To say Lil Wayne has been embattled for the last couple of years would be an understatement. The MC who proudly proclaimed himself the “best rapper alive” in the 2000s, and who coupled that with being one of the best selling artists of that decade, has been embroiled in an extended lawsuit with Birdman, his mentor, business partner and friend, and endured several serious seizures. His once prolific output also has been relatively quashed in the aftermath, save for surgical strikes here and there. While some might have considered Wayne down, his appearance on the Suicide Squad soundtrack song “Sucker For Pain,” also featuring Logic, Ty Dolla $ign, Wiz Khalifa and Imagine Dragons, shows he’s far from out.

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While all of the artists on the record are established stars, aside from Wayne, Logic is the MC most recognized for his ferocious bars. Perhaps without coincidence, the two men’s verses are placed side-by-side and, whether Wayne considered it a direct challenge or not, he responds with the kind of elite verse that seemed to be almost taken for granted from him just a few short years ago.

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Clearly keenly self-aware of his circumstances over the last few years, Wayne starts with deeply candid words about himself. “I’m devoted to destruction, a full dosage of detrimental dysfunction. I’m dying slow but the devil tryna rush me. See I’m a fool for pain. I’m a dummy. Might cut my head off right after I slit my throat,” he opens. He continues his revelations of dark thoughts later in the verse, rapping “And only Lord knows when I’m coming to the crossroads. So I don’t fear shit but tomorrow. And, I’m a sucker for pain. It ain’t nothing but pain. You just fuckin’ complain. You ain’t tough as you claim. Just stay up in your lane. Just don’t fuck with Lil Wayne. I’mma jump from a plane or stand in front of a train. ‘Cause I’m a sucker for pain.”

They are vulnerable words from one of Hip-Hop’s most cocksure MCs and, in baring his thoughts, he reminds what makes for great verses and great art.