Lil' Wayne Rikers Countdown: #9

Nine days 'till Lil' Wayne is released and today I have a cut from Tha Carter.

Tha Carter had to be the best of early Lil' Wayne, finding a good balance of non sequiturs, similes, metaphors and other literary devices but still keeping it hood as shit.

"Bring It Back" was Wayne's first of three singles from Tha Carter, all three consequently produced by Mannie Fresh (above). Unfortunately Mr. Fresh left the Cash Money Millionaires label and things haven't been the same... excluding Weezy F getting on "Top Back" from Da Drought 3, not quite sure that counts though.

Mannie Fresh, you sir, are missed. You and Wayne were Jordan & Pippen, J.J. Redick & Sheldon Williams, Big Papi & Manny Ramirez. The perfect 1, 2 punch.

9. Lil' Wayne-Bring It Back featuring Mannie Fresh

Previuous Songs on The Countdown

The Official Lil' Wayne Freedom Countdown: Song #12

So as we all know Lil' Wayne was convicted on some trumped-up weapons charge, I believe the general consensus is that the cops should be out catching real criminals. Oh well, dude served his time and should be back to releasing Tha Carter IV shortly... and I couldn't be more thrilled (as long as it's a departure from his little "rock" album & Tha Carter III [way too pop]).

To celebrate Weezy F's release from Rikers I've decided to do a little countdown commemorating Wayne's top 12 songs, a song every day 'til Lil' Wayne is released. Spanning from Lights Out to We Are Young Money, twelve complete classics from the best rapper alive... after Jay-Z, Wale, Common, Q-tip and Phife.

Today I've decided to start it off with "Shine" from 2000's Lights Out. This was one of the first Wayne songs I can really remember liking... to be fair, the first was "Back That Azz Up" and I'm not really a huge fan of "The Block Is Hot" or "Bling, Bling". So let's take it back to eighth grade back when Manny Fresh was making those dope-ass beats.

12. Lil' Wayne-Shine featuring Hot Boyz & Mannie Fresh