Lil Wayne
South Side Ballroom
Dallas, Texas
Photos by Meme Crayton/Meme Urbane Photography
For about two decades now, Lil Wayne has been revered as one of the most prominent names in Hip Hop. At one point, he was the self proclaimed “Best Rapper Alive,” and reigned supreme with a slew of prominent mixtapes and albums throughout the early to mid to late 2000’s. The Kloser 2 U Tour comes at an interesting time in the rapper’s career, though, begetting a slim number of appearances throughout the nation, and no current project in support of it. In fact, Wayne is currently intertwined in a known label debacle with Cash Money Co-founder, Birdman, an unresolved settlement that has been ongoing for the past few years. He has also been tormented with minor health afflictions since we last caught his performance at Free Press Summer Fest in 2016, and appeared for a moment to be combating personal demons. However, Friday night the rapper beamed heartily throughout his entire performance, and seemed to be in the highest of spirits despite it all.
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Paraphernalia in hand and a gleaming, grill-clad grin spread across his countenance, Wayne entered center stage to, “Mr. Carter,” to which he was met with a warm, hero’s welcome from the crowd. He thereafter segued to hits such as “Got Money” and “Love Me,” much to the delight of the crowd as they shifted into high gear, fueling the performer’s adrenaline, chorusing each lyric in tandem. He played “Go DJ,” likely one of the rapper’s most notable hits from the 2004’s Tha Carter, and had full out crowd participation for the number. “Lollipop” and “Every Girl” appeared to be among the crowd favorites for the evening, as both were met with resounding familiarity that was practically nostalgic. The rapper has featured on many a hit whilst offering his own contributions throughout the years, especially with former lablemate Drake. He christened the crowd with his verses from “I’m Goin’ In,” “HYFR,” and “The Motto” all also met with approval from the concertgoers. He even performed offerings from his mixtapes, including his renditions of Gucci Mane’s “Wasted” and Fast Life Yungstaz’s “Swag Surfin,” both notable tunes from No Ceilings. The rapper concluded the night with, “No Worries,” but upon closing the number, promptly took his leave. It wasn’t immediately clear at that time if the rapper would be returning to the stage, but after a few minutes the crowd came to the somber realization that the night was over, leaving the air rife with disappointment after what had thus far been an almost seamless performance.
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Prior to ending the evening, Wayne proclaimed, “Cater 5 coming soon…it’s the Roc!” possibly alluding to the long delayed album being released under new management: Roc Nation. The legal battle with Birdman and Cash Money appears to be halting the release of a new catalog from Wayne, albeit he recently revealed that he’s aligned himself with Jay Z, who may intend to assist him in some way.
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“Jay is just a good guy. It was nothing but a simple thing,” he recently told Skip Bayless on FOX’s Undisputed. “Friend to friend, I just want to help you. Simply. That’s all it was. I just want to help you, man, in any way I can. Right now, he’s just gonna help me in any way he can.”
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Perhaps this tour was therapeutic in a sense, or even remedying for Wayne in some way, given all that he’s undergone with the withholding of Carter V and his personal life. Maybe it was preparatory for the release of long awaited music, or a catalyst to hold over and captivate his fans in the time leading up to it. In either case, his performance was as revitalizing for his fans as it was for him, despite its short duration.
