A playlist of Lil Wayne’s favourite rappers
The 2000s produced some incredible hip-hop talents, many of whom have become multi-millionaires and exceptional entrepreneurs, and Lil Wayne’s legacy is undoubtedly as one of those artists. The New Orleans star has been one of the most influential rappers and is an integral figure in the rise in popularity of Southern rap.
His catalogue is unbelievably eclectic, having released over 29 mixtapes and 14 studio albums, and his business credentials are not insignificant. As a lyricist and music executive, he has been highly successful and is responsible for many of the stars we see on the charts today.
His Young Money imprint gave a platform to a range of artists. From Drake to Nicki Minaj and Tyga as the face of Bridman’s Cash Money and the founder of Young Money, he has profoundly impacted hip-hop since his emergence at the turn of the millennium.
As a youngster, Lil Wayne grew up on a range of different kinds of music. Although he grew up in the south, he loved music from other parts of the US. From Death Row on the West Coast to Roc-a-Fella on the East Coast, Wayne paid attention to these movements and listened to the artists to hone his skills as a lyricist.
While he was growing up, he also listened to southern artists. From Geto Boys and UGK to Three 6 Mafia and 8Ball & MJG. However, from Lil Wayne’s mixtape releases, it is evident that he had a love for all sorts of subgenres of hip-hop.
During the early 2000s, when working with DJ Drama for his Dedication mixtape series, Wayne covered various songs. On his 2006 mixtape Dedication 2, Wayne rapped over East Coast instrumentals such as The Diplomats’ ‘Get From Round Me’ and Jay-Z’s ‘The Game Iz Mine’.
During a 2019 interview with DJ Khaled on his exclusive Amazon podcast, The First One, Lil Wayne spoke about some of the artists that inspired him in the game, and some of his picks were undeniably fascinating.
Two unsurprising picks were Brooklyn legends Jay-Z and Biggie Smalls; however, remaining in New York, he also picked Cam’ron, telling Khaled, “I was the biggest Cam fan.” He also selected female emcee and icon Missy Elliott, stating, “Missy Elliott — that was my favourite rapper because that would be why I was making so many sounds. You know, Missy was into the whole ‘Brrrrt’ [sound]. You know what I mean? She’s about to make the ‘hehehehe ha’ [sound].”
However, he also revealed that he loved the Noreaga (N.O.R.E.), the host of Drink Champs, explaining, “I was the hugest N.O.R.E. fan,” adding, “He had this thing about him where he could be from anywhere, and you fucked with him.”
Wayne’s choices were interesting, to say the least. Thereby, we have compiled what Wayne would undoubtedly consider the ultimate playlist of all time, featuring only his favourite MCs and their best work.
Lil Wayne’s favourite rappers:
- Jay-Z – ‘Dead Presidents II’, Reasonable Doubt, (1996)
- Jay-Z – ‘Lucky Me’, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, (1997)
- Jay-Z – ‘Hard Knock Life’, Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life, (1998)
- Jay-Z – ‘Dirt Off Your Shoulder’, The Black Album, (2003)
- Jay-Z – ‘Do It Again’, Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter, (1999)
- Biggie Smalls – ‘Juicy’, Ready To Die, (1994)
- Biggie Smalls – ‘Hypnotise’, Ready To Die, (1994)
- Biggie Smalls – ‘Big Poppa’, Ready To Die, (1994)
- Biggie Smalls – ‘Ten Crack Commandments’, Life After Death, (1997)
- Biggie Smalls – ‘Sky’s The Limit’, Life After Death, (1997)
- N.O.R.E. – ‘Superthug’, N.O.R.E, (1998)
- N.O.R.E. – ‘Banned From TV’, N.O.R.E, (1998)
- N.O.R.E. – ‘The Assignment’, N.O.R.E, (1998)
- N.O.R.E. – ‘Body In The Trunk’, N.O.R.E, (1998)
- N.O.R.E. – ‘The Change’, N.O.R.E, (1998)
- Cam’ron – ‘Oh Boy’, Come Home with Me, (2002)
- Cam’ron – ‘Shake’, Come Home with Me, (2002)
- Cam’ron – ‘Hey Ma’, Come Home with Me, (2002)
- Cam’ron – ‘The Dope Man’, Purple Haze, (2004)
- Cam’ron – ‘Get Em Girls, Purple Haze, (2004)
- Missy Elliott – ‘Slide’, Under Construction, (2002)
- Missy Elliot – ‘Work It’, Under Construction, (2002)
- Missy Elliot – ‘Pass That Dutch’, This Is Not a Test!, (2003)
- Missy Elliot – ‘I’m Really Hot, This Is Not a Test!, (2003)
- Missy Elliot – ‘Lose Control’, The Cookbook, (2005)