forward to what Wayne increasingly paints as the inevitable future (suicide, death; self destruction). This track is only one example of this theme, which recurs over and over again in Lil Wayne's catalog. -bw

62. "Duct Tape & The Mack" f. Curren$y & Mack Maine
Heard on Wayne's World Volume 5 | Download

If you've got a system in your car, you're probably already familiar with this song: it's a straightforward gangster track that beats hard and is chock-full of great lines. Wayne mostly concentrates on his various weaponry and translates the sound of gunshots into something everyone can recite:

Don't know how to build a house but I got a box of tools
I'm talkin' 'bout that 'pop-pop-pap-pap-bang-bang-blacka-boom!'
The coupe I'm in say va-va-voom, then it go 'pyuuum'!
Then I'm gone... I see you soon... on the moon!

The only thing in the world that Wayne seems to love as much as women, drugs and money would be guns. He pretty much exclusively refers to gats in the feminine form, and treats them as a companion that he could never do without:

I'm heavily blunted, me and my gun loaded
She ridin' with me till the motherfuckin road end

Robert Horry and Corey Maggette also find their way into this rhyme--but only as a way for Weezy to explain his superior marksmanship. It's clear that Wayne handled "The Mack" half of this song, though I would have liked so hear a bit more about duct tape from him. Somehow though, Lil Wayne doesn't strike me as being on the kidnap tip. -bw

61. "Damn I'm Cold" with Bun B
Heard on II Trill | Download

No disrespect to Pimp C, but Lil Wayne and Bun B sound perfect together on this track--let's hope this is the beginning of a serious Texas-NO connection. These two could easily do a collabo album together that would destroy the industry. Bun B's voice has always been overpowering and demands a higher-pitched, bizarre counterbalance to make it work. Up until his death, Pimp C had played that part in UGK, but after hearing "Damn I'm Cold," it's clear that Weezy's voice can also serve as a highlight to Bun's Port Arthur drawl.


We've said a lot about Wayne on the chorus, but nowhere is his prowess with the hook more apparent than this track. Since this thing dropped, I've found myself brushing my teeth each morning crooning, "Damn I'm cold! Man I'm cold!" over and over again; if the goal of a hook is catchiness, Weezy's effort here gets a gold medal.

The other outstanding part of "Damn I'm Cold" occurs during the last verse when Bun and Weezy trade verses. It's a beautiful thing: two of the best artists in the south going back and forth over a flawless Chops beat. Ultimately, they make it sound easy, and like a shitload of fun. The thermometer here in the Monterey Bay topped 80 today, and this is definitely one of those windows-down kind of jams that will be on repeat all summer. -bw

If you dont want to download the songs individually, you can grab all ten tracks (70 - 61) in a zipped pack. Enjoy.

We'll be back early next week (Monday or Tuesday) with another 10 songs on the C2C3 countdown. It's only going to get better from here as we make our way to number one, and ultimately to The Carter III.

I've never heard of Asher Roth, but this track, "The Lounge," showed up in my inbox this afternoon (props to kathryn) and I'm impressed: he has one of those smooth, simple flows that sounds great over this beat, which is on some easy-listening-throwback shit (think Typical Cats). The title of the song, "The Lounge," is fine, but after listening to the entire track I would have stuck with something more to the point, like: "What Makes a Rapper," which is the central question of Asher's piano-backed flow.

This kid is white, from Philly, and he's not ashamed of his background at all. The entire song is a discussion of just what it means to be an MC. From questions of street cred, to skin color and gender, Asher spends the track hunting for a definition of 'rapper.' It's all about identity and full of rhetorical questions, but the song doesn't take shots at anyone--after all, it's called "The Lounge," and the beat is anything but confrontational.

Asher Roth - The Lounge

Look for Asher Roth's upcoming mixtape with DJ Drama and Don Cannon, dropping Friday, June 13th. Man, that should be fucking fun!! (Drama, Cannon and Asher Roth on a mix together? I'm not even sure what to expect, but can't wait.)

Before Whatever's Good was born, I used to write about rap music on my personal blog, generally keeping posts centered on album reviews in order to build toward a year-end "Best of" list. We haven't done too much of that on WG yet, so I think it's time for a pre-Summer update: a lot of great music has dropped, and the CD player in my whip has stayed hot from all the spins that the following discs are getting.

Fuck any haters expressing doubt about commercial rap or Flo Rida's cred. Mail On Sunday is the best dirty south party album to come out this year. Pretty much every track will sound perfectly at home in a club or, more appropriately, blasting from a convertible, top down. It's a bit shallow, sure, but infinitely listenable.