Where to begin? As most of the world knows by now, Lil Wayne finally came through and released Tha Carter III on Tuesday June 10, 2008. After almost a solid year of putting back the release date and leaking I would say close to the entire original album, Lil Wayne was able to put together his latest releases to assemble the final draft of Tha Carter III. Seeing how the rap game is getting destroyed by the constant release of mixtapes and leaking of songs/albums weeks before they were meant to hit the streets, it is hard for an artist in the Rap and Hip Hop game to make a dope song, nevertheless album, and not have it be heard way before it was meant to. This was the case for Tha Carter III. Lil Wayne has enthroned himself as the “Best Rapper Alive,” and he has definitely put up the songs and lyrics to back up this claim. As a fellow Lil Wayne fan, I have been an avid listener for the past few years, paying special attention to the numerous official mixtapes which have been released featuring his music. For those who have hopped on the Lil Wayne bandwagon, riding his dick through all every song he has been releasing lately….PLEASE OPEN YOUR EARS TO THE MUSIC AND BE UNIQUE IN YOUR TASTES! Although I sound upset, I am more frustrated with the way people are following each and every song being released by rappers these days, thinking every song is FIRE. I know many people will probably think I am a hater, but to me the rap game has been getting destroyed everyday by the whack songs being played non-stop over and over again on the radios. But enough about that, I could write for days about where hip-hop is today and where I think it needs to be in my mind.
Without further wait, here goes the Track-By-Track breakdown and review of Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III.
” 3 Peat ” – Produced by Maestro
What an amazing introduction to Tha Carter III. Although I have heard 80% of the songs on this album before it was released, hearing the album straight through after downloading it from iTunes got me excited. This song has your typical Maestro production qualities to it: Keyboard, Horns, Strings, Bass/Snare combo. Lil Wayne was on his game when he decided to open the album with this song. Instantly you get a feel for how hard/powerful this album is about to be (only to be let down :[ ) Lil Wayne mixes up his vocals, changing octaves to match that of the music, making an amazing blend of lyrics and beat. The chorus-less song gives hints towards BM Jr. (one of my favorite Lil Wayne tracks of all time ). All in all, great intro/song.
” Mr. Carter (Ft. Jay-Z) ” – Produced by Drew and Infamous
Track 2, still on pace for a great album. I really love the simple kick/snare combo that Drew and Infamous uses. Lil Wayne definitely kills it on the lyrics on this song, as expected. Once Jay-Z comes in, the song gets maxed out. I love the way that Jay-Z comes in and for once can’t out-do his counterpart on a track, like he seems to do on every song he is featured on. Big props to Lil Wayne for making a song that can’t be topped even by Jay-Z. If you listen close to the lyrics, you can hear Jay-Z even start to rap off-beat, making his words match the song like Lil Wayne is known for doing. The title itself yields greatness, and this track is nothing short of anything I would expect (and maybe even better) for Tha Carter III.
” A Milli ” – Produced by Bangladesh
Although this song got leaked from the original Tha Carter III, this track is still a speaker-banger for sure. I knew the bass was rediculous on this track, but it beats so hard we had to turn the bass down in my friend’s car so we wouldn’t blow his windows with the subwoofers! Although a slightly-annoying “A Milli” plays the entire song, the beat and Lil Wayne’s lyrics blend it all together perfectly. This song was never made for Lil Wayne, and you can tell by how he adapted the song to fit his needs. ” I would rather be pushin’ flowers, than be in the Pen. sharing showers…”
” Got Money (Ft. T-Pain) ” – Produced by Play-N-Skillz
First things first, I have never been a T-Pain fan, so that must be taken into account for this song. With that being said, I was skeptical when this song was released as a single for Tha Carter III. Usually T-Pain seems to hop on every rap/hip-hop song possible to make his money at the main artist’s expense, but this might be one of the very few songs where T-Pain actually fits into the song. Using a catchy chorus and beat, natually this song was made for the radio. Props to Lil Wayne for making a song that generates constant money in royalties, that is just being a smart artist. As much as I want to hate the song, I find myself NOT pushing next on the CD player when this track comes on. For those who know me, this is the one song with T-Pain that I don’t mind if you play every now and then.
