Lil' Wayne performs onstage during the 2012 iHeartRadio Music Festival on September 21, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It’s indisputable that Lil Wayne is among an elite group of artists that can turn an ordinary song into a hit, whether the song is his own or another’s. Since stepping into the rap game at nine years old, the rapper has garnered a heavy pocketful of fans with his canny wordplay and animated double-entendres.
Thursday, Sept. 27, not only marks the rapper’s 30th birthday, but also the day Lil Wayne makes chart history. As he debuts this week on the Hot 100 as a featured artist on Game’s “Celebration” — alongside with Chris Brown, Tyga and Wiz Khalifa — at No. 82, Weezy becomes the solo act with the most Hot 100 appearances. Now with 109 entries under his belt, Weezy passes Elvis Presley, who totaled 108 entries between the chart’s 1958 launch and 2003.
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Lil Wayne Passes An All-Time Elvis Presley Hot 100 Mark
In celebration of both his birthday and chart success, Billboard has ranked Lil Wayne’s Top 30 Billboard hits. This ranking is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart through the tally dated September 22, 2012. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from each era, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years.
Check out the list below to see which Lil Wayne songs have been the biggest of his still-dynamic career arc.
30
Stuntin’ Like My Daddy
Birdman and Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 21
2006
Hot 100 Peak Position: 21
2006
Since Birdman took Lil Wayne under his wing, the Cash Money rappers have proven there’s much value in a father and son relationship. Off their collaborative album “Like Father, Like Son,” first single “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy,” re-instates Cash Money’s everlasting power in the game.
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29
Strange Clouds
B.o.B feat. Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 7
2011
Hot 100 Peak Position: 7
2011
B.o.B. kicks off his second studio album, of the same title, by recruiting Weezy to join him in laying aggressive wordplay over Dr. Luke and Cirkut’s dubstep/hip-hop soundscapes. The result was another Hot 100 hit for both artists.
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28
I Made It
Kevin Rudolf feat. Birdman, Jay Sean & Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 21
2010
Hot 100 Peak Position: 21
2010
After finding Top 10 success with his 2008 song “Let It Rock” alongside Weezy, Kevin Rudolf calls upon his “Cash Money heroes” for yet another chart-climber, “I Made It.”
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27
I Can Transform Ya
Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Swizz Beatz
Hot 100 Peak Position: 20
2009
Hot 100 Peak Position: 20
2009
Chris Brown, like Lil Wayne, is known to turn a song from ordinary to extraordinary, so it’s no surprise that when they team up, as on “I Can Transform Ya,” the collaboration will see success. The first single off Chris Brown’s “Graffiti” introduced an electronic-infused sound that Breezy would carry throughout his following projects, and strengthen a prosperous bromance between both rapper and singer.
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26
My Life
The Game feat. Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 21
2008
Hot 100 Peak Position: 21
2008
“When you’re in the studio with Wayne, you could pretty much chill, man, because everything is so easy,” Game once said of Lil Wayne. “He keeps it 100, I keep it 100.” The rappers’ “easy” sonic connection on “My Life” led them to see success across the Billboard charts (No. 21 on Hot 100, No. 4 on Rap Songs, and No. 15 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs).
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25
Duffle Bag Boy
Playaz Circle feat. Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position:15
2007
Hot 100 Peak Position:15
2007
Before 2 Chainz earned his first Billboard 200 No. 1 with “Based on a T.R.U. Story,” the rapper, then known as Tity Boi, climbed the Hot 100 chart with his and Dolla Boy’s first single, “Duffle Bag Boy.” Lil Wayne, on the recognizable hook, gave Playaz Circle a most welcome lift.
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24
Swagga Like Us
Jay-Z & T.I. feat. Kanye West & Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 5
2008
Hot 100 Peak Position: 5
2008
“You can go see Weezy for word play, Jee-z for the bird play, Kanyeezy for diversity and me for controversy,” T.I. closes the prolific “Paper Trail” collaborative second single. T.I. brought some of hip-hop’s biggest names to the upper reaches of the Hot 100 with “Swagga Like Us,” which samples M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes.”
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23
Go DJ
Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 14
2004
Hot 100 Peak Position: 14
2004
With the help of the addictive soundscapes courtesy of Mannie Fresh, “Go DJ,” the second single from “Tha Carter,” became the first solo Lil Wayne song to see the top of the charts. “Go DJ” peaked at No. 14 on the Hot 100 chart.
