Tha Carter

Wayne had merged Jay-Z’s wordplay with his own impish, unpredictable Southern flow, suddenly vaulting the 22-year-old former Hot Boy into the realm of the credible MC. *Tha Carter* was also notable as the last collaboration between Wayne and legendary Cash Money producer Mannie Fresh. With Wayne coming into his own as a rapper, Fresh provided some of the finest beats of his career: “Go DJ,” “On My Own,” “Snitch,” and “Ain’t It A Bitch.”

Check out our album review of Artist's Tha Carter on Rolling Stone.com.

It would be easy to read too much into the title of Lil Wayne's fourth album, especially in light of a mixtape (cunningly titled The Prefix) that preceded this, which featured the MC over a handful of tracks off Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter's Black Album.