Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III Review (2)

Posted by Byron Lee on 06.15.2008

This album was so big, we had to review it twice.

His Story:

Born Dwanye Carter, Jr., Lil’ Wayne was the youngest member of the Hot Boys, the New Orleans supergroup signed to Cash Money Records. Since the group housed both the gruff bravado of Juvenile and the wise drawl of BG (the group was rounded out by Turk), the young Wayne was relegated to hyper cameos (For a while, he was primarily known for one line (“Drop It Like It's Hot” from Juvenile’s 1999 smash "Back That Thang Up").) When financial disputes led to the departure of Juve and BG, and legal problems landed Turk in jail, Wayne grew out of his role, but did so awkwardly, becoming the third wheel in a Cash Money Era dominated by the Big Tymers, a duo comprised of thugged out executive Baby Williams and affable in-house producer Mannie Fresh.

Ears started to perk up in 2004, with the coming of two events. He made a strong impression as a guest on the Destiny's Child single “Soldier” and obtained a bonafide solo hit with "Go DJ." Christening himself with the nickname Weezy F. Baby (please say the baby), Wayne seemed simultaneously more relaxed and more focused, showing a lyrical flare that surprised many. His next full-length album, Tha Carter, won him some new fans and gave his career a new lease of life, and its follow-up, Tha Carter II, was a blockbuster. Adding to his revitalization was Wayne’s appearance: by the time Carter II was released, Wayne's fully-grown dreads and tattooed torso gave him a marketable look to go with his rhymes.

Before the release of his next album, Wayne, like 50 Cent before him, flooded the mixtape scene with critically acclaimed, multi-volume collections such as Dedication and The Drought Is Over. He kept his name on the lips of mainstream fans by making notable appearances on other people’s songs, namely Fat Joe’s “Make It Rain,” Playaz Circle’s “Duffle Bag Boy,” Ja Rule’s “Uh Oh,” and two tracks for DJ Khaled: “Holla At Me” and “We’re Taking Over.”

The Album:

On June 10, 2008, Cash Money/Universal released Tha Carter III, the sixth major label release from Lil’ Wayne.



The Songs 7.5

1. "3 Peat"
2. "Mr. Carter"
3. "A Milli"
4. "Got Money"
5. "Comfortable"
6. "Dr. Carter"
7. "Phone Home"
8. "Tie My Hands"
9. "Mrs. Officer"
10. "Let the Beat Build"
11. "Shoot Me Down"
12. "Lollipop"
13. "La La"
14. "Playing With Fire"
15. "You Ain't Got Nuthin"
16. "Don't Get It"

Wayne opens the proceedings with a bang on “3 Peat.” Over a bounce beat, Wayne emotionally spews fire:

Swallow my words
Taste my thoughts
And if it's too nasty
Spit it back at me
Two more inches
I'da been in that casket
According to the doctor
I coulda died in traffic
Bounce right back on them b****es like magic
Abracadabra
I'm up like viagra
Had to do this s**t for my cliche
like Adam Sandler
I control hip-hop
And I'ma keep it on my channel

"You Got Nothing on Me" also packs a wallop. Even though the song features a high gibberish quotient on Wayne's part ("You say tomato, I say tomata. You say get 'em, I say got 'em.Yea I got 'em.), the track's ominous tone, it's killer chorus, and its stellar quest verses from Fabolous and Juelz Santana make it one of the stand out tracks on the album. Another stellar selection is "Comfortable," a sort of a male version of Beyonce's "Irreplacable" (only much less cloying), that coasts on a complementary hook from Babyface and breezy production from Kanye West.

It's ironic that the two most derided tracks on this album are also two of the most effective ones on it. "Got Money," a T-Pain-assisted club banger, and the ubiquitous "Lollipop" make lightweight subject matter (waving money in the air and expressing love of a certain act, respectively) palatable via infectious presentation.

It should not be said, however, that Wayne fails to make an impression in his deeper moments. "Tie My Hands," which provides further reason for Wayne to link up with Robin Thicke more often, is a meditation on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Over a laidback track, Wayne vents his frustration:

I lost everything,
But I ain't the only one
First came the hurricane,
Then the morning sun
Excuse me, if I'm on one, and
Don't trip if I light one,
I walk a tight one
They try to tell me keep my eyes open
My whole city under water,
Some people still floatin
Then they wonder why black people still voting,
Cause your presidents still chokin’

To complement Wayne’s words, Robin Thicke uses his falsetto to heartbreaking affect on the chorus:

You tie my hands
What am I gonna be?
What have I done so bad?
What is my destiny?

Also striking a chord is "Misunderstood" (titled "Don't Get It" on the version of the album I bought). Making full cathartic use of a Nina Simone sample, Wayne is in full 2pac mode:

The wind blow, my dreads swang
He had hair like wool, like Wayne
Droppin’ ashes in the bible
I shake ‘em out, and they fall on the riffle
Scary, Hail Mary,
No tail fairy
All real, very, extraordinary
Perry Mason, facin’, the barrel, if he tattle
My god is my judge,
No gown, no gavel

Though the song is hampered by a well-intentioned but rambling screed on judicial inequity, Wayne redeems himself with the Al Sharpton smackdown many rap fans have been craving.

The issue is that, as enjoyable as this album is, many of the tracks on it seem unfinished, due to a lack of impact. “Dr. Carter” is a nice addiction to the "Superior MC as physician to Wack MCs" canon, but Weezy struggles to compete against the song's main attraction: an occasionally over powering sample of David Axelrod's “Holy Thursday.” Wayne’s collaboration with Jay-Z, "Mr. Carter," with its singalong chorus, is pleasant enough, but pales in comparison to Jay's showstopping appearance on "Maybach Music" (from Rick Ross's Trilla). The Eminem-inspired "Shoot Me Down" (think "Lose Yourself" meets the title track from The Marshall Mathers LP) is a statement on the artist's need to express themselves, but it fails to make a lasting impression.

Other songs feature concepts gone awry. "Phone Home" with its space age analogy, is an interesting, left field venture with some inspired turns of phrase, but it ultimately can't escape its awkward, ET-referencing hook. "Mrs. Officer" is an erotic fantasy boosted by the support of singer Bobby Valentino, but its uninspired lines (Wayne repeats the line "Rodney King/said I beat it like a cop" a few times, overly amused by the double attendre.) and an annoying vocal mimic of a police siren make this track another example of wasted potential. “A Milli” has its title repeated ad nauseam in the background. Finally, the beat for “Let The Beat Build” does exactly that, during its duration. If you can deal with the vocal caterwauling in the background long enough to hear the end result, you’re a better person than I.

Although I feel that Tha Carter III is not what fans were hoping for, it does provide a peek into the restless mind of one of the most compulsively listenable figures in rap.

The 411: If you were waiting on the magnum opus that took the first two Carters to the next level, keep waiting. Tha Carter III showcases a skillful lyricist yet to harness his talent to create an album that fulfills the promise of his previous work.

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]