[MIXTAPE REVIEW] Lil Wayne Releases Long Overdue "Dedication 6" (Stream)

Dedication 6 drops just in time for Christmas, but it may have been more of a late Christmas scramble than a well-planned gift. Being caught between a nasty struggle bwetween Young Money and Cash Money has his hands full, so time off is to be expected.

But there was once a time where waiting for a new Lil Wayne release was like waiting for the weekend to arrive. Those days may be far gone with the recent influx of new school listeners who don’t have much history with Wayne. It seems to be an outcry that new listeners "aren’t real Lil Wayne fans” or “have no idea what real rap is,” while older fans of Wayne are accused of holding on to nostalgia for too long.

It’s very possible that Lil Wayne may be laboring a bit too long for a generation who is constantly looking for the next thing. Wayne, "the pride of YMCMB," may have himself to blame for such a demand for content, seeing as how he paved the way for other artists to never take a day off. Wayne is notorious for taking advantage of every possible moment, but currently, our problem with him is that we simply don’t hear from him.

Produced by DJ Drama, Dedication 6 continues the familiar format of taking your favorite current songs and making them Wayne classics. By now, there is no question of Lil Wayne’s greatness, only opportunities to remind us of it. Taking some of the hottest beats and combining them with Lil Wayne’s arsenal of lyrics have almost no option but for success. He gets on "XO Tour Life" and murders it, redefines "Fly Away (DNA)", and takes 21 Savage’s 'Bank Account" as his own. On the mixtape, he recruits some of his old Young Money runningmates like Gudda Gudda, Corey Gunz, and Nicki Minaj, while including newcomers like Euro and Baby E. Most of us expect this much from Wayne, but we also wonder how soon will we see the next project. 

Many of us wonder when Carter V will ever be complete, or if it will ever happen. It’s been almost eight years since he last released Carter IV and has since been hinting at the next installment. What’s certain is no matter how long the vacation, Lil Wayne doesn’t disappoint.