Don't Underestimate How Much Lloyd Did to Make Lil Wayne a Star

Day 348: "You" feat. Lil Wayne – Lloyd, Street Love, 2006

"Weezy F. Baby, the key to the ladies / keys to the 'cedes, but please say the baby."

Lil Wayne's mixtape run from 2005 through 2007 cemented his place in the hearts of many of his diehard fans. Whether in leaked tracks that exposed new depths or mixtape cuts that elevated the concept of rhyme, those songs gave credence to Wayne's claim that he was the best rapper alive. But at the time, those were admittedly underground phenomena: Read an article about Wayne from the era, and it might mention the Dedication mixtapes, but it probably doesn't even allude to the many leaks that fans fell in love with—or, if it does, it probably does so through the lens of framing them as an inconvenience. The official, label-sanctioned Lil Wayne narrative that found him peaking pre- Carter III relied on, essentially, three data points: There was "Make It Rain," his hit with Fat Joe, "Stuntin' Like My Daddy," his hit with Birdman, and "You," his hit with Lloyd (this run extended, in 2007, to include Playaz Circle's "Duffle Bag Boy" and DJ Khaled's "We Takin' Over (Remix)").

But where the other hits were pure Southern rap excellence, "You" was a gushy, sensual R&B song. It was a different kind of record, a crossover of a type unmatched even by the remix of Destiny Child's "Soldier" a few years earlier. Wayne's comfort in the sonic world of Lloyd's breathy, seductive singing showed that he had a whole separate side to his skills, one that didn't rely on electrifying punchlines about guns or bone-rattling beats. "You" is a tender song, and, as label jargon-y as it might sound to say, it exposed him to a whole new audience. It put him on a different part of the radio dial—and if my own memory can be trusted, it lasted much longer on that dial than any of his other contemporaneous hits, too.

It wasn't the last time Lloyd would come through for Wayne: He also sings the hook on "Bed Rock." And the friendship seems strong, still. Just last year, Lloyd's return to music involved a coveted feature from Wayne himself. The relationship no doubt has played out in other, more diffuse ways, too; for instance, Lloyd was one of the big name features on Drake's breakout mixtape, So Far Gone. If it weren't for this song right here, maybe Drake would have never been famous! Makes you think. Whatever the backstory of friendship created by this song, though, there's also the simple fact that it sounds just as smooth now as it did a decade ago. Along with Lloyd and Wayne themselves, we should all be grateful this song became the hit it did.

As an additional note, if you think this is interesting—or if you have enjoyed any of a Year of Lil Wayne—make sure to tune into Noisey Radio on Beats 1 this weekend. I'm on there talking about A Year of Lil Wayne and Lil Wayne's career. You can listen here. The show aired this morning, but you can catch it again tomorrow at 9 PM ET (6 PM PT). Please check it out!

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