Lil Wayne, 'Tha Carter III' (Cash Money/Universal Motown)
Is he the next 2Pac or Biggie? Who the f--k cares?
By Charles Aaron 07.10.08 12:11 PM
Whether you love, hate, or can even decipher Dwayne Michael Carter's platinum-plus sixth "official" album (mix tapes excluded), you gotta cop to what it represents. Lil Wayne (a.k.a. Weezy, Weezy F. Baby, Lil Weezyana, Young Money, Young Carter, Weezy Wee, et al.) is the purest product of the most transformative, chaos-inducing man-made disasters of the 21st century -- New Orleans, hip-hop, and the Internet.
A proud parasite feeding off our finest, ingeniously mongrelized artistic impulses, darkest, short-selling, capitalistic shell games and primal, do-me-now! desires, this tiny vulgarian griot talks more shit about our confounding times than anyone in pop culture. Never has such a gifted MC been more motivated and distracted, piercing and random, clear-eyed and stoned into total bewildering oblivion. Who can't relate?
He vulnerably tears at your heart on the Katrina-mourning "Tie My Hands," artfully stalks and probes Kanye West's rhythmic boom on "Let the Beat Build," and chillingly confronts his own faults on the sprawling "Shoot Me Down." But then he idiotically compares himself to Martin Luther King and screams, "Assassinate me, bitch!" and almost ruins the mesmerizing minimalist stutter of "a Milli" by drooling (no!), "We pop 'em like Orville Redenbacher."
Dazzlingly flawed, Tha Carter III isn't an album to grade (see above) -- it's one to bang insanely all summer, and not try to understand. It's that kinda year.
man, i had to create an account just to comment on this LAZY ass review. no stars? that's a cop out, bro. this is arguably the most important record of the year and you say it's "not an album to grade"? nonsense. you know how this works, the idiots who trust you see no stars and likely won't bother even reading til the end where you basically argue that it is, in fact, a 5 star album by saying, "...it's one to bang insanely all summer, and try not to understand." you're scared, dude. give the f'in record and wayne the props they deserve. lazy ass journalism. that's embarrassing.
I couldn't agree more with JustForThisComment. How can you not review this album? Is it because it's hip-hop? I know you guys are real busy worrying about Radiohead and Nirvana box-sets but you're ignoring a whole genre that isn't going away - despite your narrow-minded views. Tha Carter III is ridiculous, great, confusing and stimulating. There are some unbelievable tracks and some truly ludicrous ones. The bottom line is exactly what JustForThisComment stated: this review is a cop out. God forbid you give a hip-hop album a legitimate review.
I registered just to laugh at the poster who says this is the most important record of the year.
Evidently someone isn't aware that Nas has an album out (which has leaked on the Internet) and it's better than anything Weezy can EVER create.
I'm so sick of people dick riding Weezy and his untalented ass. Since when did stealing other artists lyrics (2 Pac, Notorious Big, Musiq Soul Child and Aaliyah) make you a hot artist?
Lil Wayne is exactly what is WRONG with hip hop. Meanwhile actual talented artist with an actual message (Talib Kweli, The Roots, Pharoahe Monch, Mos Def, Common, Kidz in The Hall etc.) get over looked because they don't make music strictly for radio play.
Seriously, is it necessary for Wayne to use vocal effects on damn near every song He does these days? Who does He think He is Cher?
So while other may lambaste you for the 0 star review and deem it lazy, I for one deem it a fitting grade.
lancegoodthrust u must be out ur damn mind to talk shit about the album that sold more than miraiah carrey and madonna combined!!!!! tell u what...if Nas' NiG**R sells anywhere close to this,good for him, hes doin tha damn thing then. but u r mistaken i think!~Wayne says it best in the a milli freemix "men lie,women lie, numbers don't, so i moved out of my condo and into the bank vault...record sales!" "mad rappers look on the bright side, i sold 1.5 Hip hop is alive!"-PhOnE HoMe
Our reviewer was a little yellow-bellied in withholding a definite opinion, but I understand his not wanting to give a "concrete" review. I keep reading 5-star reviews of this album and wondering, "Did we listen to the same thing?" Harsher reviews perhaps take the album too seriously and don't value the lyrical randomness that Lil Wayne appears to embrace as a trademark of sorts. Mr. Aaron may have been stuck between a 5-star bandwagon review rock and the hard place of a tougher criticism. This album's undeniable commercial importance and ambiguous musical worth are puzzling when considered together, and Aaron's review serves as a way of admitting he really doesn't know what to think, and that's perfectly okay.
anyone can use vocal software, and be so wasted they forget all the words to their song....I think amy winehouse and lil wayne are 2 p's in a pod....oh yeah...kid rock is in there too...
most important record of the year? what? are you sure its not nkotb, because weezy is kind of a knob. if anyone bases there critique of an album off someone elses, your a follower and followers dont get far now-a-days as far as listening to the album, i did, i should have donated that time to charity....you know what they say..numbers dont lie, so lets all go buy a barry manilow album
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