Lil Wayne’s Classic Mixtapes Drop After 20 Years

After twenty years, Lil Wayne's groundbreaking Da Drought mixtape series and Dedication collection finally dropped on streaming platforms. The August 5 release marks a turning point for fans who've waited years to stream these underground classics.

The Da Drought series features three releases from 2003, 2004, and 2007, respectively. Starting with a tight 12-track set, Wayne built up to Da Drought 2's 15 songs. Then came the massive Da Drought 3, packed with 28 tracks that shook up the rap game.

Da Drought 3 stands out as a milestone. Lil Wayne linked up with Nicki Minaj for the electric "Don't Stop Won't Stop" and traded bars with Juelz Santana on "Black Republicans 07." He flipped hits like Beyoncé's "Upgrade U" and JAY-Z's "Show Me What You Got" into new territory by recording using their instrumentals.

The timing clicks with Wayne's hot streak. His latest drop, Tha Carter VI, rose to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, moving 108,000 units in its first week. He celebrated the June 6 release date with his first-ever headlining set at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Stars like 2 Chainz, Big Sean, and Bono jumped on board for guest spots that lit up the tracks for the sixth record in the Tha Carter series.

These tapes won't be the "Lollipop" star's first mixtape catalog to make it into digital streaming platforms. They'll be joining projects like No Ceilings and Sorry 4 The Wait in Lil Wayne's streaming catalog.

As Billboard raved, "...Weezy listeners are now able to indulge in the nostalgia of one of the most dominant mixtape runs the rap game's ever seen, and younger fans are introduced to an era that can get overlooked in the digital streaming era."

The five-time GRAMMY Award winner who signed to Cash Money Records at the young age of 11 keeps pushing. His Tha Carter VI Tour moves through New York next, with stops in Toronto, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Detroit, Kansas City, Phoenix, and Seattle lined up after. The final show will be in West Palm Beach, Florida, on October 2.

Want to see him perform his biggest hits live on stage on this tour? You can find more details on his upcoming shows, including venues, dates, and ticket prices, on Lil Wayne's official tour page.