If lil wayne was a new rapper...

[Black00]

It seems impossible to say since his career is such a big part of why things are the way they are.

this. If Wayne was born later and if he didn't rap since the 90's things would have been way different.
But I too believe that Birdman, Slim and the rest of the N.O./South Scene of the late 90's crafted him and was crucial in his career, which was crucial in all those other new rappers' careers!
Tbh, Wayne is in his own words "a dinosaur" and couldn't really see him going online like them.