“I honestly don’t know. I don’t really think like me sometimes, man. You always seem to have an answer for everything, though, right? So, if you had to guess why Lil Wayne doesn’t like you, what would you say?”
“Maybe it’s because he’s been around Birdman his entire life. He’s been spoiled by that lifestyle, you know? He’s been a millionaire and a superstar since he was 9, so he only knows things going his way.”
In the world of rap, beefs and feuds are almost part of the game. Whether it’s about money, respect, or relationships, there’s always something brewing. This time, it seems to be about money. Several outlets have reported that the feud between Lil Wayne and Young Thug has reached a point where it feels like there’s no going back.
Wayne and Thug may both be major players in hip-hop, but they come from different generations. At one point, they had a mentor-student kind of relationship, but things started to fall apart. It all kicked off with a few heated social media exchanges, which eventually led to Wayne’s tour bus being shot at. After that, rumors started flying that Young Thug might’ve been involved in a plot against Wayne’s life.
This whole situation between Lil Wayne and Young Thug goes back to 2014. At the time, Wayne was having serious issues with his label, Cash Money Records, and its CEO, Birdman. Wayne had been signed to the label for years, and Birdman had been a mentor to him. But their relationship was breaking down fast. Around the same time, Young Thug, who looked up to Lil Wayne as one of his biggest influences, signed with Cash Money. But as the beef between Wayne and Birdman heated up, Thugger found himself stuck in the middle. Rather than stay neutral, he chose Birdman’s side, which put him at odds with Lil Wayne.
Wayne’s problems with Birdman came to a head when he tried to release his album, Tha Carter V. Wayne realized he wasn’t getting paid what he was owed and felt the label was ripping him off. As a result, the album’s release was delayed multiple times. It was supposed to drop in 2014, but fans had to wait four long years before it finally came out in September 2018. Wayne and Birdman couldn’t work things out, and they ended up taking their fight to court.
It eventually came out that Birdman had withheld millions of dollars in profits from Wayne. After a long and exhausting legal battle, they reached a settlement out of court. Reports claimed Wayne walked away with around $10 million, though some close to him said that figure wasn’t quite right. Either way, Wayne finally became free from Cash Money and took his music with him. Not long after, he released Tha Carter V under his own label, Young Money Entertainment.
While all this was going on, Wayne felt deeply betrayed by people he had once considered family. He vented his frustration on social media, letting fans know how badly things had gotten between him and Cash Money. In one of his tweets, he said, “I want off this label and have nothing to do with these people, but unfortunately, it ain’t that easy.”
But just when things couldn’t seem to get worse, Young Thug decided to make things even more complicated. Despite Wayne’s ongoing battle with his label, Thugger took a surprising step by announcing that his new album would be titled Tha Carter VI, seemingly throwing shade at Wayne and adding fuel to an already raging fire.
As most of you know, Lil Wayne’s Carter albums are a huge part of his legacy. Since 2004, he’s been dropping albums under the Carter name, which is a nod to his last name. But recently, Young Thug stirred up some controversy by naming his new album Carter 6. He insists that he meant it as a tribute to Lil Wayne and wasn’t trying to be disrespectful. Thugga says he’s just honoring a legend in the rap game. But not everyone sees it that way.
One fan pointed out, “Claiming that naming your album Carter 6 is all about homage and has no ill intent is just ridiculous. If you genuinely respected Weezy, you wouldn’t have done that.”
Back in 2011, when Young Thug was just 19, he was asked in an interview about his future plans:
“So, what’s next for Young Thug? Any new collaborations or mixtapes coming out? What can we expect from you in 2011?”
A few years later, Young Thug’s dreams came true when he joined the Cash Money label and got to work with Lil Wayne. It was a major milestone for him. But maybe the fame and success went to his head, or maybe it was influenced by Birdman, because it seems like Young Thug started feeling like he was ready to take over Lil Wayne’s spot. But Lil Wayne wasn’t going to give up his crown without a fight.