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22
Gimme That
Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 15
2006
Hot 100 Peak Position: 15
2006
“Gimme That,” Chris Brown and Lil Wayne’s first collaboration, was the first sign of how successful of a team the two artists can be. The song not only marked their first of many Hot 100 collaborative hits but followed the success of Breezy’s “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” and “Run It!”
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21
Turnin Me On
Keri Hilson feat. Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 15
2009
Hot 100 Peak Position: 15
2009
Keri Hilson is now a star in the R&B/pop world, but it wasn’t until “Turnin’ Me On” with Lil Wayne that the singer saw chart success. The singer’s second single, featuring Weezy spitting his signature sexual similes, became her biggest hit until “Knock You Down.”
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Text by Erika Ramirez and Jason Lipshutz
20
Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)
Wyclef Jean feat. Akon, Lil Wayne, Niia
Hot 100 Peak Position: 12
2008
Hot 100 Peak Position: 12
2008
Wyclef tapped some famous friends to spin a yarn about the power of money and its negative effects on a young lady. Interpolating the hook of Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.,” “Sweetest Girl” was the cream of the crop on Jean’s 2007 album, “Carnival Vol. 2: Memoirs of an Immigrant.”
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19
She Will
Lil Wayne feat. Drake
Hot 100 Peak Position: 3
2011
Hot 100 Peak Position: 3
2011
When two of Young Money’s most wanted hit makers team up on a song, it’s sure to blasts its way on to the charts. “She Will,” the Drake-assisted single from “Tha Carter IV,” peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 and eventually ascended to No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
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18
Mrs. Officer
Lil Wayne feat. Bobby Valentino & Kidd Kidd
Hot 100 Peak Position: 16
2008
Hot 100 Peak Position: 16
2008
“Tha Carter III” was stocked with Hot 100 hits, including this Lil Wayne song dedicated to the lady-cops of the world. The song, featuring Bobby V crooning the siren-sounding hook, was Weezy’s seventh song from the No. 1 album to chart on the Hot 100.
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17
Make It Rain
Fat Joe feat. Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 13
2007
Hot 100 Peak Position: 13
2007
Aside from the whimsical wordplay, Lil Wayne is known to lay down an addictive hook such as on Fat Joe’s “Make It Rain.” Fat Joe’s first single off “Me, Myself & I,” featuring Weezy, was nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award.
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16
Motivation
Kelly Rowland feat. Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 17
2011
Hot 100 Peak Position: 17
2011
Kelly Rowland was re-introduced as a more sexier version of herself with last year’s seductive summer slow jam, “Motivation.” The Jim Jonsin-produced track wouldn’t be what it is without Wayne’s silly double-entendres, and “Motivation” undoubtedly helped Kelly’s “Here I Am” album peak at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
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15
Right Above It
Lil Wayne feat. Drake
Hot 100 Peak Position: 3
2010
Hot 100 Peak Position: 3
2010
Before his nine-month prison stint, Lil Wayne recorded one his most successful collaborative singles, “Right Above It.” The “I Am Not a Human Being” single peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100 in 2010.
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14
6 Foot 7 Foot
Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz
Hot 100 Peak Position: 9
2011
Hot 100 Peak Position: 9
2011
Lil Wayne hit the ground running after being released from a nine-month prison term in late 2010. After teasing fans with two verses on Birdman’s “Fire Flame,” Weezy teamed up with “A Milli” producer Bangladesh and Cory Gunz for yet another Hot 100 top 10.
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13
You
Lloyd feat. Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 9
2007
Hot 100 Peak Position: 9
2007
Who would have known that the song Lloyd leaked himself to Atlanta radio, back in 2010, would become he and Lil Wayne’s first No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs? The singer’s smooth mid-tempo beat took fans and radio by storm quickly thereafter, as it made its way to No. 9 on the Hot 100 chart.
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12
I’m On One
DJ Khaled feat. Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 10
2011
Hot 100 Peak Position: 10
2011
Khaled’s 2011 hip-hop summit featured a slithering beat, Drake hopscotching between crooning and spitting, Rick Ross in full Bawse mode and Weezy comparing himself to Pat Reilly. How could it fail? It didn’t, and Khaled’s superstar friends gave him yet another hit.
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11
Got Money
Lil Wayne feat. T-Pain
Hot 100 Peak Position: 10
2008
Hot 100 Peak Position: 10
2008
The most gleeful single from “Tha Carter III,” “Got Money” was an Auto-tuned party that acted as Lil Wayne’s answer to Kanye West’s T-Pain-assisted 2007 single “Good Life.” Four years later, the bank-robbery music video is as goofy as ever.
