The Lil Wayne Discography Retrospective Part 2: Hot Boys-Guerilla Warfare

So I'm looking through Lil Wayne's RYM page, which is where I'm keeping track of the releases to listen to, and I'm realizing how daunting this task is. I'll say right now I'm not doing DJ mixes and mostly only official mixtape releases, except ones canonized and filled with fresh material. Also, there's no way I'm gonna be able to do features. My dude has upwards of 700 features. I'm not trying to spend a decade on this. The downside is I'll be missing out on those key verses that he did to help solidify Drake's place of recognition, so that's a bummer. Maybe I'll fit them in somehow. Anyway, back to the segment.

Hot Boys-Guerilla Warfare (1999)

(Intro/Hot and Spicy) Ha ha what is this intro? No rapping here, just Mannie Fresh thanking a bunch of people and preparing the listeners for the Hot Boys. Those trumpets on this beat are super corny. Better start overall to the mixtape though.

(We On Fire) This beat is some straight SNES lava level video game music. And already, Wayne sounds like a slightly higher pitched version of the Wayne we know and love. Don't like this version of We on Fire as much as the one on the first mixtape, mainly because of the beat, but at least they got all 4 members spitting this time.

(Respect My Mind) Juvenile bodies this track. He comes through with a story verse about growing up with his dad living a life of crime. Easily the best verse on the track. So far not feeling Mannie Fresh's beats as much here as I was on the last project.

(Help) First solo cut of the tape and holy fuck do I fuck with Mannie Fresh's production on this track. I can't even name all the layers he's got on this beat. One standout is the percussive use of a chopped-up police siren sample. That's a nice touch. B.G. is good on this. Dig the first verse where he rides an ay-ah rhyme scheme the whole time. (meaning every bar ends in something like "paid that, hate that, or take that.")

(Ridin) Damn, what is this beat chord progression also in? It sounds so familiar. Not much else I have to say about the track. They all did their thing. I retract my ambivalence towards Turk though. He's pretty dope too.

(Off the Porch Skit) What the fuck are they on about a shirt in this skit? I like the image it sets up though, with just some dudes chilling on the porch listening to music and talking to the passers-by, Friday-style. Would love to find out what the track is you can faintly hear bumping in the background

(Get Out Tha Way) I feel like the gold Mannie Fresh beats are more few and far between on this project but when he brings it, he really fucking brings it. The beat on here is so dense and dynamic, especially with the bass line towards the end. Lil Wayne fucking bodied this track. Here's an example:
"You get got, flip-flopped tossed and tumbled
I'm running wit your life in my hands, oops I fumbled"
If that isn't a classic Weezy set-up/pay-off, I don't know what is.

(Clear Tha Set) Wayne's solo cut off the tape. You can really hear how much more confident and present he is on this tape compared to the last. Starting to nail down his personality too.

(I Feel) That's two Wayne verses I almost want to rewind and play again. Destroys it. He even subverts and transcends the "I feel like x" pattern everyone was rolling with, essentially molding it's basics into a more free-form, better written version. Mannie Fresh on some G-funk shit with this, especially that cheese-ass robot voice. (Side-note: I'm not the biggest fan of Pac's California Love for this same reason. Sorry.)

(Boys at War) I just feel like Weezy is very obviously taking more creative chances with his flows already. I can't wait to see how Block is Hot from 1999 goes over. B.G. did his thing too on this track, though, definitely.

(You Dig) Juvenile's solo track. Decent. Not much I can think to say. I'm pretty sure those drums were sampled from that Long Red song, the one everyone uses, particularly in Kanye's camp, to get that guy yelling, "Yeah!" You know it when you hear it.

(I Need a Hot Girl) Mannie, you're killing me with this beat. That's like the same progression as that piece that plays at the beginning of Judge Judy episodes. Also Birdman was actually alright in this.

(Tuesday and Thursday) Why does Lil Wayne keep killing it? It really does feel like he knew what was up and that he was about to be popping off as a solo act. Also I had no idea it wasn't a good idea to sell drugs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I appreciate the lesson there.

(Bout Whatever) Yeah this is a much better solo track for Turk than on last project. Lil Wayne on the hook and ad-libs.

(Sick Uncle Skit) What the fuck is going on? I guess the guy who wanted or was giving out Hot Boys t-shirts and got hit by a car in the last skit is like...sitting in the corner of this other dude's house with his family watching TV and speaking through this robotic modulator because I guess his vocal cords got damaged in the accident? Alright then. These dudes were high as fuck coming up with this shit. I know I'd have to be.

(Shoot 1st) Really digging the reggae-tinged hook by Papa Reu, whoever that may be, on this shit. The beat isn't really reggae but that probably would have really dated the track even more if it did, so it's solid. B.G. has the best verse on this one. Version I have cut off at the last two lines in Juveniles verse so that kind of sucks.

(Too Hot) This sounds like some definitive Hot Boys shit. This beat is big as fuck. Everyone comes through with a sick verse. The ending is kind of a cool call back to the first track on the previous mixtape. B.G. on some straight fucked up mob shit with his verse.

Closing Thoughts: I feel like the improvements in recording, Wayne's major flow improvements, and the fact that Mannie Fresh's best beats on here are better than his best beats on the last mixtape might edge this one over. The only problem is this one is kind of a slog. That might just be me burning out on Hot Boys. I can say that I'm getting a little sick of the Southern harmony flow practically everybody in Hot Boys uses at least 50% of the time. I know Wayne gets away from that flow eventually but I hope he stops doing it as soon as this next project from the same year. I'll listen again but it's not my favorite.

The Lil Wayne Discography Retrospective Part 1 (Hot Boys-Get It How You Live!!!)

