Lil Wayne Set to Make His Return to Iowa for Concert
They call him "Weezy F," and in this case, the "F" is for "Finally back in Iowa!"
By any metric, Lil Wayne is one of the best rappers alive. He's one of my all-time favorites, but beyond personal bias, his longevity, sustained success, lyrical wit, and pioneering effort to rap over beats of popular songs on his mixtapes make him a titan in his own right. This week, it was announced he would return to Iowa for a concert, his first stop in the state since 2024.
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Lil Wayne is Set to Perform in Des Moines:
Lil Wayne is bringing his "20 Years of Carter Classics" Tour to Des Moines. He will perform at Casey's Center in downtown Des Moines on Thursday, July 16th, 2026.
The last time Weezy performed in Iowa was in April 2024 when he performed at the Wells Fargo Arena (which is now the aforementioned Casey's Center) in Des Moines.
Lil Wayne's Record-Breaking Carter Albums:
Weezy's current tour, "20 Years of Carter Classics," references the six eponymous albums he's created. Tha Carter dropped in 2004, kickstarting a trilogy of albums that, to date, feature some of Wayne's best music, including some of the most versatile production from Cash Money Records producer Mannie Fresh.
You just had to be there when Tha Carter III was taking music by storm in 2008. The buildup was incredible. Lil Wayne dominated the charts so much so that, when the album finally dropped, it felt like a greatest hits compilation. Songs like "Lollipop," "A Milli," and "Got Money" went on to define hip-hop in the 2000s, and are likely to be incorporated, along with tracks from the five other Carter albums, on Wayne's new tour.
Lil Wayne's most recent album, Tha Carter VI, came out in June 2025. I'll admit it's not as good as the previous installments, but it has some merit. For one, Lil Wayne puts his own spin on Weezer's "Island in the Sun" with the song "Island Holiday." That one is a blast, and is singularly Wayne thanks to its humor and experimental nature.
Tickets for Lil Wayne's show in Des Moines go on sale this Friday, March 20th, at 10am (CST). You can find ticket information here, and read more about the upcoming show on KCCI's website.