It comes a time in every MC’s career when they have to meet father time head on. It happens to the best and most dominant wordsmiths alike — just ask Lil Wayne. We challenge those up in arms because of our claims to re-listen to the YMCMB rapper’s most recent projects and see if they measure up to anything he released between the years of 2005-2009. That’s what we thought. Still possessing the ability to make a popular song has no bearing on Wayne’s current lyrical circumstance. It’s just the way the pendulum swings. Over time, a MC’s bars are bound to take a dive in quality from those written in their respective heydays. Lines like “I be so f**kin’ faded/ Who washed the colors with bleach” (from a song released today) simply don’t compare to perhaps anything said on Tha Carter II. But that’s what memories are for. That said, we present 10 songs that’ll take you back to the days Lil Wayne seemingly could not be stopped. — Photo: GQ
