''C4'' is the third solo mixtape by American rapper

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...

, then known as "K.Dot". It was released on January 30, 2009 through

Top Dawg Entertainment Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) is an American independent record label founded in 2004, by CEO Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. Terrence "Punch" Henderson is president of the label. There are currently eleven artists signed to the label: the label's f ...

(TDE). The mixtape contains 17 tracks and includes

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...

s from Lamar's TDE label-mates

Ab-Soul Herbert Anthony Stevens IV (born February 23, 1987), better known by his stage name Ab-Soul, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Raised in Carson, California, he signed to indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2007, where ...

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

Jay Rock Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr. (born March 31, 1983), better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Los Angeles. He signed to indie label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), in 2005. Under TDE, Rock secured a re ...

ScHoolboy Q Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. In 2009, Hanley signed to Carson-based independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and in late ...

, and BO. The mixtape was heavily inspired by fellow American rapper

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

’s 2008 critically acclaimed album, ''

Tha Carter III ''Tha Carter III'' is the sixth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne, released on June 10, 2008, by Cash Money, Universal Motown & Young Money Entertainment. It follows a long string of mixtape releases and guest appearances on other hip ...

'' (C3), being mostly composed of freestyles over

instrumentals A backing track is an audio recording on audiotape, CD or a digital recording medium or a MIDI recording of synthesized instruments, sometimes of purely rhythmic accompaniment, often of a rhythm section or other accompaniment parts that live mu ...

from Wayne’s album in addition to a couple of original tracks.

Track listing

Notes * "Best Rapper Under 25" is a remix of "3 Peat" by

. * "Mr. Carter 2 (New Wayne Verse)" is a remix of " Mr. Carter" by Lil Wayne and Jay-Z. * "A Milli" is a remix of "

A Milli "A Milli", abbreviated occasionally as "Milli", is a song by American rapper Lil Wayne. The song was released February 13, 2008, as the second official single from his sixth album ''Tha Carter III''. Background The original version leaked early ...

" by Lil Wayne. * "Bitch I'm In the Club" is a remix of "

Got Money "Got Money" is a song by American rapper Lil Wayne featuring fellow American rapper and singer T-Pain, released as the third single from the former's sixth studio album ''Tha Carter III'' (2008). Both artists use the Auto-Tune effect in the song ...

" by Lil Wayne and T-Pain. * "West Coast Wu Tang" samples "After Laughter (Comes Tears)" by

Wendy Rene Mary Frierson, later Mary Cross (1947 – December 16, 2014), better known by her stage name of Wendy Rene, was an American soul singer and songwriter. She recorded for Stax Records in the mid 1960s. Biography Mary Frierson was born in Memphis, ...

and interpolates "

Bring the Pain "Bring the Pain" is a song recorded by the rap artist Method Man. It is the first single released from his debut album '' Tical''. Comedian Chris Rock named his 1996 tour and television special " Bring the Pain" after this song. Method Man is ...

" by

Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He is also half of ...

and "

" by

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close a ...

. * "Phone Home" is a remix of "Phone Home" by Lil Wayne. * "Compton Chemistry" is a remix of "Dr. Carter" by Lil Wayne. * "Take Off Your Pants" is a remix of "Tie My Hands" by Lil Wayne and

Robin Thicke Robin Alan Thicke (born March 10, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his 2013 hit single " Blurred Lines", which is one of the best-selling singles of all time. At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, h ...

. * "Shot Down" is a remix of "Shoot Me Down" by Lil Wayne. * "Play with Fire" is a remix of "Playing with Fire" by Lil Wayne and

Betty Wright Bessie Regina Norris (December 21, 1953 – May 10, 2020), better known by her stage name Betty Wright, was an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter and background vocalist. Beginning her professional career in the late 1960s as a teena ...

. * "Friend of Mine" samples "

I Just Wanna Love U (Give it 2 Me) "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z, released as the first single from his 2000 album '' The Dynasty: Roc La Familia''. It was produced by the Neptunes and features a chorus sung by Neptunes member Pharrell W ...

" by Jay-Z and

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom h ...

. * "Still Hustlin" is a remix of La La by Lil Wayne, Brisco, and

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

. * "Welcome to C4" is a remix of "

You Ain't Got Nuthin "You Ain't Got Nuthin" is a song by American rapper Lil Wayne, released as the first promotional single from his sixth studio album, ''Tha Carter III'' (2008). The song, produced by The Alchemist, with additional production from Deezle, features ...

" by Lil Wayne,

Fabolous John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition while still a senior in high school, when he performed live on American music executive ...

, and

Juelz Santana LaRon Louis James (born February 18, 1982), better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper and member of East Coast hip hop group The Diplomats, also known as Dipset. He is best known for his appearances on Cam'ron's 2002 s ...

. * "G Code" is a remix of "Let the Beat Build" by Lil Wayne. * "Famous Pipe Game" is a remix of "

Mrs. Officer "Mrs. Officer" is the fourth single from Lil Wayne's album ''Tha Carter III''. Its lyrics explore the tension between criminal suspects and police officers by portraying a relationship between Lil Wayne and a female police officer; it goes so f ...

" by Lil Wayne,

Bobby V Bobby Marcel Wilson (born February 27, 1980), better known by his stage name Bobby V (also known as Bobby Valentino), is an American R&B singer. He was first a member of the R&B group Mista in 1994, before signing to rapper Ludacris through h ...

, and

Kidd Kidd Curtis Stewart (born November 26, 1983), better known by his stage name Kidd Kidd (formerly known as Nutt Da Kidd), is an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was one of the first members of Lil Wayne's label imprint, Young Money Enter ...

. * "Misunderstood" is a remix of "DontGetIt" by Lil Wayne. * "Young & Black" samples "

99 Problems "99 Problems" is the third single released by American rapper Jay-Z in 2004 from '' The Black Album''. It was released on April 27, 2004. The chorus hook "I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one" is taken from the Ice-T single "99 Problems" ...

" by Jay-Z.

References

{{Kendrick Lamar 2010 mixtape albums Kendrick Lamar albums Top Dawg Entertainment albums Albums produced by Sounwave