Lil' Wayne celebrated the 10th anniversary of his best-selling LP, Tha Carter III, performing to a sold-out crowd during his fourth annual "Lil' WeezyAna Fest" in Champions Square. Though the 35-year-old rapper became a world-wide sensation leading up to the release of 2008's 4x platinum milestone, his loyal New Orleans fanbase began more than a decade earlier; in fact, Wayne first signed with Cash Money Records during the '90s at the age of 11.
While the first few hours provided a platform for new talent to showcase their material, Wayne was joined by a who's-who of veteran hip-hop heavyweights, including Atlanta's Jeezy and Young Money label-mate Nicki Minaj, the later of which just released her latest billboard top-10 charting album, Queen, earlier this month. While the stage quickly became as packed as the crowd with guests, the highlight of the night saw Lil' Wayne making peace with Cash Money founder Birdman, with whom he amicably resolved a years-long legal battler earlier this summer.
Wayne performed several segments from Tha Carter III, including "Mrs. Officer," "Lollipop," "A Mili" and "Got Money," in addition to songs from his arguably superior Tha Carter II ("D-Boy," "Money On My Mind") as well as anthology hiccup Tha Carter IV ("She Will," "6 Foot 7Foot," "Blunt Blowin'"). Today, Lil' Wayne may no longer hold the title of "Best Rapper Alive" that he claimed a decade ago. While fans continue to hold out hope that the long awaited Tha Carter V will put him back on top of rap's iron throne, there is little doubt Wayne remains one of popular music's most entertaining performers.
