Lil Wayne Albums Worth Listening to and Those You Need to Skip

When surveying the current landscape of rap, Lil Wayne's influence and impact on the new generation of artists cannot be understated. Revered as an icon and respected as one of the greatest wordsmiths of his time, Lil Wayne's run has been one of the more lengthy and dominant showings in hip-hop's history.

With 13 solo studio albums, multiple collaborative projects and an extensive mixtape catalog on his resume, the former Hot Boys member-turned-international superstar reached heights unforeseen when he made his debut as a charismatic rookie back in 1999. However, despite the Grammy Awards, platinum plaques and bragging rights of being a living legend, Weezy, like most artists, has experienced the highs and lows of not only fame but creativity.

When you're as prolific at recording and as willing to experiment as Lil Wayne, the sheer output of music can be daunting, not only for the listener, but the artist themselves. This can result in ebbs and flows in the quality of the content an artist produces, which has occurred on a few occasions in the Young Money founder's career. That said, the good has far outweighed the bad, and over the course of the past 20 years, he has put together a body of work for himself that rivals some of the greatest of all-time.

It's no secret Wayne has a strong catalog of music. But if there's a new Lil Wayne fan in your life, there are only certain albums you'd give them to get introduced to the wonder that is Wayne. From universal classics like Tha Carter III to underwhelming releases like Rebirth, XXL takes a deep dive into Lil Wayne's discography and handpicks the albums that helped establish his legend, as well as the ones that could be left in the archives.

See Lil Wayne Albums Worth Listening to and Those You Need to Skip