"Mona Lisa"
Song by Lil Wayne featuring Kendrick Lamar
from the album Tha Carter V
ReleasedSeptember 28, 2018
Length5:24
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Mona Lisa" is a song by American rapper Lil Wayne featuring fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on September 28, 2018, as the eighth track off of Wayne's album Tha Carter V.

Background

Infamous, the producer of the track, began work on it in 2014.[1] He considered leaking the track after a few years, but refrained from the action when he heard Tha Carter V was being released.[2] Former pharma CEO and convicted felon Martin Shkreli shared part of the song in 2017 on streaming app Periscope.[3] The song is named after the painting Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.[4]

Composition

The track has the longest duration out of any track on the album, with a length of 5:24.[5]

Lyrics

On the track, Wayne talks about a woman who sets men up to be robbed by him, while Kendrick talks about a woman he doesn't trust in a relationship. Lil Wayne portrays himself as the robber while Kendrick portrays himself as the boyfriend of the woman, given the name Liz by Lil Wayne.

Reception

The track received critical acclaim. Kevin Goddard of HotNewHipHop called the track a "lyrical onslaught", and said that Wayne and Kendrick had "slick flows & witty metaphors".[6] Israel Daramola of Spin called the track a "fascinating story of deceit and lust".[7]

Commercial performance

The track debuted at number two behind Maroon 5 and Cardi B's "Girls Like You" on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest-charting song from the album.[8]

Charts

Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[9] 42
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[10] 7
Lithuania (AGATA)[11] 26
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 39
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] 36
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[14] 21
US Billboard Hot 100[15] 2
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[16] 1
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[17] 1

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[18] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "Infamous Breaks Down the Making of Lil Wayne and Kendrick Lamar's "Mona Lisa"". DJBooth. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  2. ↑ ""Mona Lisa" Producer Considered Leaking Lil Wayne and Kendrick Collab". Complex. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar & Lil Wayne Spin A Tale Of Robbery & Deceptive Women On "Mona Lisa"". Genius. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  4. ↑ "The moving of the Mona Lisa". The Independent. 2005-04-01. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
  5. ↑ "Here Are the Lyrics to Lil Wayne's 'Mona Lisa,' Feat. Kendrick Lamar". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Joins Lil Wayne On "Mona Lisa" Off "Tha Carter V"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Lil Wayne and Kendrick Lamar Explore the Art of Storytelling on the Frustrating but Compelling "Mona Lisa"". Spin. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Lil Wayne Becomes The First Artist In History To Debut Two Songs In The Top 5 Of The Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Genius. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  9. ↑ "ARIA CHART WATCH #493". auspOp. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Lil Wayne Chart History: Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  11. ↑ "2018 40-os SAVAITĖS (rugsėjo 28 d. – spalio 4 d.) SINGLŲ TOP100" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. October 5, 2018. Archived from the original on October 9, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  12. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". The Official New Zealand Music Chart. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Lil Wayne". swisscharts.com. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  14. ↑ "LIL WAYNE | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Lil Wayne Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Lil Wayne Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Lil Wayne Chart History: Hot Rap Songs". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  18. ↑ "American single certifications – Lil Wayne – Mona Lisa". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
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