Even though Young Thug claimed he meant no harm with his actions, Lil Wayne saw them as a clear disrespect and a possible scheme involving Birdman and Thug. When Weezy found out Thug was planning to name his album “Carter 6” and saw the cover art, he lost it. During one of his live shows, Wayne called out Young Thug and told his fans to stop supporting his music.
“Let ’em know I said, ‘Money isn’t everything, and I want y’all to do me a favor—stop listening to that dude Young Thug.'”
Young Thug didn’t back down. Instead, he bragged about his album release, knowing full well he’d ticked off Wayne. He hinted that he and his crew were ready for whatever came next, continuing to throw shade at Wayne on social media and pushing his album hard.
If you want to be a leader or a trailblazer, show respect to those who look up to you and live by the principles you preach. Don’t let personal grudges weaken your position.
But tonight, I’m hosting this party with Jack.
A lot of fans and big names in the industry didn’t like how Young Thug handled things. Charlamagne, in his interview with Vlad, made it clear that Young Thug could never fill Lil Wayne’s shoes.
“Playing in Lil Wayne’s hometown and trying to name your album ‘Carter 6’—that’s setting yourself up for failure, Young Thug. Just be the best Young Thug you can be. Don’t try to be Lil Wayne.”
“You definitely have a thing for Young Thug. Even though his debut week numbers were only 18,000 records sold, keep building on that fanbase and stay true to yourself. But remember, you can’t just be Lil Wayne,” Charlamagne said.
In the interview, Charlamagne praised Young Thug’s unique talent but took issue with how he handled things with Lil Wayne. He felt it was disrespectful to such a legendary figure.
“I really dig Young Thug’s voice—it’s like an instrument of its own. But honestly, I’m not feeling the Barter 6 album. The whole idea of calling it Carter 6 felt pretty off to me. Carter is Lil Wayne’s last name and a part of his iconic series, so just jumping in with a title like that seemed kind of corny,” Charlamagne explained.
The Game, a close friend of Wayne, also had strong words for Young Thug. During a live performance, he warned Thug to steer clear of California.
“Never would now come to California, I dare you,” The Game challenged.
Young Thug did release his album, but he decided to call it Barter 6 instead of Carter 6. Rumor has it that he changed the name after hearing Lil Wayne might sue. Realizing he wouldn’t win that legal fight, Thugger opted for a different title.
Things between Young Thug and Lil Wayne reached a breaking point when Lil Wayne’s tour bus was shot at after a 2015 show in Atlanta. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and an arrest was made soon after.
Jimmy Winfrey, better known as Peewee Rosco, was the guy the police arrested for rolling up on Lil Wayne and his crew. He faced some serious charges, and it looked like he was facing a hefty sentence. This led fans to start wondering if Rosco was connected to either Young Thug or Birdman. Turns out, they were onto something. Winfrey was reportedly Young Thug’s road manager.
The speculation kicked up a notch when a phone call between Birdman and Winfrey, recorded while Winfrey was in jail, leaked online. In the call, Birdman said:
“Time for you to come out here and get your money, boy. You did everything you could do, boy. It’s time for you to come out here and get your money. You know what’s up.”
Birdman has denied any involvement, claiming it had nothing to do with his beef with Lil Wayne.
Rich Homie Quan, a labelmate of Wayne’s, shared his thoughts on the situation during an interview. He couldn’t wrap his head around why things had escalated so dramatically:
“I guess, man, some people take things too far. I get that there’s been tension between the two camps for a while, but to go that far? It’s just crazy, bro. It doesn’t make sense.”
Young Thug, despite the rumors, has consistently said he respects Lil Wayne and looks up to him. In an interview with The Guardian, he praised Wayne as a major influence on his career.
Even with all the drama, it’s hard to see how their relationship could ever be repaired. Meanwhile, Lil Wayne continues to thrive and prove he’s one of the greatest in hip-hop. Whether this beef will ever settle down is anyone’s guess.