PROVIDENCE — New Orleans-based rapper Lil’ Wayne caused a stir when he announced that his next album would be a rock record, and Tuesday night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center he brought a live rock band with him to show he wasn’t kidding.

Paradoxically, while “Prom Queen,” the first single from the still-unreleased record (to be entitled Rebirth), was mediocre on record and even less impressive in Tuesday night’s rendition, Wayne’s impulse to add some guitar-and-drum muscle to his sound was, well, a sound one.

There’s always been some drama to Lil’ Wayne’s best stuff, as he struggles to show the existential struggle of the high-roller, and the modern-metal sounds that the live band brought to some of the older material was refreshing, starting with the anthemic opener, “Mr. Carter,” from last year’s smash Tha Carter III album. Wayne’s rough-edged voice, never far from a shout, suited the band setting well, and vice versa.

Mixing hip-hop attitudes with the arena-rock verities, the always-energetic Wayne prowled the stage as usual, but this time had a little bit more to interact with than just a DJ. The rock-rap meld continued with “Money in Mind” before opener T-Pain returned for a winning duet on “Got Money,” as well as some snippets including “First Place Winner,” “We Takin’ Over” and a joyous “He Rap He Sing.”

A protégé showcase took away from the momentum, but a mini-set of older songs such as “Tha Block Is Hot,” “La La” and “Fireman” brought it back. And opener Keri Hilson returned for a reprise of “Turnin’ Me On,” this time with the band and with Wayne reprising his guest rap.

There was a sweeter-sounding (if still lyrically raunchy) interlude with “Mrs. Officer” and “Prostitute 2” (with Wayne on guitar), but the fireworks (literal and figurative) eventually returned with snarling, shouting versions of “I’m Me” and “Phone Home.” The massive hit “Lollipop” ended with the band pounding away and Wayne rolling on the stage; “Iron Man” made for a fitting intro to “Shoot Me Down,” and the hybrid version of the closing “A Milli,” which started with DJ 45 and eventually brought in the band.

So the new stuff may not be so great — without AutoTune for Wayne’s voice, “Prom Queen” was weak. But a mix of rap and rock that starts from the rap side has frequently worked well (N.E.R.D. is another example), and Wayne’s new idea fit his old ideas better than his new songs.

Singer and rapper T-Pain has been on dozens of hit singles over the years on his own and as a guest artist, and his set preceding Lil’ Wayne tried very hard to get them all in there. And while it was an impressive collection of hooks and hits, the effort to get his whole resume on stage meant that some of the snippets were too short to generate any momentum.

He had the stagecraft down, driving onto the stage in something resembling a pimped-out golf cart for a bit of “Good Life,” then bringing out the dancing midgets (no, really) for “Same Girl.” He finally got going in earnest with a full-on “Buy You a Drank,” but again the snippets of Flo Rida’s “Low” and Rick Ross’s “The Boss” were disappointing.

One of the highlights was T-Pain providing full-service entertainment by launching into a drum solo and a piano solo before the thug-romantic “Can’t Believe It,” and a low-key, affecting acoustic “Keep Going,” which showcased his singing voice - rough, not showy, but strong.

Then it was back to the highlight reel, with bits of his own “Bartender” and “Chopped and Skrewed” making the most impact, and the banging “I’m So Hood” ending (again) way too early.

Before T-Pain, the live band Gym Class Heroes brought a loose, shaggy-haired melding of rock, rap and pop culture with a wiseacre and winning attitude. They opened with the short, sharp, piano-based stomp of “Peace Sign/Index Down,” with a unison rap over the verses, and following with the sample-like repetition of “Sloppy Love Jingle Part I” and the breakout hit “Cupid’s Chokehold” (with its prominent hook from Supertramp’s “Breakfast in America”). The template started to feel pretty similar by the time they got to “Guilty as Charged,” but “Cookie Jar” brought things to a strong close.

The three acts that started the show had extremely truncated sets, but the R&B/hip-hop singer and songwriter Keri Hilson managed to create some moments. Her voice didn’t stand out, but she finally got something resembling a party started with the heavy pounding of her opener, “Knock You Down,” with its double-time verses. Her first album finally comes out next week (three singles have already been released), but her successful songwriting career was evident in the elegant soul of “Energy,” while “Slow Dance” was just that and “Get Your Money Up” and “Turnin’ Me On” were catchy bangers.

The clearly lip-synching Electrik Red’s four-song set “Drink In My Cup”was a male fantasy of what female hip-hop soul is like, for those who think The Pussycat Dolls are too empowered. At least it was catchy, unlike the ersatz Eurodisco of “Friend Lover” and the R-rated hip-hop soul of “So Good.”

Tay Dizm opened the show with a five-minute sampler, including “Beam Me Up,” a simple but catchy chant that fizzled out to an unsatisfying ending, and a bit of “Dream Girl,” the Akon single on which he guested. There wasn’t enough time for him to really get anything going.

rmassimo@projo.com