Lil Wayne's Sqad Up Changed Mixtape History and Fueled His Rise to Greatness In Hip-Hop

Before Lil Wayne was crowned one of the greatest rappers alive, before Tha Carter series and his feature-dominating run, there was Sqad Up—a tight-knit crew from New Orleans that played a critical role in shaping not just Wayne’s legacy, but also the blueprint for modern-day mixtape culture.

Formed in the early 2000s, Sqad Up was more than just a rap group; it was a movement born from friendship, street credibility, and a shared hunger for greatness. The original lineup included Lil Wayne, Gudda Gudda, Kidd Kidd, T-Streets, Raw Dizzy, Young Yo, Sha Tura, Fee Banks, and Supa Blanco, with Raj Smoove handling production. What started as tour camaraderie between Wayne, Young Yo, and Supa Blanco quickly evolved into a full-fledged squad thanks to some encouragement from Dino Delvaille, the Universal Records A&R who helped broker Cash Money’s major-label deal.

Though still in the shadows of Cash Money’s established stars like B.G. and Juvenile at the time, Wayne used his association with Sqad Up to experiment and evolve. With seven volumes of their SQ mixtape series released between 2002 and 2003, the group laid the foundation for what would become a mixtape revolution. Long before streaming and DatPiff made free music the norm, Sqad Up was flooding the streets with high-quality, self-produced projects—turning heads and influencing a generation.

Sqad Up was among the first to truly put New Orleans on the mixtape map, proving that the city could compete with East Coast and Southern hip-hop hubs. Their style was raw, gritty, and relentless—fueled by personal stories, street wisdom, and a brotherhood that resonated through the music.

In 2004, tensions arose when Birdman, CEO of Cash Money Records, didn't support a full Sqad Up album release. Lil Wayne ultimately chose to remain loyal to Cash Money, while the rest of the group launched their own label, Money Yung'N Records, and dropped their debut album "Now or Never" that same year. The split led to tension and lyrical back-and-forths between Sqad Up and former allies like Wayne and B.G., but the group's impact on Wayne’s development as an artist was undeniable.

That decision marked a turning point. While the group disbanded shortly after a series of unreleased projects and label shake-ups, Wayne channeled that energy into one of the most legendary mixtape runs in rap history. His hunger, sharpened by the grind and camaraderie of Sqad Up, exploded into classics like Dedication, Da Drought, and No Ceilings.

In 2015, nostalgia kicked in when Raw Dizzy teased a Sqad Up reunion album, igniting excitement among long-time fans. Later that year, Lil Wayne brought out Raw Dizzy, Kidd Kidd, and Gudda Gudda during his Lil Weezyana Fest, performing fan favorites like “We Ready” and “Best of Me”. Though the reunion album has yet to materialize, Dizzy's 2016 single “Heaven” featuring Wayne rekindled the spark.

While the group’s time together was short-lived, Sqad Up’s legacy is long-lasting. They introduced a mixtape grind that reshaped hip-hop and helped mold Wayne into the tireless, bar-dropping machine that would go on to dominate rap for decades.

Sqad Up changed mixtape history. And in doing so, they helped create a monster—Lil Wayne, the living legend.