Rapper releases first full-length since 2008, fulfilling all expectations for fans
Hey Mr. Carter, tell us, where have you been?
It’s been three long years since Lil Wayne dropped “Tha Carter III” on us in 2008, and since then, fans rabid with Weezy fever have been forced to sustain themselves on flaky albums like “I am Not a Human Being,” guest spots, a handful of hit singles and the aptly named “Sorry 4 the Wait” mixtape released this past July.
Of course, Weezy’s hands have also been full turning up the careers of mega Young Money protégées Drake and Nicki Minaj. Oh yeah, and there was that whole jail stint on Rikers Island. But now Tunechi’s back and all we can say is: hello Weezy, welcome home.
After various delays and scraps, a digital version of “Tha Carter IV” was released at midnight (although the album had already leaked online the previous Wednesday) following Wayne’s performance at the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 28.
Starting in late 2010, Wayne slowly began dripping out singles from “Tha Carter IV,” with “6 Foot 7 Foot” being the first in a slew of smash singles to hit airwaves.
Easily one of the most infectious tracks on the album, “6 Foot” toes the line between old school hype and futuristic flavor, laying out Wayne’s signature amped up flow over Harry Belafonte’s classic “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song).”
“You know I’mma ball ‘til they turn off the field lights / The fruits of my labor, I enjoy ‘em while they still ripe,” Weezy spits out over a beat laden with heavy bass and steady, clap-happy rhythm.
The second single to be released from “Tha Carter IV,” “John,” debuted to equal success on the charts despite the fact its main hook borrows from guest rapper Rick Ross’ previously released “I’m Not a Star” from the “Teflon Don” album.
Laid out over a heavy rolling beat that just won’t quit, Wayne interjects slices of spacey electronica that give “John” an almost supernatural vibe, proving that if Weezy owned his own spaceship (which, let’s face it, he probably will someday) it would probably be just as tricked out as this track. Slowing down on a few tracks, Wayne shows his more sensitive side, trying his hand at the heartfelt rather than the hard life. One such cut is “Nightmares of the Bottom,” which takes a darker dig into Wayne’s sentimentality about the rap game and his fears of losing his crown as “the best rapper alive.” This admission, a rare moment for Wayne, is delivered over a mixture of plinking, rich piano and a percussion thick with drum snaps and synth: “Now I’m looking in my rear view, I see the world in it / I try to slow down and I get rear ended / Pause! Like a red light, I’m dead right! / Highway to Heaven, God do you see my headlights?”
Although “Carter IV” does not take as many risks as fans might expect for the amount of time Weezy funneled into it, he does hit his stride on “MegaMan,” a throwback to Wayne’s old days of spitting fresh lyrics fast with barely a moment to breathe in between.
Just over three minutes long, “MegaMan” is a straight synthed-up hailstorm of Wayne’s trademark ego bravado (“I see no future in fronting I be stunting hard / Rap game dependent on me like a bungee cord”) mixed with his signature couplets seemingly pulled straight out from under his fitted (“I’m a diamond in the rough like a baby in the trash”). Sure, it’s quick and it’s dirty, but this is exactly what fans have grown to love about Tunechi: the man is quick on his feet, even if what he says only sounds dope when he says it.
Oddly enough, some of the “Tha Carter IV’s” biggest gems come from the most unexpected places.
The “Interlude,” featuring brilliant guest spots by Tech N9ne and Andre 3000, is one of the brightest spots on the album, even without a noticeable silence from Weezy himself. “President Carter” is also one of the more notable cuts, with Wayne tightening up the screws and rapping about himself as the leader of the free world over an eerie plucking harp and a brief sample from former president Jimmy Carter’s inauguration.
All in all, “Tha Carter IV” does not reveal any major surprises as a follow-up to “Carter III.” But it’s still a great album worthy of adding to your Lil Wayne collection.
Though the new Weezy, sobered up after time at Rikers, may be a little unfamiliar to some fans, he still delivers an album pulsating with flow and he’s still got the same heart for the game as the old Weezy F Baby.