Mixtape: Dedication 4
Artist: Lil Wayne
Released: September 4, 2012
The Dedication 4 mixtape was pushed back a couple of times, but, when it finally came out, it gave Lil Wayne’s fans a big dose of exactly what they’ve been waiting for —solid features from the likes of Jae Millz, Young Jeezy, Nicki Minaj and J. Cole catchy hooks and breathless bars all sampled over familiar beats. Wayne’s always been a mixtape man but it has been a while since anyone’s heard Lil Wayne’s razor sharp flows and insane freestyles. It’s been a long enough stretch to reasonably wonder if Weezy was basically gone for good, but the dedication 4 makes us say it’s good to hear from the old Lil Wayne again.
Right off the bat Weezy goes ham off Meek Mills “So Sophisticated”, where he spits “She tell me, Tunechi, hit it raw, I tell her bitch you crazy/Don’t want no HIV, don’t need that Honeymoon In Vegas/It’s YMCMB the fucking alpha and omega/The presidential double R, call that Ronald Reagan..” As usual, gems. From his metaphors to his outright arrogance it all sounds like Da Drought era Weezy, which the fans missed so much.
Now “Get Smoked” for example, the subject matter includes Piru pride, gun-toting clowning, and where he pretty much flows about how that he’s back on that lean and puffing that mota. “I put all my niggas on, but some of those niggas gone/Them niggas callin’ my phone, leave me alone/I’m lightin’ up that strong, then pass it to my bro/Numbers don’t lie except 5-0…”
“Green Ranger” is an excellent example as to why his cockiness is justified. Teamed up with J. Cole the duo go in on G Dep’s “Special Delivery”. “They say I’m old school, but I dropped out/Drop ya body off at a cops house/They throwing up them bricks, you better box out/My niggas got enough white to build Barack house/I got my drawers on, Sam Rothstein/.44 on my waist, Rick Ross jeans…” at the beginning of the track Weezy even states he didn’t like the beat so he just going to spit a few bars. Wayne’s freestyle wordplay is always amusing, but his personality itself is half the fun.
There are those that recognize Wayne as the “greatest rapper alive” because of his many guest appearances and how he’s evolved from Hot Boys to one of your top 5 greatest emcee. There are others who simply aren’t too sure that the hype is well deserved and The Dedication 4 was THAT final project, Weezy’s last chance to prove himself to his fans. And he did just that. “Usually, I kill all the hot songs that’s out,” Lil Wayne said. “But I’m on all the hot songs that’s out. So now I have nothing to kill.” So with that said, you can download the mixtape here.
– Courtney Deleon
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