So this is the start of my journey throughout Lil Wayne’s entire career. In light of his “retirement” announcement, I felt that whether or not he actually retires, it seemed appropriate to chart his journey and see where he started and how he got to where he is now, ultra famous and pretty much fucked over by the company he helped obtain notoriety in the first place. This idea also comes from me not feeling like I’ve ever really dug deep enough into his catalog. I think I’m going to collect my instant thoughts first and then wrap them up and provide them context and polish. I’ll probably publish these a bit at a time and infrequently. We’ll see how this goes.

Hot Boys-Get It How You Live (1997)

(Intro) Yeah I really have no real interest in hearing Birdman rap, except to dog on him. Same with Mannie Fresh. Beat isn’t that great either. Extremely dated. Outro is also weird as fuck.

(We on Fire) We On Fire is a crazy introduction to Hot Boys. The set up of the song leads to a showcase of all 3 rappers one after the other, which is kind of ingenious for the first song. Lil Wayne already sounds crazy good. Not as complicated as his flows would get later though.

(50 Shots Set it Off) Ha ha ha! Weezy lowkey sounds like Hurricane Chris on this song. You guys remember Hurricane Chris? He’s not really on this track a whole lot but they all use a sort of rise-fall-rise flow. He and a whole bunch of the Southern rap scene use this around this but I don’t know where that comes from, if not from here.

(On Tha Porch Part 1) I fucking love mixtape skits.

(Block Burner) Oh shit I guess this is pretty much Wayne’s first solo track. Still sounds like Hurricane Chris. Noticing that he’s doing some pretty crazy rhyme schemes for a fucking 15 year old. Using a lot of rhymes taking advantage of the Southern drawl, as well as some rhythmic quick internal rhymes within the same bar. Not super complex but definitely leagues about your average lunch table middle school/early high school raps. Also this beat is fucking fire.

(Neighborhood Superstar) Perhaps unfairly, I’ve been ignoring the other guys in Hot Boys, but I’m noticing that Juvenile isn’t slacking. Makes me wonder where these listening projects could go. Should I tackle a whole bunch of Southern hip-hop, or will that be too much? Not really digging Birdman and Mannie Fresh on this track but Mannie Fresh’s production has been on point this whole time.

(Take It Off Your Shoulder) Wow Juvenile snapped. On some Southern 2Pac shit. I’m just thinking of all the people I’m going to be exposed to with this. You could make a “6 degrees of Lil Wayne” thing and reach a fuckton of people.

(Dirty World) Interesting fact: Lil Wayne tried to limit his profanity on his early work as much as possible because his mom asked. Of course, he couldn’t really do much about the other guys he works with. I’ve also noticed Weezy is often relegated to hook duties on each song. It works, of course, but it’s curious nonetheless.

(I’m a Hot Boy) I’m learning that B.G. got sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2012.  Gun possession apparently. At the time of writing this, Bobby Shmurda just got sentenced to 7 years. There’s no parallel there. I’m just making associations. I fuck with B.G. I don’t think I’m that into Turk. They all have solo tracks on the mixtape so I’ll revisit that in a couple songs.

(Get it How U Live!!!) This is probably the most modern sounding song on here so far. Mannie does his thing. I feel like a slightly updated version of this beat with more high quality production could have easily landed on a Tha Carter album. It shares a lot of the same sonic ideas that are definitely explored later on in the 2000’s. Also, Wayne sounds the most like his older self here.

(On Tha Porch Part 2) Still love mixtape skits. Pffft, this is lowkey racist though.

(I’m Comin) Bun B bodied this track. I really need to listen to more Southern Hip-Hop.

(Infrared Dot) Of course Young Turk gets practically the best beat to rhyme over. I don’t know, something isn’t clicking with Turk. I feel like that they have the younger guy thing covered with Wayne. Very interested to see how this group grows over their other two tapes though.

(Blood Thicker) Ok I just find it really funny that Birdman says, “Guess what Cash Money Records stick together like blood and furl” on this track.

(Spittin Game) I really want to point out that this quatrain and a half of bars (Am I counting those right?)

“Slugs hummin' chopper gunning catch the vapor from the laser

Infrared fled big bread money maker

Pop a slug barrell shaker for big paper

Big ballin' life taker for big caker

Ben Franklin, bank televancin' big bankin

Buster gankin', left stankin' ship sankin'”

is really quite impressive for a 15 year old, but it is also Wayne we’re talking about.

Alright it’s 4 AM and I’ve really been digging this mixtape. I’m going to let it marinate in my head and relisten to it before I write closing thoughts.

Closing Thoughts: Yeah I mess with this. Of course it sounds dated but even still, Mannie Fresh brings it with these beats. They’re deceiving because they initially sound really simple but there’s actually lots of depth. Nearly every beat has a wavy bassline that ebbs and flows in different ways. Of course, you can tell a lot of the presets used were old, so that’s where the dated sound comes from. Regarding the Hot Boys besides Wayne, Juvenile really brings it, enough to where I’m tempted to check out his solo material. His voice is very deep and powerful. It wasn’t surprising to find out he was the oldest, leading all the other members by 5-6 years. B. G. is good too, but I’m still not all that into Turk. We’ll see if my perspective changes on future Hot Boys releases. 

As for Wayne, I cannot believe he was 15 when this dropped. Nothing next level here, but as the tape goes along you can hear Wayne mold his style, so much that the final track, Spittin Game, really sounds like the first “Lil Wayne” verse, with a semi-complex internal rhyme scheme and some alliteration. It’s going to be great seeing where he goes from here, because I’ve never really went in to the material before Tha Carter 2. I’d bump this tape again. I can see it entering an infrequent rotation.