Lil Wayne lit up Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre in Phoenix on Friday, Aug. 29, with a high-energy tour stop celebrating the legacy of his iconic “Tha Carter” series. The tour, named after his upcoming “Tha Carter VI” album, paid tribute to all six installments in the collection that has defined much of his two-decade career.
Opening the show with “King Carter” and “Welcome to the Carter” — the same two tracks that launch the new album — Weezy wasted no time immersing fans in his latest chapter. But the night wasn’t just about the new; it was a fast-paced journey through the full “Tha Carter” saga, weaving fragments of six songs into the first nine minutes before pausing for a heartfelt greeting.
“How the (expletive) y’all doing tonight? You look (expletive) amazing. I wish you had my view,” he told the crowd, before reminding fans of their importance: “I ain’t (expletive) without you.”
True to form, Wayne made his entrance with a blunt in hand and a guitar slung over his shoulder, occasionally dropping in raw, unpolished solos that reflected more passion than precision.
The setlist spanned his career-defining anthems, from “Go D.J.” on Tha Carter to “Fireman” and “Hustler Musik” from Tha Carter II, before rolling into the smash hits that propelled Tha Carter III into superstardom.
With each performance, Wayne underscored why his “best rapper alive” proclamation still resonates — delivering a show that was as much a history lesson as it was a celebration of one of hip-hop’s greatest catalogs.
