Following Lil Wayne’s problems with his label of over 10 years, Cash Money Records, the release of his next album in Tha Carter franchise titled Tha Carter V has suffered indefinite delay. And the Young Money founder is really sorry that the fans have to wait, hence, Lil Wayne has released Sorry 4 the Wait 2 a mixtape to hold the fans until Tha Carter V finally arrives.
Right from “Coco,” the first track on the mixtape, Lil Wayne lets the fans know that “Tha Carter gon be late” and he is sorry for the wait. He says how he is not worried because “he still got young money, he still got Drake.” “Coco” seems to give us an inside story of what’s going on in the Cash Money Empire, and what Lil Wayne’s future with the label might be. In the song he raps, “Cash money is an army / am a one man army.” Does this imply that his ties with the label are completely broken and he is going his own way? Let’s wait and see. Lil Wayne on “Coco” speaks his mind as he talks about how he remained loyal when others were abandoning ship. All Lil Wayne wants is his money and no problems, but all he has got is young money and no more cash. Amidst all this, he cautions how he is taking over, and I best believe we can take his word for it.
Sorry 4 the Wait 2 features mainly Lil Wayne covers of hit songs by artists like Future, Beyoncé, Tinashe, Rae Sremmurd, and iLoveMakonnen among others. And as always, we know Lil Wayne never disappoints when he is doing covers. It is not a rare occurrence to find fans preferring Lil Wayne’s cover over the original artist’s version of a song. Will this be the case for covers from Sorry 4 the Wait 2? Maybe. In a few days, we will find out as fans pick their favourites off the mixtape.
The entire mixtape as a whole is worth a listen. Lil Wayne is still running the game with his catchy punchlines, so catchy they keep replaying in your head uninvited. Drake features on this mixtape on a track titled “Used To,” and you may want to replay it on the first listen of the mixtape. The combination of these two always gives the world a rap song that gets you wondering if they have the same mind. They comfortably complement each other’s unique style of delivery and present a final product that only Drake and Lil Wayne can create. Christina Milian also appears where she delivers an excellent performance singing Beyoncé’s “Drunk in Love.” Christina Milian takes this song and owns it. She sings it her way, and it’s no surprise she absolutely executes a unique version of the Beyoncé hit song. Other artists on this mixtape are Mack Maine, 2 Chainz and SNL. However, the problem with doing a mixtape full of covers is that some of these songs are already played out. If fans are expecting something new from the mixtape, they may be heavily disappointed if they get what they have already gotten from everyone else.
Sorry 4 the Wait has 17 new sounds from Lil Wayne that undoubtedly build much anticipation for Tha Carter V. This mixtape, however, falls slightly short of what we have come to expect from the Young Money rapper. Lil Wayne’s customary style that attracts the horde of listeners to his music is not quite felt on this mixtape. The songs are great, but the lyrics have become a platitude for a Lil Wayne song. Many fans are tired of the same Lil Wayne lines while referring to women, genitals and skateboards. We can only hope he saved the best for the album, and this mixtape was just meant to give the fans new Lil Wayne sounds.
Meanwhile, Lil Wayne continues to battle his “music father” Birdman, and things are not well in the Cash Money empire. Until they resolve their problems, we can hang on to this and hope Tha Carter V gets a release date soon.