Day 206: "Both (Remix)" feat. Drake and Lil Wayne – Gucci Mane, single, 2017What will the future look like for Lil Wayne? That has been, of course, the looming question for Wayne's career for the last several years, but every time Wayne drops in to remind us that he's around the discussion begins anew. (Side note: Is there any other artist who could drop 20-plus excellent verses in a year, including on multiple charting singles and high-profile remixes, and be considered "absent"? We're so used to Wayne dominating the industry that we hold him to a standard far beyond that of most artists.)This week, with Wayne talking yet again about signing with Roc Nation and now with his latest high-profile remix, Wayne's next act seems more imminent than it has in a while. So what will it look like?It's worth, perhaps, first looking at the current act of Wayne's career, which involves all the aforementioned guest verses. Consider, first of all, that Wayne is one of maybe five artists alive who could hop on a remix of a song with Gucci Mane and Drake and not be seen as detracting from the star power. (While we're talking about what makes it notable, this is arguably the most legit collab between Gucci and Wayne ever, and the first proper Wayne/Drake pairing since 2015). Wayne has regularly demolished his recent guest verses with a regularity that hasn't been seen since, like, 2009. If a new artist had delivered the performances Wayne did on "Mad" or on the "Key to the Streets" remix or on "No Problem," it would be enough to make a career; by the benchmarks Wayne has set for himself, these appearances might seem more like treading water.The point is that rumors of Wayne's irrelevance have been greatly exaggerated, Cash Money lawsuit or no. And he is aware of that. On "Both," he raps, "heard them boys been writin' me off / hope they also write they wills," which seems like a pretty strong rebuke to the critiques (another interpretation of this line, it occurs to me now, is that he is talking about Cash Money using him as a tax writeoff; either way he's coming for the necks of anyone who seems through with him). He also, for those following the Cash Money drama, lets drop the observation that he "shoulda left with Juvie."Wayne's label drama has served as a convenient way to kick conversation about his skills down the road, but I guess my point is this: While you're busy putting off forming an opinion on Wayne's talent until the label stuff is resolved at some mysterious future date, he's been busy proving that that talent isn't waiting on hold. This verse is an solid infusion of energy into a track without much of it (sorry, Drake), and it's a great example of how Wayne's current mid-career stasis is far less of a stasis than you might think.Follow Kyle Kramer on Twitter.
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