208. Lil Wayne, "Tha Carter III"

 


By the time this album came out in 2008, Lil Wayne was already famous; he had been signed to Cash Money when he was TWELVE YEARS OLD and this was his sixth album.  It was an instant hit, sold a million copies the first week it was out, and with good reason: this album is a fucking BLAST, a ton of fun, and an incredible showcase for Weezy's weird and wonderful flow.

The second single, "A Milli," is a great example of what's going on here.  There's a sampled voice repeating the song title, serving as the de facto backbeat, and then Wayne's crazy, syrupy, twisty voice, slinging verses one on top of the other:

They say I'm rapping like B.I.G, Jay, and 2Pac
André 3000, where is Erykah Badu at? Who that?
Who that said they gon' beat Lil' Wayne?
My name ain't Bic, but I keep that flame, man
Who that one that do that boy, you knew that, true that, swallow
And I be the shit, now you got loose bowels
I don't O U like two vowels
But I would like for you to pay me by the hour
And I'd rather be pushing flowers
Than to be in the pen sharing showers
Tony told us this world was ours
And the Bible told us every girl was sour

This is not the only nod to other artists to be had here.  The next song, "Got Money," a big, orchestral song with T-Pain in his autotuned glory, has a break where Wayne does the hook from Rihanna's "Umbrella."  "Dr. Carter," in which Wayne plays the role of a rap doctor struggling mightily to save these other terrible rappers, again mentions Andre 3000, along with Kanye and Swizz Beatz and, what the hell, Vince Young, onetime quarterback of the Titans.  It's also kinda hilarious:

Ok, let me put my gloves on and my scrubs on
Dr. Carter to the rescue, excuse me if I'm late
But like a thief it takes time to be this great
Ha! so just wait, your style is a disgrace
Your rhymes are fifth place and I'm just grace
One, uno, ace and I'm trying to make your heart beat like bass
But you're sweet like cake and I come to fix
Whatever you shall break, where is your originality
You are so fake so picture me like a gallery

Speaking of hilarious, I heartily encourage you to enjoy "Mrs. Officer," a song quite literally about fucking the police.  It's extremely dirty, of course, but also very funny ("Ha ha... and after we got done/I said lady what's ya number she said 911").

And then in the midst of all the rollicking fun, there's "Tie My Hands," a soft and deeply personal song about Wayne's hometown of New Orleans and Katrina and the inequities that were laid plan by that cataclysm.  (Guest vocal by Robin Thicke, which is, well, whatever.)

Suffice it to say that Lil Wayne has more than lived up to his rep; his Wikipedia page has lengthy sections on "Legal Issues" and "Feuds."  Any time you're described in the Village Voice as "drug-gobbling," you know your reputation precedes you.  Nevertheless, this album is a ride, and it was undoubtedly a fun listen.

Does this album deserve to be in the Top 500? Yeah.

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