” Comfortable (Ft. Babyface) ” – Produced by Kanye West
Right when this song came on, I could instantly tell it was a Yeezy jam. The strings give it away, mixed with the soft and slightly relaxing blend of beat and melody. I was really glad to see use of the original R&B of my time such as Babyface. Big ups to him for keeping his head in the game and making it onto great songs and albums. I’m not fanatical about this track, but the soothing music with the simple snare-based beat make this a great R&B-fused jam.
” Dr. Carter ” – Produced by Swizz Beatz
This might be the most confusing song on Tha Carter III. I understand the concept behind the song, Lil Wayne demonstrating how he can rap to various beats and tempos. Yet amidst this, I am not a big fan of the constant change from 8 bars or so of rapping back to the “Dr. Carter” skit with an almost 1950’s horn section it seems like to me, and then back to a dat-skat jazz beat on the drums. I personally think this track would have been much better without the constant changing from skit to song to skit, but I guess it’s too late now to change that. The first track I felt would have been better off not on Tha Carter III.
” Phone Home ” – Produced by Cool and Dre
I know Lil Wayne can rap about damn near anything, I mean he is “the Best Rapper Alive.” But still, this song is just horrible in my mind. The “Phone Home” chorus sounds like Mike Jones and instead should be saying ” PUSH NEXT, PUSH NEXT,” etc. The whole concept of being almost out of this world had already been taken on by Lil Wayne via various mixtape tracks. Horrible song in my mind, making it almost impossible to even get any positives out of it, especially since the lyrics are recycled and almost annoying. Terrible song choice for Tha Carter III.
” Tie My Hands (Ft. Robin Thicke) ” – Produced by Robin Thicke
Instant bliss. Two words to easily describe this song. The reunion of Lil Wayne and Robin Thicke has been extremely anticipated by myself as well as any other fans of Tha Carter II. I didn’t think these two would be able to top “Shooter,” yet I was proved dead wrong. The slow and mellow guitar blends PERFECTLY with the slow kick/snare beat and Robin’s amazing vocals range. I’m glad to hear Lil Wayne get serious with his music, creating songs that have a meaning other than a bunch of smilies and metaphors describing how his “the Best Rapper Alive.” Although this song comes a little late after Katrina, Lil Wayne still demonstrates how he is true to his roots and his passion to rebuild New Orleans. ” They told me to try to keep my eyes open, My whole city underwater and people are still floatin’…”
My heart goes out to all of those who lost loved ones and everything they had to Katrina, keep your heads up and find that special place in your soul that keeps you going. Never give up hope, tomorrow will always be a better day.
” Mrs. Officer (Ft. Bobby Valentino) ” – Produced by Deezle
Although I am not a R&B fan, at least a fan of that kind of music being made today, I can’t hate too much on this track. I have always been a fan of Lil Wayne as the rapper, but I guess with all good comes bad, including Lil Wayne dipping his feet into the R&B genre more and more. I felt this was a great song, not really the type I would expect to be on the album following Tha Carter II, but still a good song. Lyrically I think the song was kind of stupid since it just talked about getting pulled over by a female police officer and then getting together with her. I think it’s quite funny to think about though, because Lil Wayne might be the only rapper I know that would be able to get out of a possible drug and gun charge with a female cop, haha.
” Let the Beat Build ” – Produced Kanye West and Deezle
Once this track came on, you know it’s Kanye West time. The sampling of soul singing is his trademark in the music game, and he made a JAM with this song. Just as the song is titled, this song really does build upon itself. Lil Wayne definitely collaborated with Kanye on this song, because his lyrics blend almost seamlessly with the music. This might be one of the best tracks I have heard in awhile that fuse the lyrics and beat perfectly together. Major props to Lil Wayne and Kanye for this fire; a feel-good song that I could put on anytime. “As I hit the kill switch, Now that’s how you let the beat build bitch…”
” Shoot Me Down ” – Produced by D. Smith
This song gives a vibe similar to that of ” Tie My Hands ” yet has a slightly darker feel to it. Although Lil Wayne seems to be more aggressive with his lyrics, constantly hinting towards his success through hustle and grind, he still seems to be held back due to the simple and constant tempo of the track. Not the best of tracks, yet Lil Wayne still is able to demonstrate his rapping abilities with a cameo of his recently-aquired guitar skills. He has hinted towards his growth in music by learning to play various instruments. Although it’s nothing special, you have to give him props for throwing a random guitar solo into the song that he plays himself.
