Lil Wayne blazes through hits, parties with friends in Phoenix concert

Lil Wayne arrived at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre in Phoenix on Friday, Aug. 29, on a tour named for “Tha Carter VI,” the aptly titled sixth installment in a string of albums sharing Weezy’s actual last name, Carter.

And the hip-hop legend who once famously proclaimed himself the “best rapper alive” (on “Tha Carter II”) wasn’t shy about shining a light on songs from that new album, opening his Phoenix concert with the same two songs that open that release, “King Carter” and “Welcome to the Carter.”

But this year’s tour is meant to celebrate all six installments in “Tha Carter” series, the first of which was released in 2004.

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And that’s exactly what he did in a fast-paced journey through his catalog, moving at a clip that found him squeezing fragments of six songs into the concert’s first nine minutes, all before taking a moment to greet the crowd after a soulful “Mr. Carter.”

“How the (expletive) y’all doing tonight?” he asked. “You look (expletive) amazing. I wish you had my view.”

Before returning to the music, he added, “Before I get started, I must mention three very important things. No. 1 is I know that we all ain’t (expletive) without each other, you dig? No. 2 is I know that I ain’t (expletive) without you, you dig? No. 3 is a very important one. If you don’t remember (expletive) about tonight, please remember No. 3. No. 3 is I. Ain’t. (Expletive). Without. You.”

The living legend made his entrance sucking on a blunt and holding a guitar, which he played on occasion. He’s no Prince, but he did squeeze out solos with a certain rudimentary charm, relying more on inspiration than proficiency.

The setlist touched on nearly all the most iconic hits at his disposal, from “Go D.J.,” a double-platinum highlight of “Tha Carter,” to “Fireman” and “Hustler Musik” from “Tha Carter II” and all the hits that made “Tha Carter III” his most successful album.

He also touched on nearly all the biggest singles on “Tha Carter IV” (“Six Foot Seven,” “John,” “How to Love” and “She Will”) and dusted off a couple highlights of “Tha Carter V,” including the double-platinum “Uproar.”

There’s more to Lil Wayne and how he came to be among the more beloved entertainers in the history of hip-hop than what you’ll find on albums with “Tha Carter” in the title.

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And he made sure to slip some other highlights in the mix as well, from “I’m Me” to “Drop the World,” “Love Me,” “Rich as (Expletive)” and a handful of his biggest features, including Drake’s “HYFR” and Chris Brown’s “Loyal.”

He even dipped into the “Mixtape Weezy” era, including “Rollin’” and “Wasted,” and played a new song (“for the ladies”), a soulful slow jam with Wayne on lead guitar, crooning “Well, if money grew on trees, I’d build a treehouse.”

“Tha Carter VI” is not on track to be remembered as his finest hour. But that hardly seemed to matter as Lil Wayne held court in Phoenix, treating the fans to a nostalgic joyride through their shared past with no shortage of charisma.

Any star who’s been around the block as many times as Wayne is bound to do some variation on a greatest hits tour, regardless of how good or bad that artist’s new release may be. There’s too much ground to cover to get all hung up on the here and now.

But seeing him blaze through a set full of crowd-pleasing classics in short order only underscored the staying power of those greatest hits while also illustrating just how much his music has evolved in the 26 years since his first studio release, “Tha Block Is Hot,” all while still barely scratching the surface of his legacy.

The back half of the set did drag a bit as Weezy shared a little too much of the spotlight with an assortment of Young Money walk-ons.

Tyga, who filled the main support slot with an entertaining journey through his own hits, during which he asked the crowd “Are you ready for the best rapper alive?” returned to join the star and Gudda Gudda on “BedRock.”

Other guests included Lil Wayne’s youngest son, Lil Novi (who effortlessly rose to the occasion), rapper Jay Jones (who was great), soul singer Domiio and Lucifena, who shrieked her way through several songs that verged on screamo as fans looked on with varying levels of disinterest and bewilderment, many taking their seats.

Lil Wayne was able to get those fans back on their feet, though, as he brought the concert to a fiery conclusion with Young Money’s “Steady Mobbin'” and the perfect song to end the night, “A Milli,” rapped as flames engulfed an old apartment building called Tha Carter on the screen that filled the two-tiered stage behind him, the upper tier of which was occupied by DJ T. Lewis and Yayo the Drummer.

For all its minor flaws, it was the quintessential Lil Wayne experience, one of hip-hop’s great eccentrics in his early 40s, still confounding expectations while avoiding any semblance of a comfort zone.

Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more. He did the same in Pittsburgh for more than a decade. Follow him on X and Instagram @edmasley and on Facebook as Ed Masley. Email him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Lil Wayne puts on Phoenix show full of ups and downs