Lil Wayne & Tha Carter VI
Lil Wayne & The Roots
Saturday, April 26 | Festival Stage, 5:30 p.m.
When Lil Wayne's Super Bowl commercial with Cetaphil debuted on TV screens around the world, New Orleanians and Lil Wayne fans everywhere stopped in their tracks in utter excitement.
After Kendrick Lamar was announced as the 2025 Super Bowl halftime artist, Lil Wayne fans took to social media wondering why Mr. Carter wasn't selected to perform in his hometown. Lil Wayne supporters brought up how California artists, including Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Kendrick Lamar, took the stage at the 2022 Super Bowl in Inglewood. So why wouldn't Lil Weezyana perform in the city he was born, raised, and discovered in?
In a clever and respectable clapback, Lil Wayne's Super Bowl commercial, titled "We're All a Lil Sensitive," nodded to his lack of involvement in the Super Bowl. The commercial poked fun at how Tunechi was hurt by not being asked to perform. During one of the scenes, he was offered tickets to the game, which he declined saying he was working on something more "time sensitive," being the release of Tha Carter VI, his long-awaited album in his Tha Carter album series. The commercial ended with Lil Wayne closing the door of his recording studio with a sign that read "Do not disturb 'til 6-06-25" with "Carter VI" written on a piece of tape.
Despite not taking the stage at the Super Bowl, Lil Wayne still stole the spotlight in the eyes of his fans. It has been seven years since Tha Carter V was released in 2018, but that doesn't mean Lil Wayne has been inactive. He has released four additional mixtapes and records since the last part of Tha Carter series and even shared Tha Fix Before Tha VI as an 11-track appetizer to Tha Carter VI in 2023.
Lead Up to Tha Carter VI
Tha Fix Before Tha VI began with the emotional and piano-centric song "Act Up," with fellow Grammy and Oscar-winning New Orleans music artist and composer Jon Batiste pouring his heart onto the keys. The mixtape features Tunechi's signature lighter flick and inhale sound bites, expert-level wordplay, and flow switch-ups. It highlights familiar hip hop sounds from Missy Elliott's "Work It" in the song "Kat Food" and reminds listeners of Lil Wayne's love for rock music in "Tuxedo." The mixtape has themes of being undisputable, being the best, and showing his competition no mercy. In a time when artists such Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole have all claimed to be the greatest artists of their time, Weezy F. Baby has been reminding listeners of his greatness for decades.
Tha Carter V, the latest of the album series, is filled with notable features including the late XXXtentacion, Swizz Beatz, Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Sosamann, Snoop Dogg, Nivea, Ashanti, Mack Maine, and his daughter Reginae Carter. The 23-song album includes a tearful introduction from his mother, Jacida Carter, titled "I Love You Dwayne," displaying the mother and son's close relationship and her support for her son and his career. Like a rollercoaster, the album takes the listener on an emotional ride consisting of heavy heartstring-pulling hits and playful bangers showing off his poetic pen.
"Let It All Work Out," the album's outro, is the big handcrafted bow on top of the gift that is Tha Carter V. The timeless masterpiece samples Sampha's 2013 R&B song "Indecision" as Tunechi vulnerably shares a story of when he attempted suicide at 12 years old with his mother's gun. In the song, he recalls how he shot himself in the chest and woke up surrounded by blood. He said, in an interview with Billboard, he initially used to call the incident an accident but later opened up that it was intentional in response to his mother telling him he could no longer rap. The original version of the song did not include this story, but he later decided to speak his truth in hopes of his story resonating with anyone who may be experiencing some of the same feelings he was.
Near the end of the song, Lil Wayne talks about how he got another chance at life. He says, "I didn't die, but as I was dying, / God came to my side and we talked about it. / He sold me another life, and He made a profit."
Lil Wayne at Jazz Fest
If Tha Carter V was a testament to Dwayne Carter Jr.'s resilience, innate artistry, and authentic storytelling, one could only imagine what Tha Carter VI has to offer. Before his new album release, New Orleans will go down memory lane with Lil Wayne and The Roots when he headlines weekend one of Jazz Fest on April 26. With his expansive discography and decades of chart-topping creations, the setlist options are endless. From Hot Boys hits including "I Need a Hot Girl" to "Lollipop" and "A Milli," the crowd is bound to rap bar-for-bar with the Hollygrove native during his homecoming performance.
Lil Wayne is undoubtedly a musical phenomenon. There is a reason people call him the greatest rapper of all time. At 12 years old, he was signed as the youngest artist at Cash Money Records and has been churning out music nonstop ever since. He has been an example of stardom for young New Orleans artists and carved out his own lane in hip hop. The 42-year-old lyricist has evolved into many versions of himself, including Hot Boys Wayne (wearing a baggy white T-shirt and a camouflage bandana tied on his head), skater Wayne (who rocked skinny jeans and Vans sneakers), and Rebirth rockstar Wayne (making autotune-heavy songs with an electric guitar strapped to his body).
While the setlist for his Jazz Fest performance and what to expect on his highly-anticipated new album may be uncertain, two things are clear: hip hop music wouldn't be the same without Lil Wayne, and Lil Wayne wouldn't be who he is without New Orleans. From Hollygrove to Hollywood, Lil Wayne's journey is a testament to how New Orleans shaped a legend—and how that legend continues to represent the city that made him.
