Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter VI is now the number one rap album in the U.S., ending Kendrick Lamar’s seven-week run at the top with GNX on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart.
Though Tha Carter VI debuted at number two on the Billboard 200—held off by country singer Morgan Wallen—it sold 108,000 equivalent album units in its first week, enough to top the rap-specific rankings.
Wayne’s latest album marks only the ninth week in 2025 that GNX has not been number one in the rap category. However, Tha Carter VI saw a decline in first-week sales compared to Wayne’s previous projects. His 2020 album Funeral opened with 139,000 units, while Tha Carter V moved 480,000 in 2018.
This release marks the lowest first-week numbers for any installment in Tha Carter series and for Wayne’s entire solo career, which spans nearly 30 years.
Tha Carter VI features a wide range of collaborators, including U2’s Bono on the track “The Days,” first previewed during the NBA Finals. Bono previously worked with Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West. Other guests on the 19-track project include 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Kodak Black, Machine Gun Kelly, Wyclef Jean, Jelly Roll, and Andrea Bocelli.
Despite the album’s eclectic lineup, Tha Carter VI has received mostly negative reviews from fans and critics, with many saying it failed to meet expectations.
