On September 28, Tha Carter V dropped after over five years of push-backs and changes. The fifth installment in Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter series, the album was more than just a set of new songs for Tunechi and his fans. Lil Wayne had been help captive by his label after disputes with Birdman, Cash Money Records President and once Wayne’s mentor. It took almost half a decade of ownership disputes, lawsuits, and other court issues for Lil Wayne to gain ownership of his portion of the label, Young Money, as well as the rights to release albums under it once again. With this decision coming earlier in 2018, Tha Carter V was at long last able to be released, as well as future albums under now parent company Universal. But exactly how good is Tha Carter V? Could it possibly live up to the years of hype it had behind it?
To begin with, the record boasts a hefty 23 songs adding up to almost 90 minutes of material. Keeping an album at consistent good quality at this length is almost impossible, and it probably ended up this long due to the amount of time Wayne had been working on it. For example, the album, which began production around 2012, features artists Travis Scott, who began his first mixtapes in late 2013, and XXXTENTACION, who came to popularity in 2016. With so many different sounds, styles, and beats changing so quickly in the last 10 years, the record itself can seem a little bit jumbled at times, making it an awkward listen all the way through. Referring back to the length, however, I was happily surprised at the quality in most of these songs despite the runtime.
Tracks like “Dedicate”, “Uproar”, and “Hittas” showcase Lil Wayne’s lyrical ability perfectly, showing he’s just as talented as he was back in his prime. Boombat beats, complex flows, and witty wordplay highlight these tracks and set the tone for the entire record of “Wayne is back”. However, Wayne is able to tone down the energy into some great slower tracks as well. “Can’t Be Broken”, “Open Letter”, “Took His Time”, and “Let It All Work Out” among others spill out the troubles of Wayne’s mind, telling tales of his past, present, and worries for the future. For those who may believe the jokes that Wayne’s lyrics are dumbed down and simplistic, these cuts will prove otherwise. He raps about self-doubt, family struggles, and God with engaging storytelling, the pain and passion almost dripping from his lips. On the note of stories, Wayne does incredible on “Mona Lisa” with Kendrick Lamar, rapping the tale of a girl that he soon realizes is cheating on her boyfriend (Lamar) with him. The song is delivered almost like a book, with Wayne and Kendrick’s wordplay being so creative it’s impossible to ignore.
So how good is this album? While there are certainly some weaker cuts and many different styles that Wayne jumps on without always succeeding, I would say that the majority of songs on Tha Carter V are good if not great. For Wayne fans, this album is a must-listen and a great addition to the The Carter series, as it does not disappoint. For the casual music-listener, I believe there is enough on this record to get a rough idea of what Lil Wayne’s music is generally like. But to truly get the full picture, I’d recommend starting with the classics like Tha Carter II and III.
Favorite Tracks: Uproar, Used 2, Let It All Work Out, Perfect Strangers, Dedicate
I was happy when I heard the news that this album finally dropped. I admire this blog because it gives the audience insight on new music and can open doors for albums to grow on people. Sometimes it takes awhile for people to like songs but if they have something like this to read, it speeds up the process.
I’ve never been into rap music, but now I’m interested in listening to some of this album. I wasn’t aware of the struggles Lil Wayne has faced in the past five years, and I’m interested to see how the different styles changed over the course of that time. Though don’t really listen to rap, my brother does, and I will certainly recommend it to him!