Honestly, there was a point in 2015 where I didn't think we’d ever see a real Lil Wayne Carter 5 tracklist. It felt like a myth. Like Bigfoot or a honest politician. For years, the project was trapped in the deepest, darkest basement of Cash Money Records while Wayne and Birdman went to war over $51 million and a contract that looked more like a prison sentence.
Wayne even called himself a "prisoner" of the label. That's heavy. When you're the guy who basically birthed the modern era of rap—the face tats, the melodic flows, the relentless mixtape grind—and you can't even drop your own music? That's a different kind of pain.
But then, 2018 happened. The chains broke. The "Free Weezy" movement actually won. When the album finally landed on September 28, 2018 (which also happened to be Wayne's 36th birthday), it wasn't just a collection of songs. It was a 23-track victory lap that proved Tunechi hadn't lost a single step during his time in label purgatory.
The Standard Lil Wayne Carter 5 Tracklist: 23 Songs of Freedom
When the record finally hit Spotify and Apple Music, it was massive. We're talking 87 minutes of music. Most artists today struggle to keep people's attention for 30 minutes, but Wayne had five years of built-up aggression and soul-baring to do.
The original lineup was a rollercoaster. It started with "I Love You Dwayne," a two-minute recording of his mother, Jacida Carter, crying and telling him how proud she was. It’s raw. It sets a tone that this isn’t just "Lollipop" Wayne; this is Dwayne Carter the man.
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Here is how that original, legendary Lil Wayne Carter 5 tracklist actually looked:
- I Love You Dwayne
- Don't Cry (feat. XXXTENTACION) – A haunting opener that bridged the gap between the old guard and the New SoundCloud era.
- Dedicate – This one features a sample of Barack Obama talking about Wayne. No big deal.
- Uproar (feat. Swizz Beatz) – The "Special Delivery" sample here is infectious. It launched a viral dance challenge because of course it did.
- Let It Fly (feat. Travis Scott)
- Can't Be Broken
- Dark Side of the Moon (feat. Nicki Minaj) – A rare, melodic moment between the Young Money titans.
- Mona Lisa (feat. Kendrick Lamar) – This is the one. A five-minute storytelling masterpiece that people had been whispering about for years. Kendrick’s verse is frantic, weird, and brilliant.
- What About Me (feat. Sosamann)
- Open Letter
- Famous (feat. Reginae Carter) – Wayne’s daughter on the hook. Total full-circle moment.
- Problems
- Dope Niggaz (feat. Snoop Dogg) – Sampling Dr. Dre’s "Xxplosive." Classic West Coast vibes.
- Hittas
- Took His Time
- Open Safe
- Start This Shit Off Right (feat. Ashanti & Mack Maine) – This felt like a 2005 throwback in the best way possible. Mannie Fresh on the beat. Pure nostalgia.
- Demon
- Mess
- Dope New Gospel (feat. Nivea)
- Perfect Strangers
- Used 2 – Metro Boomin produced this one. It's dark, heavy, and very "modern" Wayne.
- Let It All Work Out – The closer. This is where he finally admitted his childhood "accident" with a gun was actually a suicide attempt. It’s the most honest he’s ever been.
Why the Deluxe Version and the OG Leaks Matter
If you think 23 songs was enough, you clearly don't know Lil Wayne. He records like he's running out of oxygen. In 2020, for the two-year anniversary, we got the Tha Carter V (Deluxe).
This wasn't just a few crappy remixes. It was basically a whole new album. It included the "Original" version of the project that fans had been hunting for since 2014. It added 10 tracks, including "Life of Mr. Carter" and "Scottie," which had been legendary leaks for years.
Actually, "Scottie" is a perfect example of why the Lil Wayne Carter 5 tracklist is so complex. It was produced by Cool & Dre and features this weird, shifting drum pattern that sounds like two different heartbeats fighting each other. It’s peak Wayne. Then you had "More to the Story" with Raekwon, which felt like a gritty New York street tale that shouldn't work for a New Orleans rapper, but somehow, it’s one of the best songs on the whole thing.
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The Missing Pieces: Drake and Post Malone
People always ask: where was Drake? He was all over the 2014 promos. "Believe Me" and "Grindin" were supposed to be the lead singles. But by the time the album actually came out in 2018, the legal mess had scrubbed them from the official tracklist.
Technically, they exist as singles, but they aren't on the "official" album. It's a bummer, honestly. However, the Deluxe version did fix one oversight: "What About Me." The original featured Sosamann, but the Deluxe added the Post Malone version. It’s much more "radio-friendly," if you’re into that sort of thing.
The Production Magic: Mannie Fresh to Metro Boomin
The sound of the album is a weird hybrid. Because it was recorded over nearly half a decade, you can hear the evolution of hip hop within the tracks. You have Mannie Fresh bringing that old Cash Money bounce on "Start This Shit Off Right," and then you have Zaytoven bringing the Atlanta trap sound on "Problems."
It’s a bit messy. Some critics said it was too long. Maybe it was. But after waiting four years, most fans didn't want a lean 10-track Kanye-style album. They wanted the kitchen sink. They wanted Wayne rapping until his voice cracked.
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The Impact of "Let It All Work Out"
You can't talk about the Lil Wayne Carter 5 tracklist without talking about the final song. For decades, the story was that Wayne accidentally shot himself while playing with a gun as a kid.
On "Let It All Work Out," over a beautiful Sampha sample, he changed the narrative. He raps about looking in the mirror and pulling the trigger because he was hurting. It was a massive moment for mental health awareness in hip hop. To have a "tough guy" icon like Wayne be that vulnerable? It changed things. It gave the whole album a sense of purpose beyond just "rhyming words that sound good."
What You Should Do Now
If you’re just diving into this era of Weezy, don't just shuffle it. The order matters. Here is how to actually digest this beast:
- Listen to the Standard Edition first. Get the 2018 experience. Feel the relief of the album finally being out.
- Focus on the "Big Three": "Uproar," "Mona Lisa," and "Let It All Work Out." If you don't like these, you probably won't like the rest.
- Go back for the Deluxe tracks. "Life of Mr. Carter" is arguably a better intro than some of the standard tracks.
- Check the samples. Use a site like WhoSampled to look up the "Xxplosive" and "Special Delivery" flips. It makes you appreciate the production way more.
Wayne has moved on to Tha Carter VI now, but C5 remains the most significant mountain he ever climbed. It wasn't just about the music; it was about a legend proving he still owned the keys to the kingdom.