"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.