Spring Break
CD Review: Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne
Grant Snider
Issue date: 8/18/08 Section: Culture
Back when Lil Wayne was really lil', he was in a rap group called the Hot Boys. Nearly a decade ago, I watched their inanely catchy video on MTV, or maybe it was BET.
"Whatchoo want boy?"
"I want a hot girl."
"Whatchoo need boy?"
"I need a hot girl."
I've forgotten a lot of things since middle school, but that song still sticks in my head.
I also remember an eigth grade dance where the DJ played "Back That 'Thang' Up," the clean version of Juvenile's mega-hit. Subverting the radio edit, everyone would yell "ASS!" midchorus, as in: "You'se a big fine woman, won't you back that 'ASS!' up."
I joined in gleefully, reaching the peek of adolescent coolness. Unbeknownst to my teenage self, Lil Wayne had a guest verse on that song.
Since then, Lil Wayne, a.k.a. Dwayne Carter, Jr., has matured into one of the most relevant and unique voices in hip hop.
"Tha Carter III," released in June, completes a trilogy of critically and commercially successful albums. Unless, of course, he opts to expand the trilogy in the fashion of fellow space cadet George Lucas.
Though his sound is rooted in Southern hip hop, there's an extraterrestrial element to "Tha Carter III." Lil Wayne references E.T. and claims to be a Martian. His laid-back and occasionally bizarre delivery echoes self-professed ATLiens OutKast. Meanwhile, T-Pain provides robotic hooks - computer-altered melodies courtesy of pitch-correction software.
Lil Wayne's polished club jams have propelled "Tha Carter III" to double platinum status. Perhaps intentionally, the singles are unabashed pop radio fodder: "A Milli" is annoying, "Lollipop" is cariogenic, and "Got Money" is conventional, with a nod to last summer's blockbuster single - Rihanna's "Umbrella."
The album's best tracks are exercises in classic B-boy posturing. Though less grind-worthy, they allow Lil Wayne to flex his massive lyrical biceps.
Set to an old school David Axelrod sample and cardiac life support beeps, Lil Wayne enacts a resuscitation of the hip hop genre on "Dr. Carter." The earnest jazz beat calls to mind A Tribe Called Quest, while at one point the lyrics borrow a Kanye West couplet.
"Now hey kids, I graduated/and you get through anything if Magic made it."
It's "recyclin'," not "bitin'," Dr. Carter explains a moment after the lifted Kanye line. I may be mishearing, but I think he even rhymes "yeast infection" with "geese erection." For some crazy reason, it works.
On "Mr. Carter," Lil Wayne feels "big-not in the sense of gaining weight," and nimbly complains about being hated on by everyone, including the four seasons.
"I call them April babies - 'cause they fools." The song, like the entire album, is packed with similar instances of irresistible cleverness. An uninspiring guest verse from Jay-Z all-but confirms Wayne's boasts. If he can out-rhyme the former king of hip hop, who else is there to dethrone?
gsnider@unews.com
"Whatchoo want boy?"
"I want a hot girl."
"Whatchoo need boy?"
"I need a hot girl."
I've forgotten a lot of things since middle school, but that song still sticks in my head.
I also remember an eigth grade dance where the DJ played "Back That 'Thang' Up," the clean version of Juvenile's mega-hit. Subverting the radio edit, everyone would yell "ASS!" midchorus, as in: "You'se a big fine woman, won't you back that 'ASS!' up."
I joined in gleefully, reaching the peek of adolescent coolness. Unbeknownst to my teenage self, Lil Wayne had a guest verse on that song.
Since then, Lil Wayne, a.k.a. Dwayne Carter, Jr., has matured into one of the most relevant and unique voices in hip hop.
"Tha Carter III," released in June, completes a trilogy of critically and commercially successful albums. Unless, of course, he opts to expand the trilogy in the fashion of fellow space cadet George Lucas.
Though his sound is rooted in Southern hip hop, there's an extraterrestrial element to "Tha Carter III." Lil Wayne references E.T. and claims to be a Martian. His laid-back and occasionally bizarre delivery echoes self-professed ATLiens OutKast. Meanwhile, T-Pain provides robotic hooks - computer-altered melodies courtesy of pitch-correction software.
Lil Wayne's polished club jams have propelled "Tha Carter III" to double platinum status. Perhaps intentionally, the singles are unabashed pop radio fodder: "A Milli" is annoying, "Lollipop" is cariogenic, and "Got Money" is conventional, with a nod to last summer's blockbuster single - Rihanna's "Umbrella."
The album's best tracks are exercises in classic B-boy posturing. Though less grind-worthy, they allow Lil Wayne to flex his massive lyrical biceps.
Set to an old school David Axelrod sample and cardiac life support beeps, Lil Wayne enacts a resuscitation of the hip hop genre on "Dr. Carter." The earnest jazz beat calls to mind A Tribe Called Quest, while at one point the lyrics borrow a Kanye West couplet.
"Now hey kids, I graduated/and you get through anything if Magic made it."
It's "recyclin'," not "bitin'," Dr. Carter explains a moment after the lifted Kanye line. I may be mishearing, but I think he even rhymes "yeast infection" with "geese erection." For some crazy reason, it works.
On "Mr. Carter," Lil Wayne feels "big-not in the sense of gaining weight," and nimbly complains about being hated on by everyone, including the four seasons.
"I call them April babies - 'cause they fools." The song, like the entire album, is packed with similar instances of irresistible cleverness. An uninspiring guest verse from Jay-Z all-but confirms Wayne's boasts. If he can out-rhyme the former king of hip hop, who else is there to dethrone?
gsnider@unews.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 2
steve
posted 8/19/08 @ 5:21 PM CST
I love weezy but the fact that you even compared him to jay-z is absurd, and u made it even worse by saying Jay was out rhymed. On that song it goes without saying that jay-z destroyed wayne his flow was dope and his opening lines were ill jay is infinitely better than wayne simply due to his ability to actually rhyme about substancial issues secondly jay-z doesnt go off on retarded (but still interesting and sick) tangents simply to put together a rhyme. (Continued…)
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