In the early stages of promo for Tha Carter VI, Lil Wayne returned this week with the club banger “Kat Food.”
Lil Wayne reached the now-legendary status he enjoys largely by sheer volume. Of course, he dotted his numerous mixtapes and albums with top-of-the-line lyricism while he was at it. With album series like Dedication, Tha Carter, No Ceilings, and Sorry 4 The Wait, there were ample opportunities each year to hear him in action. In recent years, that pace has slowed—with his last official release being “Trust Fund Babies,” a 2021 collab tape with Rich the Kid. In the time since, he kept his name in the consciousness via features, hopping on tracks from the likes of The Weekend, Metro Boomin, and Latto. At long last, we’ve started to get some solo Wayne content. First with “Kant Nobody,” which flipped an archival DMX sample, in February. And now again with “Kat Food.”
Even 20+ Years In, Wayne Still Shines on “Kat Food”
The focus of “Kat Food” is no doubt club and radio-minded. An anthemic, alarm-filled beat sets the pace for Wayne’s performance here. Its theme and name are decidedly X-rated, which won’t come as a shock for long-time listeners of the Louisiana MC. But even within that framework, he finds space to give us the inventive, bendy flows and witty wordplay we’ve come to expect. It is worth noting that “Kat Food” continues a trend we’ve seen with later-career Wayne verses. That trend is a severe increase in tempo. The lyrics themselves haven’t suffered for it, but Wayne in the 2020s spits at machine-gun pace, lending a ton of “what did he just say?” replay value every time he gets on the mic.
Even if it hasn’t been filled with many Wayne singles, 2023 has been filled with the rapper teasing a ton of projects. Among that rumored slate is a 7th Dedication mixtape, a 3rd I Am Not A Human Being album, and of course, the 6th of his flagship Carter series. There’s been some speculation that “Kat Food” will serve as the lead single for that lattermost project. And, if Wayne is still at the top of his game as he showed himself to be on this one, it’ll be well worth the wait no matter what form it takes.
