Although technically an album, Lil Wayne’s “Funeral,” released in 2020, sounds more like a mixtape pulling together a broad mass of freestyles and wordplay into one solid project. The project uniquely feels more grown up but still fun as Wayne stretches his flows and rapping abilities to the max over solid modern beats. Most critics gave the album positive reviews, hopeful for Lil Wayne's career and his place in the current hip-hop landscape he helped produce.
One of the most interesting stories in rap, Lil Wayne started as a child prodigy in New Orleans, worked his way to the top of Cash Money Records before helping usher in a new era of hip-hop. He made rap mainstream and brought it to the digital age before crashing his career with mediocre music, foolish decisions and a legal battle with Cash Money while rising stars he mentored replaced his relevance like Drake and Nicki Minaj. But much like a prodigal son, Lil Wayne returned to his roots and made one of the greatest comeback records in rap history.
