Tha Block Is Hot

"Tha Block Is Hot" is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne. Released on November 2, 1999, it was brought to audiences by Universal Records and Bryan "Baby" Williams' Cash Money Records. The recording sessions took place at Cash Money Studios in Metairie, Louisiana, with the executive production from Bryan "Baby" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams. All tracks on the album were produced by Mannie Fresh himself. Interestingly, before its release, the album was initially intended to be titled "I Ride At Night."

Critical reception
The Chicago Tribune wrote that "Wayne's appeal lies in his esoteric slang and squeaky-voiced phrasing."

Commercial performance
"Tha Block Is Hot" debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 229,500 copies in its first week. However, in its second week, the album dropped to number ten on the chart, with an additional 117,000 copies sold. On December 10, 1999, the album earned Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for exceeding a million copies in sales. As of June 2012, "Tha Block Is Hot" has sold 1.4 million copies in the United States.

Track listing

 * All songs produced by Mannie Fresh

Samples credits
 * "Loud Pipes" contains a sample of "Rich Niggaz" performed by Juvenile.