Lil Wayne: The Mix Before Tha VI (DJ Mix)

It has long been the case for Lil Wayne collaborators that the time they spend in the MC’s orbit can be some of the most inspired or fruitful of their careers. But imagine for a moment the perspective of someone like Mannie Fresh, accomplished DJ and producer, engine of the late-’90s/early-2000s Cash Money Records hit parade, and the man whose beats helped Wayne realize his potential as an MC. “I always start Wayne projects or songs like it’s my last day on earth,” Fresh tells Apple Music. “Because he is so important to rap, plus he is a real rap-rock star.” Their latest collaboration, Fresh’s *Lil Wayne: The Mix Before Tha VI*, is an Apple Music-exclusive DJ mix celebrating the impending arrival of Wayne’s *Carter VI* album. In true Mannie Fresh fashion, the set features a wealth of Wayne classics artfully arranged alongside the music that inspired some of those songs, spliced with a few curveballs Fresh threw in to keep even diehard Wayne stans engaged. “I try to listen to the records from a DJ point of view as well as a fan, \[because\] I want to make you feel good about new music,” he says. “I never, ever feel like \[I’m\] finished, because he always make me want to go harder every project.”