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10
Forever
Drake feat. Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem
Hot 100 Peak Position: 8
2009
Hot 100 Peak Position: 8
2009
Released on the soundtrack from the LeBron James documentary “More Than a Game,” “Forever” earned the four MCs another ring on Top 40 radio. Lil Wayne takes the third quarter here, while Eminem blacks out during the finale to easily win the game.
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9
A Milli
Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 6
2008
Hot 100 Peak Position: 6
2008
Positioned as the third track on “Tha Carter III,” “A Milli” was the moment in which Wayne’s breakout album became a classic. Working over Bangladesh’s indelible beat, Weezy delivers an endless stream of quotable lyrics — who could look at Orville Redenbacher popcorn the same way after this song? — and made us reconsider the difference between goons and goblins.
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8
The Motto
Drake feat. Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 14
2012
Hot 100 Peak Position: 14
2012
Drake capped off his sophomore LP “Take Care” with winning Lil Wayne collaborations like “HYFR” and “The Real Her,” but “The Motto” immediately stood out as a rapid-fire late-album gem. While Weezy struts around comfortable alongside T-Minus’ beat, credit must go to his protege for coining “YOLO” on this track.
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7
Can’t Believe It
T-Pain feat. Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 7
2008
Hot 100 Peak Position: 7
2008
In the same year that “Got Money” blasted onto the chart, T-Pain and Lil Wayne slowed things down for the first official single to the former’s “The33 Ringz” album. While shots of Lil Wayne singing in Auto-tune on a ferris wheel in the music video remain comforting, that planned “T-Wayne” album is looking less and less likely.
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6
Look At Me Now
Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
Hot 100 Peak Position: 6
2011
Hot 100 Peak Position: 6
2011
Whatever your feelings toward Chris Brown, it’s hard to say the elastic ferocity of Diplo’s beat on his “F.A.M.E.” single, which scaled the pop charts and dominated the hip-hop tally last year. Busta Rhymes runs rampant with his verse, but Weezy drops the most revealing line: “My pockets right and my diamonds white/And my momma’s nice, and my daddy’s dead.”
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5
How To Love
Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 5
20011
Hot 100 Peak Position: 5
20011
Lil Wayne slowed it down and scored with this “Carter IV” ballad about a girl who can’t seem to find that “forever” kind of love. Along with semi-justifying Weezy’s dip into rock with “Rebirth,” “How To Love” helped the fourth entry in Wayne’s “Carter” series move 964,000 copies in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
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4
Soldier
Destiny’s Child feat. T.I. & Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 3
2005
Hot 100 Peak Position: 3
2005
Before Lil Wayne got money and T.I. asked what we know about that, the rappers assisted the ladies of Destiny’s Child on this 2004 jam from their final studio album, “Destiny Fulfilled.” The song, which impressively scaled the U.S. Hot 100, found Lil Wayne still establishing his superstar potential one year before “Tha Carter II” brought him newfound buzz.
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3
Let It Rock
Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 5
2008
Hot 100 Peak Position: 5
2008
Weezy gave a huge assist (and a verse and a half) to Cash Money signee Kevin Rudolf on the smash first single from the singer-songwriter’s “In The City” album. “Let It Rock,” which crashed the Top 10 of the Hot 100 in 2008, has easily proven to be Rudolf’s biggest hit, although he once again tapped Lil Wayne for follow-up singles “I Made It (Cash Money Heroes)” and “Champions.”
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2
Lollipop
Lil Wayne feat. Static Major
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (five weeks)
2008
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (five weeks)
2008
The first single from “Tha Carter III” proved to be the album’s biggest hit, despite being a weird, minimal, Auto-tuned jam that few saw coming from the rising star. Lil Wayne’s explicit ode to everything nasty carried a sad note with its chart rise, as the song’s featured artist, Static Major, died suddenly in February 2008.
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1
Down
Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (two weeks)
2009
Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (two weeks)
2009
Another Cash Money protege who used Lil Wayne’s star appeal to garner blockbuster chart results, U.K. artist Jay Sean made his mark on the States in 2009 with the ubiquitous pop track “Down.” The Hot 100 chart-topper features an interlude that demonstrates Weezy’s most likable qualities circa 2009: humor (“And honestly, I’m down like the economy!”), sex talk (“Down like she’s supposed to be/She gets down low for me”) and, of course, questionable but unavoidable Auto-tuned singing.
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