Back in 2010, Lil Wayne was sitting in Rikers Island, but somehow it felt like he was everywhere at the same time. A lot of artists disappear when locked up but not Lil Wayne. During his relatively short prison stint, fans were still getting new music, guest verses, mixtapes, and even a documentary from DJ Scoob Doo. There were stories about confiscated iPods, correctional officers getting suspended or fired, and phone-in freestyles that kept his name in the headlines. Even behind bars, Wayne found a way to stay part of the conversation.

As his release day got closer and anticipation continued to build, he dropped another record to keep fans fed: “Right Above It.”

Released as the lead single from I Am Not a Human Being, the song paired Wayne once again with Drake, who at the time was quickly becoming Young Money’s biggest rising star. The formula was already familiar by then, but it still worked.

Drake opens the track the same way he opened many of their collaborations: confidently and comfortably. One thing I immediately appreciated about this record is that it avoids the heavy Auto-Tune that was common around that era. Without it, both artists sound more distinct, which makes the track much stronger.

Drake spends his verse doing what Drake does best. He strings together punchlines while talking about success, loyalty, fake friends, and people who secretly want to see him fail. There is a certain confidence throughout the verse that feels natural rather than forced. He talks about keeping his circle small while also embracing the lifestyle that comes with fame.

There are references to regular trips to the strip club, where apparently one dancer isn’t enough and everything comes in pairs. He even casually mentions putting down the champagne and drinking soda instead. It’s classic Drake: part bragging, part observation, and part personal reflection.

The verse isn’t necessarily groundbreaking. If you’ve listened to a lot of Drake from that period, you’ve heard some of these themes before. Still, taken on its own, it’s a solid performance that does exactly what it needs to do. It sets the stage.

Then Wayne comes in.

And as soon as he does, the energy changes.

It almost feels like Wayne is reminding everyone that while Drake may be the future, the present still belongs to him. His verse has that familiar Wayne quality where it sounds like the words are arriving in real time. His freestyle-like approach to writing is obvious throughout the performance. The bars don’t always follow a neat structure, but that’s exactly what makes them exciting.

Wayne jumps from one idea to another with a chaotic rhythm that somehow still works perfectly. There are punchlines, clever wordplay, random thoughts, and moments that make you rewind just to catch what he said. Unlike rappers who rely on endless similes and predictable comparisons, Wayne’s lines often feel spontaneous and unpredictable.

One moment that stands out is his “sex change” punchline, which arrives naturally instead of feeling like a setup you can see coming from a mile away. That’s something Wayne has always been great at. He can take a simple idea and twist it into something memorable.

The production from Kane Beatz helps sell the whole experience. The beat is loud, triumphant, and unmistakably Young Money. It sounds like success. It sounds like victory laps. It sounds like a record made by artists who know they’re dominating the game.

During Wayne’s verse, you can hear bursts of machine-gun sound effects and background ad-libs floating around the track. Whether you’re hearing them as pure atmosphere or as a signal that Wayne is ready for war, they add another layer of intensity to the record.

Listening to “Right Above It” now, it’s hard not to compare it to “Miss Me.” The songs share a similar energy and structure. Honestly, if you swapped one for the other in certain playlists, the biggest difference would probably be the chorus. Both records are built around the chemistry between Drake and Wayne, and both succeed because each artist understands exactly what role they’re supposed to play.

Commercially, the song performed exactly how you’d expect a Drake and Lil Wayne collaboration to perform during that era. It climbed to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 on the Hot Digital Songs chart. Internationally, it also found moderate success, proving that the appeal of both artists extended far beyond North America.

Critics were generally positive as well. Many praised the song’s upbeat attitude and highlighted the performances from both rappers. For a lot of reviewers, “Right Above It” ended up being one of the standout tracks on I Am Not a Human Being.

What I enjoy most about the song today is that it captures a very specific moment in hip-hop. Wayne was physically absent but creatively present. Drake was no longer just the promising newcomer; he was becoming a superstar. Young Money was at the height of its power, and records like this felt effortless.

“Right Above It” may not be the deepest song in either artist’s catalog, but that’s not really the point. It’s a celebration of confidence, success, and dominance. More importantly, it’s another example of why the Drake and Wayne partnership worked so well for so many years.

Even while sitting in a prison cell, Lil Wayne managed to remind everyone that he was still one of the biggest names in rap. And with Drake by his side, “Right Above It” became the soundtrack to that reminder.

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