October 31 | Written by Shayma Noorashour

Dwayne Micheal Carter better known by his stage name Lil Wayne was born in in New Orleans, Louisiana. Lil Wayne was scouted by rapper and record producer Birdman at a young age. In the late 90s, he signed a record deal with Cash Money as part of the music group 'Hot Boys'. Although the group achieved commercial success with their releases, they eventually went their separate ways. Lil Wayne continued to represent Cash Money as a solo artist. Lil Wayne eventually founded Young Money as an imprint of Cash Money and signed Nicki Minaj, Drake, and others.

There is no denying that Lil Wayne is one of the greatest rappers of all time. If you search any credible greatest rappers list his name is bound to rank high on that list. Lil Wayne's exceptional talent in creating profound lyrics, clever metaphors, and captivating delivery is widely acknowledged. To celebrate 50 years of hip-hop music this year Billboard ranked Lil Wayne as the seventh best hip-hop artist of all time.

During the early to mid-2000s, Lil Wayne was a force to be reckoned with. His albums The Carter II, which debuted at number two on the Billboard Top 200, and The Carter III, which charted at number one, were beloved by fans and helped propel him to worldwide fame before he even turned 25. These albums feature hip-hop music that sticks to the traditional sound, characterized by clever rhymes and punchlines that fans have come to expect. Classics like 'A Milli' and 'Lollipop' from the Carter III are perfect examples of this style. Although Lil Wayne did tease experimental punk-inspired tracks at the time, such as ‘Phone Home’ as part of the Carter III album, it was not until two years later that he released a fully inspired rock album.

  In the year 2010 Lil Wayne dropped his seventh studio album ‘Rebirth’, and as the title suggests it is a complete reinvention of his musical sound to date. During the release of 'Rebirth', Lil Wayne revealed in an interview with MTV that he drew inspiration from Kurt Cobain and Nirvana's iconic track 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. He also explained that 'Rebirth' represents a sense of musical freedom for him, as it allows him to step beyond the boundaries of traditional rap music found in his previous Carter albums. The project included featured artists such as Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Shanell, and drumming instrumentals from Blink 182 member Travis Barker. Although the album debuted at number two on the Billboard Top 200 and sold over 176,000 copies in the first week it was not received well by music critics. As of now, Metacritic has compiled the reviews of the album and assigned it an overall score of 37. One may wonder why the album did not receive the same level of appreciation as Lil Wayne's previous work. A possible explanation is that during that period, hip-hop and alternative music genres were not closely linked, creating unfamiliarity for strict hip-hop fans. However, more recently Complex stated that 'Rebirth' is Lil Wayne's most influential album to date. 

Lil Wayne's impact on the hip-hop genre is undeniable, as he has served as a source of inspiration and influence for a new generation of artists who have managed to popularise 'emo rap' as a music genre on Soundcloud by the mid-2010s. Lil Uzi Vert has expressed how much Lil Wayne has impacted him as a rapper. In 2020, the two rappers even collaborated on a great track called 'Multiple Ways'.

 'Rebirth' is an album that was ahead of its time, showcasing authenticity, versatility, and creativity. It has inspired many and even helped develop a new music subgenre. Listen to it!

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