More than a mixtape

After a slow start to his solo career, Lil Wayne exploded into superstardom with his Tha Carter albums. Since Tha Carter was released in 2004, Weezy has been all over the place – delivering verses in numerous hit singles, dropping rhymes on mixtapes, etc. – to cement himself as one of the most critically received MCs of his generation. The third installment of Tha Carter series has been delayed numerous times over the past 18 months due to leaks – Wayne even released an EP called The Leak in late 2007 to usurp this, but after recording some more tracks, III has finally made its way to shelves.

This new album isn’t Weezy’s best overall effort of his career, but it comes damn close. Although he fills the album with tracks from point of views of martians and doctors, and a 10-minute diatribe about Al Sharpton, it veers on uneven at points.
But the thing is, when Lil Wayne lets loose with his crazy self, no one’s better. Tracks like “Got Money,” “3 Peat,” and “Phone Home” are fantastic. “Phone Home” sees Weezy flow from the point of view of an alien, and although it’s teetering on insane, it’s impossible not to get caught up in its genius. “Got Money” features T-Pain, which automatically means that it will be bumping in the clubs and on the airwaves
for months.

The standout track here is “Mr. Carter,” featuring Jay-Z. The track is epic – something you don’t see too often in hip-hop – including great-as-usual deliveries from Wayne and Jigga, as well as strong momentum that builds into a crescendo with a choir and handclaps. Simply awesome.

However, pretty rough cuts like “A Milli,” “Comfortable” and “Tie My Hands” fail handily, mostly due to lackluster beats or a decelerated flow from Weezy. They aren’t awful, but considering the source, there’s a handful of disappointing tracks.

Since he’s delivered numerous quality leaks and mixtapes since his last true album, Lil Wayne can be forgiven for the small missteps on Tha Carter III. For the most part, the album is superb, but not quite, “greatest of all time” good.