"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.