Lil Wayne Drops ‘Dedication 4′ Mixtape: Today in Hip-Hop

On this day, in hip-hop history...

2012: Lil Wayne drops the latest in his Dedication 4, the latest entry into his legendary Dedication mixtape series.

No matter how you slice it, rap has always been run by a combination of unique personalities and new approaches to the art. Lil Wayne is a mix of both, coming to prominence in the early to mid-2000s and becoming the most popular young rapper quickly. The reputation he built then allowed him to keep releasing mixtapes in the 2010s. Considering he cut his teeth on the mixtape circuit, it was only right that he continue to work in that arena. After multiple delays, his highly-anticipated mixtape Dedication 4, hosted by DJ Drama, dropped in September 2012.

The project was fifteen tracks long, consisting of Wayne spitting over the popular instrumentals of the time, including Future's "Same Damn Time," Meek Mill and Big Sean's "Burn" and more. The features were star-studded too, with both J. Cole and Weezy's Young Money label-mate Nicki Minaj appearing on the tape. Dedication 4 also featured one of Wayne's bigger late career songs, "No Worries."

As the project's most prominent song, "No Worries" was a sort of comeback for Wayne. The track just sounds vast, with a loose and playful energy that Weezy doesn't get to exude often enough. The song's subject matter is pretty self explanatory, with Wayne bragging about how great his life is now. Pack in a few lines like "Hope your barber shop open cause we got hair triggers/Smoke so much that Smokey the Bear’ll have to bear with us," and it becomes clear why Wayne rapped his way into everyone's heart long ago.

See Photos of Lil Wayne's Different Looks Over the Years