Lil' Wayne
Tha Carter III
2008
Lil Wayne's musical output is ideal for the here and now. Due to the rise of the internet and free mixtapes, absurdly prolific artists like Lil Wayne now have a public forum to hone their craft as well as a venue to release an endless supply of new music. It's fitting for our twitter/microwave-culture that one of its most popular musicians puts out hour-long mixtapes every couple of months. Before we'd wait years for the most beloved acts to stick their necks out with some new music. But due to this prolificacy, we tend to accept the mediocre and the slapdash, which is how the formalized full-length statement can still hold a feeling of significance.
"Tha Carter III" is thrilling, fresh and eclectic. Bouncing between the raunchy swagger of "Lollipop" to Weezy-as-alien oddity "Phone Home" all the way to a concept track of Wayne reviving lame emcees as Dr. Carter. It's exciting music with a loose fluidity to it, a roll of the tongue and a clever smirk. Some of my favorite moments on the record though are just a showcase of Wayne's syrup-dripped surreal imagery and his ability to pronounce any two words into a rhyme, specifically on the chorus-free smash-hit "A Milli". As a rapper, Wayne seems to follow his irreverent muse down many a rabbit hole, eventually resurfacing in another far-off bizarro-land of purple drinks and interstellar tom-foolery. He's a fascinating creative to watch as he turns the concepts upside-down and rewrites the rules. -S.R.
The most overrated rap album of the decade. Wayne’s the child star that finally got his big comeback due to that fact that his industry is at an all-time low instead of him actually being a skilled MC. Sure, there are some hot beats (“A Milli,” “La La”) but in terms of substance, Wayne never says more than “I’m the greatest rapper alive!” in as many 5th grade-level similes and metaphors as he can think of. - Phil
Torn between Steve and Phil on this one. When I first heard Tha Carter III I couldn't believe people liked it. It seemed simplistic and in a lot of places just straight up dumb. After awhile though Wayne snaked his way into my brain. I still think the album has way more throw away tracks than is usually noted. Sure "A Milli", "Let the Beat Build", and "Phone Home" are awesome but "Comfortable" is one of the worst hip hop songs I've ever heard and really anytime Wayne digs into r&b is sure to be an epic failure. Good album but it's built on Wayne's personality, not musical quality, and that can only take you so far.
ReplyDeleteGlad you guys chose "A Milli" - it's the only song on the album I like! (and it made me wonder, has there ever been another hookless rap song to ever become a hit? I'm not sure)
ReplyDeleteWell said, Mike... and I don't even like Wayne's personality.
I think it's safe to say it's impossible to count how many rappers/artists have a ballooning head and self-centered personality. Same with sports, business, politics.... they're everywhere. I recently watched a documentary on Lil' Wayne which had lots of footage displaying exactly what Mike and Phil mentioned about his personality. I too wouldn't be able to stand more than an hour with the man. BUT does that matter? I also saw scenes of Lil' Wayne in session. He never writes down any of his lyrics, intuitively molds his lyrics by stream of conscious, hauls recording equipment with him everywhere so he can record on the spot, and when he's not recording listens to his own music to endlessly self-critique. I was impressed by how diligently and dedicated he is to his craft - talent and ambition just ooze from the man. I think he deserves all the fame and hype he's accomplished. He's a true story of a nobody that rose from the streets because of his persistence and commitment.
ReplyDeleteI agree not all the songs on the Carter 3 aren't amazing, but, being someone that hardly listens to rap, at least half the album reignited my interest in the genre.