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As I wait for my Deluxe Edition of Tha Carter IV to download, I begin to reminisce about Dwayne Carter’s (aka Lil Wayne, Weezy F Baby, Tunechi etc.) last contribution to his growing legacy of Carter albums, Tha Carter III.
Before the 2008 release of what many have claimed to be one of the most complete albums in hip-hop history, Lil Wayne had the industry in his hands with a continuous flow of features, guest spots, mixtapes and singles. At that time it would have been hard to argue against Weezy’s self proclamation as “the best rapper alive.” Since then, however, Wayne has lost some of his luster among his most endeavored supporters, despite continuing to stay on top of the pop charts with less than impressive singles and his complete flop of a rock/hip-hop album Rebirth.
However, following a release from prison sandwiched between two mixtapes (No Ceilings and Sorry 4 the Wait) Wayne had the hip-hop world on its toes anticipating today's Carter IV release. Considering the other albums of his Carter series, there are some high expectations for the Louisiana native to produce a work that can stand among its predecessors.
Tha Carter IV Deluxe Edition features 19 tracks including “6 foot 7 foot”, “John”, and “How to Love”, which were all pre-album releases. The intro track serves to pay homage to Wayne’s swagger and also to remind the listener of his prowess. It features the same slow, simile filled flows that have become a redundant mainstay in many of his recent releases. Much to my fears, this continues with much of this album featuring the same analogy-laced verbosity.
Wayne reminds us through out the album, once again, that he's rich and could care less what we think, but that if we speak wrongly of him he will do something to make us regret this. These tracks are well done, with catchy and enjoyable beats for backgrounds, and feature some-what witty lines, but are nothing new or any better than the same style songs of his past.
There are a few songs with some depth on the album, including “Nightmare of the Bottom”. On the track Wayne speaks on his love of music and friends, how the doubters around him continue to drive him on, how highly he rates himself (again), as well as a few lessons of life he has picked up. This provides a very small window into who Dwayne Carter actually is.
The guests on the album, with potential to act as saving graces, fall short for the most part. It almost feels as if the featuring artists are mainly there to fill the songs and the feature songs are there to mainly fill the album. Jadakiss and Drake give a good showing on the cypher style track "It’s Good ". It’s refreshing to hear John Legend’s voice and piano on “So Special” even though they're both nearly drowned out by heavy synthesizers.
With all this said the main highlights of the album don’t even feature Wayne. The interlude featuring Tech N9ne and a secret appearance from 3 stacks (Andre 3000 of Outkast) is possibly the best track on the album. The only competition to this title would be the outro which features heat from Bun-B, Nas, Shyne, and Busta Ryhmes.
Tha Carter IV leaves much to be desired. Although Wayne stays consistent with what he's done recently, this is not the same guy you'll find on the other albums in the Carter series. The fact that the two best songs don’t even feature a verse from Wayne speaks volumes about the album. If you're a die-hard Wayne fan who follows and supports him without question (although this probably is never a good thing, with any artist, ever), then you may find a flash enjoyment with the tracks on this album.
If you are a hip-hop fan looking for Wayne to repeat the proficiency and overall greatness he produced with Tha Carter III, don’t waste your money. The lyrics lack the depth required to make the listener to think all the while being nauseatingly repetitive. The beats are good but do very little in masking the shortcomings of the album.
It might be time for “the best rapper alive” to hang up his mic and step aside. Overall, Tha Carter IV will find its way to the top of the pop charts; but, in the grand scheme of hip hop it's simply, a very average album.
If I had to grade the album I would have give it a straight C - mediocre and redundant.
What do you think, Tampa Bay? Weezy falling of the map? Or does he still have it? Let us know in the comment box below.
