Lil Wayne, Funeral | Album Review 💿

Lil Wayne has his share of moments (and bangers) on his surprise 2020 album, Funeral.  Even so, it could’ve benefited from some edits.

At one time, Grammy winner Lil Wayne was among hip-hop’s most popular rappers. Then, there was a five-year gap between his 2013 album, I Am Not a Human Being II and the highly anticipated, and much-delayed Tha Carter V.  Once Tha Carter V finally materialized in 2018, it had its fair share of moments.  That said, it didn’t have the same impact as Tha Carter IV, let alone the most high-profile entry in the series, Tha Carter III (2008).  The good news for Weezy fans is that he returns much sooner or later, dropping a surprise first album of 2020 with Funeral. Now, with a brand-new album from Tunechi, the question is, how does it stack up?

“Funeral”

✓ “Funeral” sets the tone for Funeral – who’d expect any less from the title track? The record commences with lush production (Rio and Kamo) that incorporates strings and keyboards. Eventually, on the verse following the slower intro, the production shifts, introducing a dramatic, hard-knocking beat and a number of colorful synths.  Lil Wayne showcases quite an agile, compelling flow, with rhymes depicting “your funeral” (not his, of course).  Weezy doesn’t lose his electrifying flow on follow-up ✓ “Mahogany,” which features Mannie Fresh and Sarcastic Sounds behind the boards.  From the jump, he’s on autopilot, making references not only to all things mahogany, but also drugs (pills, lean), 8 Mile, XXXTENTACION, and of course, drip.  This is a winner for Wayne because he raps over a loop, specifically, an interpolation of his own song, “Family Feud” (Dedication 6), which features its own fair share of interpolation.

“You niggas talkin’ too much shit / I’m about to find a good plumber…” Wow! “Mama Mia” finds Lil Wayne going absolutely H.A.M., period.  What fuels Tunechi’s fire? Sex quite frequently, but as always, Wayne throws a little bit of everything into the mix. The production by Some Randoms kicks some serious ass, specifically the cutting-edge synths.  Big Sean and Lil Baby are the first featured guests on Funeral. With Sean onboard, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the song is titled “I Do It”; he’s known for the phrase, of course. Charlie Handsome and Rex Kudo produce this respectable southern rap/trap banger that doesn’t move the needle, but definitely bangs, particularly the chorus:

“I don’t talk shit, bitch, I do it
They say, ‘All facts,’ but don’t prove shit
You in my way, need to move, bitch
Shut the fuck up, no excuses.”

“Dreams”

“I live the American dream, huh / Foreign everything, huh / I turn my scariest dreams, uh, into fairy wings / I don’t want beef, I just want green, that’s vegetarian dreams.” Sure Wayne, sure. On ✓ “Dreams,” he’s incredibly high-energy over the course of two verses, not to mention the fact he showcases his eccentric, idiosyncratic side. On the chorus, he’s melodic, aided by that gift that keeps on giving, autotune.  Continuing to sift through a variety of producers, this round, its One Love and Alex Delicata that provide the fuel for one of the best songs from Funeral.

“Stop Playin with Me” has a hard act to follow, but the always colorful rapper remains colorful.  His flow continues to be a selling point (even if it just sounds like he’s rapping random shit at times), as does the production (Chill Stump, Rivs On Da Beat, and Infamous), and the chorus:

“Stop playin’ with me, bitch, stop playin’ with me
Stop playin’ with me, bitch, it’s been a long time
For a long time
Time sure flies but it’s on a long flight
No, I don’t need airtime ‘cause I got hang time
You think it’s play time? Well bitch, it’s game time
And you gon’ stop playin’ with me
Stop playin’ with me, bitch, stop playin’ with me.”

“Clap for Em”

The bangers continue full throttle post-“Stop Playin with Me.” ✓ “Clap for Em” is classic Lil Wayne through and through, instantly perceptible given thee numerous interpolations within the production, and Weezy’s exuberant rhymes, “Shake that ass like a salt shaker.” “Clap for Em” is raunchy to the nth degree, particularly the second verse when the sexed-up MC asserts, “Pull that grande out my pants and grind it like Ariana / …I make her holla like a virgin Madonna, go soprano / … I eat it like a piranha, she got a tongue like iguana…”

Even better than “Clap” is the stellar ✓  🤩 “Bing James,” featuring Jay Rock, and featuring a super sick backdrop from Bijan Amir.  The synths are enigmatic, with a disturbed sensibility – perfect for Tunechi and Jay Rock to spit over.  Notably, this record references LeBron James and pays ode to the deceased, legendary Los Angeles Lakers guard, Kobe Bryant. Not only are we to’ up with “Yellow pill, purple drank,” but there’s an intentional 24 seconds of silence to close out the track, in memory of Black Mamba.  The aggressive “Not Me” follows, giving Weezy another trap banger, intact with ripe production (Streetrunner and Tarik Azzouz) and confident rhymes (“Yes, I’m stuntin’ on these niggas, let the opps see / Who gon’ pop me?”).  It’s good, but not as potent as “Bing James.”

