Wayne's got Lil' skills

Tha Carter was supposed to be Lil' Wayne's vehicle for introspection into his old hood. The title references the building he grew up in, and Wayne's supposed goal was to take listeners back to his formative stomping grounds. \nThe idea of taking a well-needed break from bling raps and getting rich off declaring how rich he and his Cash Money constituents are is a good one. Unfortunately, this "back to the hood" theme doesn't go much further than the first track and an interlude or two. \nMannie Fresh is one of commercial rap's top producers, and as is the case with most Cash Money artists, he contributes most of the beats on Tha Carter. However, he's better at producing singles than LPs. While the set mostly misses, "This Is the Carter," "Snitch" and "Hoes" are highlights of Fresh's production. Also, since Wayne usually raps about one of a handful of topics ranging from money to the girls he gets with his money, they are the hottest tracks on the album. \nCash Money sells records off its flash and flair, not hip-hop credibility. Easily the most outlandish statement on Tha Carter is Wayne's declaration at the end of the first single, "Bring It Back," in which he states, "Best rapper alive since the best rapper retired," referring to Jay-Z's recent retirement. The funniest thing about this statement is that it doesn't even rhyme.