Mixtape Weezy - Talkin 'bout Practice
The mixtape is practice for the skill that will allow you express yourself on an album.
My thesis here is as follows. If you want to help someone become a fan of Lil Wayne, and that someone has missed the last 20+ years of Wayne's music, then the best way to do so is to start with the mixtapes. This is all assuming that the target actually listens to rap in the first place, although that might not be necessary.
Why the mixtapes? First, let's look at how they differ from his albums.
The first thing to note with the mixtapes is that a lot of the beats will be lifted from already existing songs, new or old. What Wayne does in these cases is he will come up with his own lyrics for that beat, while also trying to match the flow and cadence of the original artist. In my experience as a listener, the mixtape lyrics have a flavor to them that's distinct from the album songs. He focuses more on quick-witted one-liners and doesn't worry too much about the overarching story. In some cases there's no connective semantic tissue between the bars at all, but they'll all still be fire if you focus on them one by one.
An album, on the other hand, is a lot more personal. It's a vehicle for the artist to tell his or her story in rhyme, or to express some kind of real emotion. The mixtape is practice for the skill that will allow you express yourself on an album. In Wayne's case, he's always in the studio, sharpening his tools and always getting better at what he does. Every mixtape that gets released is like a collection of random carvings he made while practicing for his masterpiece.
With that established, there are two things to keep in mind with a new listener, when presenting them with a mixtape.
First, have they heard the original song? If they haven't, and Wayne's version is the first time they're hearing the beat, I believe it will have a much greater impact. It will sound like an original song, and there will be zero expectations as to what the lyrics should sound like.
Second, they have to pay attention to the lyrics. I've learned that this can be extremely difficult for some people, for various reasons. Therefore, as the guide, you must take the time to highlight and explain specific bars for the new listener, otherwise they will likely get distracted and stop paying attention.
Take for example the track Dreams & Nightmares, from Sorry 4 The Wait 2, originally from Meek Mill's 2012 album, also titled Dreams & Nightmares.
Here I would point out at least three lines worth pausing for.
1 Y'all asked me to spit
And now I'm droolin on my chain
What he means is he's giving you more than what you asked for. And I think the chain is there to reinforce the image of just how much spit is flying around.
2 We pull up and we shoot
Then we park the car and edit
Here, the second line clarifies, for anyone listening, that he and his homies are just shooting some footage for their Youtube channel, and not whatever else you may have been thinking. If you still have questions, leave a comment and I'll get back to you.
3 Watch me pull up with no roof
That's cause I walk the dog and pet it
This one is a bit more abstract. Roof is the sound a dog makes, so the car he pulls up in has no roof because he treats his dog well. There is no dog.
And here is Meek Mill's original version
The point I'm trying to make here is that the experience you get from Wayne's version is completely different if you've never heard the original. You won't be expecting the beat switch, and almost by default, Wayne will hit a flow that has already been proven to work. The main difference, and the thing to watch for, is specifically Wayne's lyricism and how he structures his rhymes and punchlines.
I believe that once you understand exactly what he's doing with his wordplay, you can learn to expect and recognize it in everything else he does. Then, not only do you become able to better appreciate his album work, but a whole world opens up to you with respect to his discography. All his mixtapes, albums, features, and countless leaks will leave you eating for years, in absolute awe of his creativity.
If you can't decide which tape to start with, I recommend Da Drought 3, No Ceilings, and Dedication 6. After that the sky's the limit.