In 2015, Lil Wayne was an artist struggling against his own creation. In the 2000s he was one of the greatest prophets of the Southern sound, making him one of the giants of the genre. He was already an older rapper by the time trap music went mainstream in the first half of the 2010s, but he still had to uphold his status as a commercial pioneer. This was the background against which FWA (Free Weezy Album) was born: The New Orleans rapper had things to prove.
Five years on and a new version of the album has been released. For reasons involving rights to the samples used in 2015, four tracks from the original album have been dropped: He's Dead, I Feel Good, Thinking Bout You, and Without You. This meant side-lining a big part of the rap/pop aspect which was so important to Lil Wayne, however, it can still be heard on the kitschy My Heart Races On or on Post Bail Ballin. FWA still shines with its rage, its overflowing emotion and its heady climaxes, like those on the evanescent London Roads which reminds us of the artist’s closeness to Drake, or the huge I'm That N**** which features a brilliant, hard-hitting verse from HoodyBaby. The major novelty here is that the removal of some tracks is partially compensated by a new video for Glory (the first track and the highlight of the album) and a brand-new track to close out the record, We Livin' Like That, which came out as a single in February 2020. This final addition is rather anecdotal, but it demonstrates the sonic continuity that runs through Lil Wayne's career as well as his deep need, despite the evolution the rap sound, to embody the present moment. In the midst of criticism, the latter is something he has always managed to do. © Brice Miclet/Qobuz