Words and Photos by Bri Skriloff
Lil Wayne brought plenty of energy to Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on Friday night, taking the crowd through more than 20 years of music during his 20 Years of Carter Classics tour.
The night started with “A Milli,” followed by “Right Above It,” “Got Money,” and “Mr. Carter.” From there, Wayne kept the hits coming, running through songs like “I’m Going In,” “Drop the World,” “John,” “Lollipop,” “How to Love,” “Uproar,” and “No Worries.”
It wasn’t just a Carter album throwback, though. Wayne mixed in songs from different points in his career, including “Hustler Musik,” “I’m Me,” “Duffle Bag Boy,” and “Every Girl.” He also surprised the crowd with covers of songs including “Swag Surfin,” “Wasted,” “Loyal,” “Pop That,” and “The Motto.”
The setlist made the night feel less like a straight-through greatest-hits show and more like Wayne pulling songs from different chapters of his career whenever he felt like it.
And visually, plenty was going on.
Wayne came out in an oversized green outfit, dark sunglasses, and a backward cap, playing a white electric guitar. He went back to the guitar several times throughout the show, switching between it and the microphone while the stage lighting changed around him. Later, he came out in a bright turquoise jacket before changing again into a white T-shirt, sunglasses, and a heavy chain. Near the end of the show, he performed shirtless, showing off his tattoos as red and green lights filled the stage.
The production stayed busy all night. Giant LED screens flashed between bright colors, fire-filled graphics, and other visuals while smoke and lights moved across the stage. At times, the crowd was almost as much a part of the show as Wayne, with phones held up across the pavilion to capture the performance.
Wayne also spent plenty of time playing to the crowd, raising his arms, pointing out into the audience, and smiling between songs. At one point, he told the Camden crowd that it was the best date of the tour.
The show wasn’t trying to be overly complicated. Wayne knew what people came to hear, and he gave them a lot of it. The familiar songs got the biggest reactions, but the constant changes in the set kept the night moving.
By the time the flames lit up the screens behind him near the end of the performance, it was clear that this was about more than just celebrating the Carter albums. It was a look back at a career filled with hits, collaborations, and songs that have stuck around for years.
For the Camden crowd, it was a chance to hear a lot of those songs in one night and see Lil Wayne have some fun with them along the way.
