Lil Wayne's Resurgence

Lil Wayne earned his way to the top. The last Hot Boy standing in the wake of Juvenile, B.G. and Turk's departure from Cash Money Records, Wayne—inspired by JAŸ-Z's retirement—set out to become the best rapper in the game. "Best rapper alive... since the best rapper retired," he boldly proclaimed on the lead single to 2004's Tha Carter, "Bring It Back." He then reinvented himself into a relentless rhyme animal, converting skeptics into believers via an unprecedented string of critically acclaimed mixtapes and high profile guest appearances—most notably Destiny's Child's "Soldier." His stock had clearly skyrocketed by Tha Carter II in 2005 and he began crossing over into the pop sphere—working with the likes of Kanye West, JAŸ-Z but also Enrique Iglesias. By the time Weezy released Tha Carter III in 2008, he'd arguably become the best rapper alive.