Lil Wayne, Tha Carter V | Album Review

Despite its incredibly delayed release, Grammy-winning southern rapper Lil Wayne exceeds expectations on the highly-anticipated ‘Tha Carter V.’

Five years. Yes, it has been five years since a new album arrived from Grammy-winning, New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne dropped an album (I Am Not a Human Being II, 2013).  Furthermore, it has been seven years since Weezy dropped an installment of his Tha Carter series (Tha Carter IV, 2011). Finally, after plenty of legal drama and beef with Birdman, Tha Carter V sees the light of day.  Honestly, as highly-anticipated as the long-awaiting project was, one had to wonder what the album would sound like.  Honestly, Tha Carter V ends up being much better than expected, with some memorable moments.

“I Love You Dwayne” 

Unlike Tha Carter IV, Lil Wayne doesn’t give us a ‘banging’ intro to salivate over.  Instead, he gives a loving message from his mother, Jacida Carter, about how proud she is of her son.  It is an authentic, thoughtful moment that eschews the excess and shallowness of rap. XXXTENTACION appears posthumously on the first full-length song, “Don’t Cry.” His emo-tinged alternative style of hip-hop is a perfect fit, even if the lyrics are limited.  “Don’t cry, don’t go / Won’t lie, I f**kin’ love you, whoa!” Weezy doesn’t do too shabby for himself, revisiting difficult situations in past, introspecting on life and fame.  All in all, a strong opening statement.

“I turned a goddamn into a God’s Plan.” Sigh, “Dedicate” finds a cockier and more confident Lil Wayne, delivering colorful, agile rhymes.  By ‘colorful,’ there’s plenty of profanity, of the ‘b’ and ‘s’ variety.  While Weezy isn’t being transcendent, he has the right to flex a little bit, and “Dedicate” is certainly enjoyable. He follows it up with “Uproar,” which features quintessential production courtesy of Swizz Beatz (along with Avenue).  What’s notable about this particular record is that it’s a pleasant throwback to the previous era of rap in the 00s.  Lil Tunechi’s flow is on-point.

“Let it Fly” 

“Let it Fly” pairs Lil Wayne with Travis Scott.  The results are about what you would expect from Travis Scott, who is drenched in various vocal effects.  He drops the chorus as well as the first verse which follows.  Unlike “Uproar,” the sound is very contemporary, idiomatic of the late 10s.  Finally, Weezy arrives after an overabundance of Scott.  As he has up until this point of Tha Carter V, he continues to ride the beat like the champ he is. “Can’t Be Broken” keeps things respectable, though the effects-heavy vocals on the chorus irk a wee bit.  Nonetheless, the self-proclaimed ‘Best Rapper Alive’ continues to make his case.

“Intergalactical love / The sky is falling, intergalactical, intergalactical love / And I’ll be waiting for you, for you, for you / On the dark side of the moon.” Nicki Minaj joins Lil Wayne on the R&B-infused, melodic rap of “Dark Side of the Moon.” While Weezy’s vocals are a bit sketchy, the vibes of this record make it a highlight.  Many times, Minaj is criticized for her singing vocals, but she sounds fabulous here, certainly eclipsing the slightly-faded sounding Wayne.  There are definitely times on her album Queen where you wish she sounded this strong.

“Mona Lisa” 

“I’ll buy the bitch that you’re feelin’ / ‘Cause you thought that she was an angel / That bitch ain’t no angel, I treat her halo like a frisbee.” The biggest attraction on Tha Carter V? There’s no contest.  It’s easily the narrative-driven “Mona Lisa,” featuring Kendrick Lamar. Lil Wayne goes plumb off – in the best way possible.  The bars are incredibly entertaining, despite the fact there is clear misogyny (would we expect any less from Tunechi?).  Before K-Dot even appears, Wayne slaughters, with one of the best flows of his career. Naturally, Lamar shines in his own right, serving up hella creative lyrics.

