The Alchemist Regrets Missing Chance to Work on Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter VI
The Alchemist has revealed that he narrowly missed the opportunity to land a production credit on Tha Carter VI, Lil Wayne’s long-awaited album released on June 6. Speaking with HipHopDX on the red carpet of the 2025 BET Awards, the revered producer admitted that despite being approached to contribute beats, the collaboration ultimately didn’t happen.
“Mack Maine is a good friend of mine and we talk regularly,” Alchemist said. “I probably missed the boat because I sent something for this record but I was just overthinking it.” He went on to express his admiration for Wayne, adding: “That’s something I would love to do. Wayne is like up in the quasars as far as MCs, so you never know. I was probably thinking too hard but next time I won’t.”
Tha Carter VI dropped to lukewarm reviews and a modest commercial response compared to past installments of the iconic series. The album pulled in 14.2 million first-day Spotify streams—far below Tha Carter V’s 66 million debut in 2018. While still a strong showing by most standards, the numbers have sparked debate over whether Wayne can reclaim the top of the Billboard 200, where country superstar Morgan Wallen currently holds firm. If it falls short, Tha Carter VI will mark the first solo Wayne album since 2015 not to debut at No. 1.
Despite the underwhelming reception, the album has made headlines for its adventurous and diverse guest list. Among the most surprising features is U2 frontman Bono, who appears on “The Days,” a reflective track that also made its debut during NBA Finals promos. On the song, Wayne rhymes, “I ain’t getting younger, but I’m getting better / No time to waste that’s another man’s treasure / They say every dog has his day,” while Bono offers a soaring hook: “The time of our lives / The time of our youth / We bow down to beauty and truth / These are the days.”
Tha Carter VI spans 19 tracks and includes appearances from 2 Chainz, Kodak Black, Machine Gun Kelly, and Big Sean. The album also leans into cross-genre collaborations with opera icon Andrea Bocelli, country sensation Jelly Roll, and Fugees legend Wyclef Jean. However, fans of the original Young Money era were left disappointed, as a long-anticipated reunion with Drake and Nicki Minaj failed to materialize on the tracklist.
While Alchemist may have missed out this time, his openness to future collaborations with Wayne leaves the door wide open. As both artists remain highly respected in their lanes, a team-up may yet become a reality—and one that fans would certainly welcome.
