Put That On Your Playlist: Mona Lisa

Song: Mona Lisa
Album: Tha Carter V
Honourable Mention: Fuck Tha World (Tha Block Is Hot), Tie My Hands (Tha Carter III)
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Kendrick Lamar and Lil Wayne on the same single track rapping their hearts out over a warping beat? Fuck yeah.

Kendrick, who’s always been an avowed Wayne fan (remember the C4 mixtape, anyone?), definitely understands the significance of jumping on a track with one of history’s greats, let alone doing so on an album as significant and with as much baggage and history as was last year’s Tha Carter V. So he brings the goods because he knows Weezy will bring the goods, and the end result is one of the most fascinating and overwhelming display of pure rap talent for the entire year of 2018.
That said, let’s try to wear our objective hat here. Is Mona Lisa a perfect track? Hell no. The story Wayne and Kendrick tell, that of Wayne having legions of girls and women doing and pulling any number of questionable stunts to other men they supposedly love and to show how much they love him, and then Kendrick himself turning out to be one of the simps Wayne rapped about in the first half of the track? God, that’s as awesome to listen to as it sounds ludicrous to read. In other words, is it impressive and dope as fuck to hear two of the greatest give it their best and showcase their most technically proficient #realrapping, even if we’re not too sure if/where/when we’ll play Mona Lisa back for fun out in the real world? You bet. Rap doesn’t have to always be about much more than that.
And for the record, Wayne came out on top.
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Beat: 9/10
Lyrics: 9/10
Verdict: 9/10
