Playboi Carti Feels Like Lil Wayne Amid the Success of Music
Playboi Carti is riding high on the success of his latest album, Music, and he’s drawing comparisons to one of hip-hop’s greatest—Lil Wayne. In just two weeks since its release, Music has already been certified gold, surpassing 500,000 units in sales. Carti took to social media to celebrate the milestone, sharing a screenshot of a congratulatory text with the caption: “FEELING LIKE WEEZY WE ALREADY PLATINUM N DA STREETS.”
His statement seemingly references Lil Wayne’s legendary 2008 achievement when Tha Carter III sold over 1 million copies in its first week. While Music hasn’t reached those numbers just yet, its rapid rise solidifies Carti’s status as a major force in hip-hop. Adding to the significance, the album’s gold certification arrived on the anniversary of his breakout single “Broke Boi,” making for a full-circle moment in his career.
A Nod to Wayne with “Sorry 4 Da Wait”
Carti continued to channel Lil Wayne’s influence by dropping a deluxe edition of Music, aptly titled Sorry 4 Da Wait. The subtitle mirrors Wayne’s 2011 mixtape of the same name, which he released as an apology to fans for delays on Tha Carter IV. Given that Carti’s album faced multiple pushbacks before its release, the title is a fitting acknowledgment of the patience his fanbase has shown.
The deluxe version features four new tracks—“Different Day,” “2024,” “Backr00ms,” and “FOMDJ”—but many of these songs had already surfaced in various forms before the album’s official release.
Record-Breaking Sales and Streaming Success
With Music opening to 283,000 units in its first week, it stands as the biggest rap debut of 2025 and the second-largest overall debut of the year, trailing only The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow, which pulled in 490,000 sales. Additionally, the project boasts the biggest streaming week for any album since Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department last May.
For Carti himself, Music represents his highest first-week sales yet, more than doubling the numbers of his previous chart-topping album, Whole Lotta Red, which debuted with 100,000 units in 2020.
Controversy Over First-Week Sales
Despite the strong numbers, Carti has voiced his dissatisfaction with how his album sales were reported. When Akademiks posted that Music had moved 298,000 units in its first week, Carti responded on X (formerly Twitter) with a simple correction: “320.”
Before the final tally was even announced, Carti expressed frustration with the way his numbers were being calculated. Early projections had Music debuting with around 250,000 units, with reports stating that physical sales would not be counted in the total. Unhappy with this omission, Carti tweeted, “IT IS ODD.”
Billboard later clarified that the album was initially only available as a digital download, with CD copies set to be released in the coming weeks. This suggests that Carti’s sales could receive a boost once physical editions hit the market.
Looking Ahead
With Music already proving to be one of the biggest albums of 2025, Playboi Carti has cemented his place at the forefront of modern rap. While he may not have hit Tha Carter III’s first-week numbers, his comparison to Lil Wayne underscores his confidence and influence. As fans eagerly await physical copies and potential new drops, one thing is certain—Carti is making history on his own terms.
