It took a long time for Tha Carter V to come out. Like, a loooong time. So, while there are plenty of fans who have spent the last few days figuring that the instant classic from Lil Wayne was worth the wait, there were a few people in Wayne's camp who were ready to take the release into their own hands.
Producer Infamous put together perhaps the album's most buzzed about track in "Mona Lisa," and after sitting on the song for years, he was just about ready to go rouge and drop the song on his own.
In an interview with DJ Booth, the producer said he had his finger on the trigger until he got word that Tha Carter V was (finally, definitely) going to be released.
"I think I was starting to give up a little bit. A song like this—I’m gonna keep it real with you—if it wouldn’t have come out this year or even next year, I probably would have leaked it myself," he said. "I think that song is too crazy for it to just live on a laptop. I felt the world of hip-hop needed to hear this song. So no matter what, I would’ve leaked it at some point."
Infamous is particularly sensitive to the idea of leaks, since he had a hand in Tha Carter III. That album was famously leak-heavy with entire albums worth of content being tossed after they made their way out to the public before Weezy was ready for anyone else to hear them.
"I know what he’s saying though because I was part of the whole leak thing with Carter III. There’s times where shit gets leaked and it’s not finished. Like, I would’ve been devastated if any of the process throughout finalizing this song, if it would’ve leaked and the surprise would’ve been ruined and people would’ve heard a work in progress," Infamous said. "At certain points, it’s like, if the song is done and for some reason it’s the business that’s holding people back from listening to it? Put that shit out. Fuck that shit."
To learn more about how the actual song came together, head here to check out the whole interview.
