“Welcome 2 Tha Carter” follows with what sounds like an AI-generated soul sample. Wayne spits scorching bars, sounding confident and lucid. At this point, everything is going as expected—Wayne is sharp, the production feels ambitious, and you’re ready for a ride through a new royal era. But that momentum fades by track six.

Rocking a signed Britney Spears shirt, Lil Wayne kicked off his Tha Carter VI Tour in front of a sold-out Madison Square Garden (Wayne's first time as a solo headliner at MSG) on Friday night (June 6).