“Trust Nobody”

Following some fine bangers, Lil Wayne changes the vibe on “Trust Nobody.” He trades rap collaborators for – wait for it – Adam Levine.  Does it work? “Trust Nobody” is respectable enough. Still, this is not a particularly distinct or elite cut.  Levine sounds okay, but the melody itself is so-so, and could use a bit more rhythm and lyrical depth honestly.  Furthermore, Weezy doesn’t exactly ‘knock it out of the park’ with his bars here.  He jumps right back into banger land with “Know You Know,” featuring 2 Chainz.  I can’t help but giggle when the ever-ridiculous 2 Chainz asserts, “I hit, but I can’t date you, baby / You on the side like a baked potato.” A baked potato – really? Of course, he also throws in fellatio for good measure… So does Wayne for that matter: “She swallow my bacterials…”

“Wild Dogs” is all about ballin’ – cliché. Even so, Lil Wayne manages to throw in plenty of memorable lines, that only he’d come up with. Two such lines occur on the chorus, including, “Bitch, I’m a dog, I turn to a werewolf / Got Sira fuckin’ Alexa” and “Look at it too hard, it’s gon’ bust your retina / With diamonds that’s covered like eczema.” Despite a clever lyric about eczema, ✓ “Harden” trumps “Wild Dogs,” mainly because it hearkens back to classic Wayne, backed by a soulful sample. It’s also pretty rad because (1) the song is named after NBA star James Harden and (2) talks about the Ls the rapper has taken regarding L-O-V-E.  “I feel like James Harden, you blocked my jumper, goddamn, Funeral.”

“I Don’t Sleep”

Where “Harden” was heavier and more soulful in sound, “I Don’t Sleep” (featuring Takeoff) is noticeably lighter.  It’s a nice contrast, even if “I Don’t Sleep” doesn’t stand out among the crème de la crème of Funeral.  “Sights and Silencers” slackens the pace, but even with the lush sounds (Blue Cheeze and Mike WiLL Made-It), it’s anchored by rhythmic, R&B-style drums.  The R&B style is certainly elevated by a guest appearance by The-Dream, who sounds more natural than the autotuned Weezy could ever sound here. If he hadn’t balled hard enough on “Bing James,” “Wild Dogs,” or even referencing the greatness of James Harden on “Harden,” Wayne drops the cliché “Ball Hard,” featuring Lil Twist.  Was it a necessary inclusion on Funeral? Nope, not in the least.

I suppose I could stand to update the list, 10 Songs That Feature Bastard in the Song Title, considering Lil Wayne has imparted “Bastard (Satan’s Kid)” upon us.  It’s a definite step above “Ball Hard,” as the rapper references his childhood, including his father, who he clearly dislikes (“Daddy used to treat my mama like they never made a kid / I’m Satan’s kid…”).  Another posthumous XXXTENTACION collaboration occurs on the dark, mentally loopy ✓ “Get Outta My Head.” Amplified by a wild chorus by XXX, and malicious, sketchy production by PRXZX, Wayne is, well, a nutcase – “Archie Bunker’s in my head, talkin’ bunkers in my head / Willy Wonka’s in my head / All this junk is in my head, then it sunk into my head.”

“Piano Trap” 

Ah, another missed opportunity.  “Piano Trap” would’ve been a prime candidate for 13 Entertaining Songs That Reference Musical Instruments.  Mannie Fresh delivers some excellent brassy production on this intense, druggy joint. Of course, the ‘piano’ doesn’t really factor in until part two. Of course, to be fair, on part one, keyboards deliver those malicious synths.  “Line Em Up” is another example of classic Weezy, spitting over a loop (think “A Milli” or “6 Foot 7 Foot”).  “Line Em Up” won’t win the prize for best banger on Funeral, but he rides the Murda Beatz production well.  The shortest banger of Funeral follows in “Darkside,” which lasts all of two-minutes-and-twenty seconds.  Regardless, Brandon “B Ham” Hamlin and Smurv stitch a hell of a canvas for Tunechi to paint upon.

“Never Mind” gives Funeral a change of pace, set in a major key, with more of a pop-oriented, melodic sound.  Lil Wayne continues to embrace autotune, delivering syrupy, love-centric vocals.  As has been the trend on this gigantic album, there’s another group of producers providing this total about-face from “Darkside” that precedes it. “T.O.” features the final collaboration of the album, O.T. Genesis.  It’s another B-A-N-G-E-R (MonstaBeatz), not to mention being another total about-face compared to “Never Mind.” As if we hadn’t had a heaping does of “Wayne’s World” on Funeral, well, it serves as the 24^th and final cut.

Final Thoughts 

As to be expected, Funeral has its worthwhile moments – Lil Wayne still has the ability to deliver a good banger (“Bing James” is an instant classic).  That said, not everything on Funeral is a surefire hit, and approaching 80 minutes in duration, the album is absolutely too damn long.  Sure, we wanted to hear from Weezy – he’s a treat.  Still, Funeral would’ve been more effective with a more focused track listing, well under an hour instead of well exceeding it. 24 tracks are a lot to sift through, and while it’s clear that we shouldn’t be prepared to bury Tunechi anytime soon, some edits would’ve gone a long way.

✓ Gems: “Funeral,” “Mahogany,” “Mama Mia,” “Dreams,” “Clap for Em,”  🤩 “Bing James,” “Harden” & “Get Outta My Head”

Lil Wayne • Funeral • Young Money • Release: 1.31.20

Photo Credit: Young Money