After a long wait, Lil Wayne has finally released his highly anticipated album “Tha Carter V.” During the early parts of his career, he was considered to be one of the best rappers in the game. Now the tides have turned, with his last couple of releases being subpar at best. However, with recent features with A$ap Rocky and Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne has gained a lot more interest.
Does “Tha Carter V” live up to expectations or is this another example that Wayne has really fallen off the rap game?
"Tha Carter V" is a really good album, but it does have some big flaws that cannot be ignored. One being the duration of the album. The 24 tracks are too long for an album, especially these days where most hip-hop albums are roughly 13-14 tracks.
Songs like “Mess,” “Start This S**t Off Right,” “What About Me” and “Dope New Gospel” really overwhelm the album with the same kind of sound. Lil Wayne is also not at his best when he tries to sing in autotune and it really shows on this album. It sounds like he is forcing it more than letting it flow on the song.
Besides these negatives, Lil Wayne delivered a great piece of work. “Don’t Cry” starts the album featuring XXXTentacion.
This song talks about the harsh situations Lil Wayne has been through and pays homage to his mom by saying “don’t cry” which she does before this track comes on.
XXXTentacion really shines on this track, displaying emotion and meshing well with the beat of the song. Then Lil Wayne comes in with his play on words like he normally does, especially when he says “I want a triple extension on my motherf***in’ afterlife / Rest in paradise.“ The line pays tribute to the fallen rapper XXXTentacion. This song is definitely a good opener and it sets the mood for what is to come.
“Uproar” is an interesting track with Obama having a dialogue in the intro. Then the beat, which sounds really good, kicks in. It pays homage G-Deps’ single “Special Delivery,” which also birthed the Harlem Shake dance.
His lyrics on the song are okay; nothing to get excited about, but he does flow very well on the track. This song is definitely going to go over well on the radio and in clubs.
“Mona Lisa” shows the lyrical talent of Lil Wayne and Kendrick Lamar with a dramatic hip-hop beat. This song talks about the two artists being “played” by a girl, with her smile reminding them of the Mona Lisa painting.
Lil Wayne takes the approach of the guy she is cheating on her boyfriend with. During this time, Lil Wayne presents some funny dialogue like “They started French kissing so he didn’t see moi.”
Lamar Kendrick takes the boyfriend's perspective as he ends up finding out about Wayne through the girl's ringtone. He then raps like he’s hurt and crying, which is something he normally doesn’t do. “Mona Lisa” is definitely the best song on this album from the storytelling to the beat.
“Dark Side of the Moon” is a decent track with Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. This is Wayne tapping into his R&B-type flow. He does a decent job far as singing, but it is definitely not his best work. The best part of this song is when he and Nicki Minaj start harmonizing together. It sounds really great with the beat.
“Used 2” is another great song that shows Lil Wayne's versatility in his lyricism and his punchlines. He says things like “Shoot ya in ya head, give ya ass three eyes/ And you still ain’t seen a f***ing thing until you C5.” The bass on this song is also really amazing.
Overall, “Tha Carter V” is good and it does have its moments, but with the duration and some overwhelming songs, it falls a little flat. 3.5/5
