After a seven-year break, Lil Wayne has revived the ‘Tha Carter’ series with its sixth installment, which is at times inconsistent, but generally enjoyable and well-executed.
“This is Tha Carter, a lot more rich, and a whole lot smarter!”
These words, spoken back in 2004, marked the beginning of the Tha Carter series, with 22-year-old Lil Wayne set to transition from being part of the Hot Boys entourage to establishing himself as a prominent solo artist. From this point forward, listeners were bound to have “Wayne in ya brain” regularly.
The Tha Carter series has continued to captivate audiences over the years – its third installment, released in 2008, remains the most recent rap album to sell 1 million copies in its first week. However, public interest in the series has dwindled in recent years, now that seven years have passed since the last release and its 42-year-old artist seems to be testing his luck in the traditionally youth-centric hip-hop scene.
Undeterred by skeptics, Weezy F. Baby returns with Tha Carter VI, eager to showcase the vocal and lyrical prowess he has been celebrated for. After a brief vocal absence during the album's intro, “King Carter,” he jumps back into the spotlight on “Welcome to the Carter,” affirming his sustained influence in the rap industry. “I still eat the rappers, I hear they appetizers,” he proclaims. “You throw Weezy on a beat, you throwin’ gas on fire.” That beat, crafted by his longtime sound engineer Ohnel, becomes one of the album's most luxurious. Featuring a possibly AI-generated singer delivering an inspiring chorus – “Welcome to Tha Carter, where dreams never die” – Tha Carter VI begins on a strong note.
There’s bound to be some filler throughout the hour-long album. Critiques and online discussions haven’t favored “Peanuts 2 N Elephant,” for example. Although Weezy's nod to Weezer on “Island Holiday” turns out slightly better than expected, it doesn’t exactly showcase Mr. Carter’s finest work.
Nevertheless, there is a significant amount of quality content to enjoy. Lil Wayne often raps about sweets and frequently collaborates with 2 Chainz, and this tried-and-true formula proves successful once more on “Cotton Candy,” one of the album's standout tracks, where both rappers embody a youthful club lifestyle (“On more white than Ovechkin, walked in the strip club, spent more Washingtons than a Redskin”). The jazzy saxophone loop adds a nice touch, and it’s refreshing to hear Wayne create a beat that pays homage to the musical style of his hometown, New Orleans.
Lil Wayne is known for his eclectic choice of guest artists, and this time he features an impressive lineup. One might wonder why 65-year-old Bono of U2 appears on a hip-hop album, but recalling his previous collaboration with Kendrick Lamar makes “The Days” an interesting listen. “Maria” features guest artists including Wyclef Jean, who has extensive hip-hop experience, and Andrea Bocelli, a tenor singer with almost none, bringing together Wayne’s agile and multi-syllabic rhymes (“hold on to me rosary, I’m keeping it close me, working my sorcery”) to hold the experimental track together.
After experimenting with various styles, Lil Wayne shifts to a more conventional approach for the final tracks on the album. Mannie Fresh, the DJ who contributed to the first Tha Carter album, makes a triumphant return on “Bein Myself,” where Wayne raps with vigor over one of Tha Carter VI's best beats. He maintains enough energy for the album’s closing track, “Written History,” which essentially echoes the sentiment of 2005’s “Best Rapper Alive” from Tha Carter II, now backed by two decades of achievements.
In conclusion, Tha Carter VI turns out to be a mixed bag of memorable and less memorable moments – not surprising, given that many Lil Wayne albums, both within and outside the Tha Carter series, could be described in similar terms. Yet, it’s still worthwhile to sift through this grab bag for the chance to find instances where Weezy showcases his lasting strengths as a rapper.
The Roman numeral in the album’s title reflects its overall rating out of 10.
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© Cécile Boko
an album by Lil Wayne
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Following a seven-year break, Lil Wayne has reintroduced the 'Tha Carter' series with its sixth installment, which is sometimes uneven but overall enjoyable and well-produced.