Following up “Mona Lisa” is daunting.  While “What About Me” featuring Sosamann is representative of contemporary, melodic rap, it doesn’t reach anywhere near the elite level of the ‘crowning achievement’ that precedes it. Still, hard to deny the romantic vibe.  “Open Letter” goes harder, featuring one lengthy verse, a refrain, and an outro by his mom.  To his credit, Weezy gets personal, even if comes in the form of “Just got off the phone with my daughter / Told her, ‘I won’t hesitate to f**k a young n***a up,’ Lord.” Speaking of his daughter, Reginae Carter sings on the chorus of “Famous,” where her father, pop-rapping, reminisces on becoming famous, while denouncing it. “And may my Hall of Fame speech be short and sweet / Like, ‘Thank God, f**k fame, and thank me.’” The collaboration is pretty sweet.

“Problems” 

After the sweetness of “Famous,” Lil Wayne comes back hard on banger “Problems.” Safe to say, Zaytoven sets up Weezy for incredible success, with the malicious, minor-key backdrop. Even better is “Dope N***az,” which brings an ‘OG’ aboard – Snoop Dogg.  The south and the West coast make pretty sweet music together. “Hittas” memorably excerpts an interview Weezy had with David Letterman, finding the rapper objectifying a hot girl… unsurprising. Throughout this ‘shooters’ record, the rapper has plenty of colorful moments, with few more colorful than “N***a, I’m a ass with that semi, call me semicolon.” What?!

“Took His Time” is a more reflective moment for Lil Wayne. That isn’t to say he isn’t true to self – “All your bitches in the done zone, all my bitches in the fun zone / Swallowin’ all my un-borns, say it taste like a love song” – but, he has fair share of moments.  “Open Safe” brings DJ Mustard into the fold behind the boards, representative of the times. Depth certainly isn’t the M.O., but #banger status is undeniable. The Mannie Fresh-produced “Start this Shit Off Right” features Ashanti and Mack Maine.  This is a groovy, R&B-infused rap joint that samples the 2Pac classic, “All Eyez on Me”.

“Demon” 

The soulful, gospel-tinged “Demon” is among Lil Wayne’s better moments on Tha Carter V, fueled by a The Crowns of Glory sample.  Maybe the biggest flaw is that it appears late into a lengthy album. Beyond “Demon,” there’s nothing particularly messy about “Mess,” other than the various feelings and things that the rapper describes as being “a mess.” His flow remains effective, as does his pop-rap approach here. A catchy chorus doesn’t hurt the cause either:

“‘Cause my days is a mess
My nights is a mess, my life is a mess
My life is a mess
My life is a mess of happiness
Lust, sex, obsession, desire with no love,
But fuck it, more one’s, my bae is a mess.” 

“Dope New Gospel” is an accurate title, fueled by a sample of the Grammy-nominated contemporary gospel record, “Never Would’ve Made It” by Marvin Sapp. Interestingly, the gospel-tinged number features Nivea, the former fiancé of Lil Wayne and mother of one of his children.  Nivea ‘had a run,’ albeit brief, but this certainly marks her most high-profile feature in some time.

“Perfect Strangers”

Mannie Fresh is behind the boards once more on the smooth, rhythmic melodic rap of “Perfect Strangers.” Expectedly, he’s on his ‘lovey-dovey’ here, recalling past flings that ultimately didn’t yield ‘love.’ “Used 2” definitely doesn’t necessarily shine as much as the best cuts that appear earlier on Tha Carter V, but he definitely still packs a punch.  His most effective, memorable lines? “I feel like Ivan Drago lil bitch, and if he dies, he dies.” “Let it All Work Out” concludes Tha Carter V, featuring uncredited vocals by Sampha.

Final Thoughts 

All in all, there’s lots to like about Tha Carter V.  Lil Wayne certainly didn’t fall-off between I Am Not a Human Being II and Tha Carter V. Is Tha Carter V as good as the other installments? No, but it’s pretty impressive nonetheless.  While everything doesn’t necessarily work, and the record is overstuffed at an hour-and-a-half, nothing totally kills the vibe. Like many lengthy albums, the end cuts naturally get underrated, despite offering their own fair share of goodness.

Gems: “Don’t Cry,” “Dark Side of the Moon,” “Mona Lisa,” “Famous,” “Problems” & “Dope Niggaz”

Lil Wayne • Tha Carter V • Young Money • Release: 9.28.18

Photo Credit: Young Money