” Lollipop (Ft. Static Major) ” – Produced by Jim Jonsin and Deezle
Now I know this was the first single from the final cut of Tha Carter III, and Lil Wayne is “the Best Rapper Alive,” but c’mon now Weezy F. Baby. You can do much better than this song. I will give respect and props to Lil Wayne for expanding his music influences and adopting the vocal effects made famous by T-Pain. With that being said, I will say that Lil Wayne uses them MUCH better than T-Pain (Just another strike against T-Pain in my book). This was a great beat that could only be used by none other than Lil Wayne, but there is no need for Lil Wayne to make his “official album return” with a radio/club banger such as Lollipop. I guess it’s just that part of me that loves Lil Wayne for his undaunting rapping abilities, but I think you should focus back on your hard-rapping roots Weezy.
” La La (Ft. Brisco & Busta Rhymes) ” – Produced by David Banner
The minute this track started, I was concerned with what type of direction the song would take. Although I think the children’s part should be taken off the beat completely (leave the xylophone if you wish David Banner), Lil Wayne, Brisco, and Busta all seem to save this track from being terrible to me. Very random assortment of artists on this song if you ask me, but they all seem the mesh well together on the track. I like how Lil Wayne isn’t afraid to get some upcoming rappers such as Brisco on his tracks, especially after pushing Curren$y so hard and then ending up dropping him from Young Money. Good hearing Busta Rhymes back on the rap scene, hopefully opening up the ears of kids these days to realize that rappers such as Lil Wayne are who they are today because of the hard work put forth by rappers in the past such as Busta Rhymes.
” Playing With Fire (Ft. Betty Wright) ” – Produced by StreetRunner
This isn’t the best of songs, yet Lil Wayne still finds a way to save this track by dishing some fire verses. I like how Lil Wayne has been getting emotional in his songs off and on, giving listeners a true look into the mind of a “rapper eater.” This song just seemed kind of short and without a true meaning to it. I think it could have used some more work before being put on Tha Carter III.
” You Ain’t Got Nuthin’ (Ft. Fabolous & Juelz Santana) ” – Produced by Alchemist
What starts off with great verses by both Fabolous and Juelz Santana, this track seems to leave me hanging, wishing for more. Not in the sense that it was rediculous and I can’t get enough, more of how both featured artists spit some pretty good verses and Weezy can’t even match them by the song’s end. The chorus seemed to just be made without much thought. The combination of Weezy and Juelz has been long-awaited, ever since their “I Can’t Feel My Face” mixtape project collaboration. The combination of Juelz and Fabolous can be expected both being New York rappers and all, but the 3-some is something unexpected and probably unfinished. This song just seems to end after each verse and by the end of the track, I am left feeling like it was a shortened version for a mixtape or something, even though it’s not.
” DontGetIt ” – Produced by Rodnae and Mousa
From the first second of the song, I got hyped knowing that Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Get Misunderstood” was being sampled again. Originally used on Common’s album, I’m glad to hear this song get used in a new light. It’s hard to tell exactly where this song was supposed to go, but Lil Wayne does stay on track of rapping and attempting to get political with his words. The extended rant on why he dislikes Al Sharpton seems out of place, especially since there wasn’t even an extended bitching about Bush or anything on this album, but props to Weezy for speaking his mind and not being afraid to do so. Overall, good song considering it’s over 9 minutes long.
Well there is the track-by-track review of the official Tha Carter III by Lil Wayne. As I have mentioned before, I was pretty dissappointed by this album. After hearing almost all of the tracks for the past few months leaked all of the internet, I really didn’t expect too much from Lil Wayne and this album. It’s a shame for sure that his original album had to get leaked, because that had the song-listing to potentially be one of the greatest rap albums of all time. Instead, us listeners were stuck with an album that seemed to be put together in a week or so, leaving real music fans disappointed. I think that Lil Wayne could have done SO MUCH better, especially considering he was releasing the 3rd and final album in Tha Carter Trilogy.
All in all, if you have the money to spend and like Lil Wayne, I would suggest you go out and buy this album. But if you are someone looking to check out Lil Wayne for the first time, don’t waste your money. Instead go and buy one of his best albums in my mind, Tha Carter II.
I give this album 3.5/5
-Lack of consistency
-Over-produced songs
-Irrelavent/Rambling Lyrics (Becoming more common with Lil Wayne these days)
