Lil Wayne Debuts At No. 1 With His First New Album In Half A Decade

Lil Wayne has returned! The superstar rapper is back with the sixth installment in his Tha Carter series, which has proved to be one of the most successful in hip-hop history. While he didn’t promote the set via the traditional path with multiple early singles, it appears that Wayne’s popularity may be enough to power him to another bestseller, as Americans have quickly responded to the release of Tha Carter VI and turned it into a chart-topper.

Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter VI Leads iTunes

Tha Carter VI currently rules the iTunes Top Albums chart in the United States. The full-length leads during a packed frame of exciting new releases, as this Friday (June 6), includes drops from stars across genres — but none of them can quite compete with Wayne at the moment.

The biggest competition facing Tha Carter VI is not something new. In fact, it’s an album that was released more than a quarter century ago.

Millennium by Backstreet Boys bolts up the iTunes Top Albums ranking and currently lands in the runner-up spot. Wayne and Backstreet Boys push recent champions I’m the Problem by Morgan Wallen and Reputation by Taylor Swift down a few pegs, and they land at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively.

New Albums by Enhypen, Addison Rae and Volbeat

The top 10 on the iTunes Top Albums chart features half a dozen new arrivals as of the time of writing, with Tha Carter VI leading them all. Just a few spaces further down the list, new drops from Enhypen, Addison Rae, Marina, Turnstile, and Volbeat all manage to find space inside the uppermost region. None of them can compete with Wayne’s first solo full-length since 2020’s Funeral, which earned him another No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III Returns

As Tha Carter VI gets going, one of its predecessors returns and becomes a bestseller again. Tha Carter III, which is widely regarded as the best of these half-dozen releases — and perhaps Wayne’s most celebrated full-length — currently sits at No. 60 on the iTunes Top Albums chart.

“Sharks” Emerges as the Fan Favorite

No major singles were pushed from Tha Carter VI before its release, but a favorite track has quickly been identified by fans. “Sharks,” which features both Big Sean and Jelly Roll is the only tune by Wayne to appear on the iTunes Top Songs tally, and it’s off to a fairly slow start. The track currently appears at No. 186, but it will likely rise in the coming hours and days.

Surprising Collaborations Add Star Power to Tha Carter VI

Tha Carter VI features 19 songs and a handful of somewhat surprising collaborations. While it’s not shocking to see other hip-hop artists like 2 Chainz, Sean, and Kodak Black on the project, U2’s Bono and even Andrea Bocelli are also officially credited. The Irish rocker lent his songwriting skills and voice to “The Days,” while the Italian crooner appears in the background on “Maria,” as he sings “Ave Maria” while Wyclef Jean and Wayne take turns performing.