Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne: Tha Carter IIITha Carter III (2008)
Universal Music Group

Reviewer Rating: 4

User Rating:

Contributed by: AnchorsAnchors
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on November 28th 2008Meet Dwayne Carter. The man who, by most accounts, is supposed to be the savior of hip-hop. That's a mighty weight on the shoulders of the man from New Orleans. While Nas makes albums about how hip-hop is dead and Joe Budden is indicting everyone responsible, the self-proclaimed best rapper al.

Meet Dwayne Carter.

The man who, by most accounts, is supposed to be the savior of hip-hop.

That's a mighty weight on the shoulders of the man from New Orleans. While Nas makes albums about how hip-hop is dead and Joe Budden is indicting everyone responsible, the self-proclaimed best rapper alive spends his days, nights and holidays in the studio. If nothing else could be said about the man they call Lil Wayne, it's that he's got an undeniable passion. A passion for hip-hop, a passion for music -- a passion for creating.

With all of this comes scrutiny, and expectation. And with every pushed-back release date of Tha Carter III, the scrutiny and expectation grew. So is this latest edition of The Carter the classic the hip-hop world was pining for?

In short, no. Wayne's inability to produce a classic with Tha Carter III can be directly correlated to his two greatest assets as an artist: ambition and creativity. Weezy F. Baby injects an unabashedly creative spirit to everything from his lyrics and flow to beat selection. No major label hip-hop release in 2008 takes more chances. Some of those chances hit the mark and hit it directly, while others will leave listeners wondering.

The good news is that more songs hit the mark than not, and that's because Wayne knows enough to start with his bread and butter. The metaphors and slick punchlines that have garnered myraid accolades are front and center on "Mr. Carter," a laid-back exercise in wit that features the other Carter. Sean, that is, or Jay-Z, as he's widely known. The two heavy-hitters trade bars, but it's the hip-hop veteran and Jay-Z that shows Wayne up with witty lines and complicated rhymes schemes ("I'm far from be-ing the bas-tard that Marcy had fathered, Now my name's being mentioned with the martyrs / The Biggies and the Pacs and the Marleys and the Marcuses / Garvey, got me / A molotov cocktail, flow even if you box well").

Following Hov is a monstrous task, but Wayne attempts with the puzzlingly popular "A Milli" and the T-Pain-assisted club smash "Got Money." The latter combines a thumping beat and T-Pain's Auto-Tune for a fun four minutes that'll be stuck in your head for weeks.

That's all expected from Wayne, though. Where he starts to deviate is the clever "Dr. Carter," a track that sees the gravely-voiced emcee narrate a blow-by-blow account of somebody trying to save hip-hop from the literal operating table. Then the course changes again. "Tie My Hands" is the first of consecutive Kanye-produced tracks to use low-key, uncharacteristic production. Above the delicate sounds of acoustic guitar and a quiet drum loop the content is decidedly somber; Hurricane Katrina is the subject, one that hits close to home for a man who lives in the flood-ravaged city.

I lost everything, but I ain't the only one / First came the hurricane, then the morning sun / Excuse me if I'm on one, and don't trip if I light one / I walk a tight one, they try to tell me keep my eyes open / My whole city under water, some people still floatin' / And they wonder why black people still votin', cause your president's still chokin' / Take away the football team, the basketball team / Now all we got is me to represent New Orleans / No governor no help from the mayor, just a steady beatin' heart, and a wish and a prayer."

On "Shoot Me Down," Wayne slows his flow to perfectly match the hollow, brooding production, and on "Playin' with Fire," he sounds positively manic. Throwing any semblance of structure out the window, he lets his ego get the better of him ("And you know what they say, when you're great it's not murder, it's assassinate / So assassinate me bitch, 'cause I'm doin' the same shit Martin Luther King did"), but even then, the originality of his approach makes it all all right. Rounding out the best stretch of the 16-song album is the smash "Lollipop," and though detractors will contest that Wayne overuses Auto-Tune and doesn't really rap on the song, those same people are unable to explain why that's an inherently bad thing. The slow, twinkling groove is almost hypnotizing and Weezy's southern drawl is a flawless accent. Though it's a heavily criticized song, it's a perfect illustration of how Wayne will take chances that other rappers simply would not.

Not every such idea was a sure shot, however.

The odd, ET-themed "Phone Home" is well produced thanks to David Banner, but the cries of "phone home" in the chorus sound far too similar to "Mike Jones" and, even by Wayne's standards, the lyrics are near incomprehensible. "La La"'s baby-like noises are too much of a distraction to even try to listen to Wayne or guests Busta Rhymes and Brisco. He also gets shown up on his own track again by Fabulous (first time being "Six Minutes of Death") and Juelz Santana ("No Other") during "Nothing on Me."

Missteps aside, Tha Carter III asserts Lil Wayne as one of the most creative and talented voices in hip-hop. Whether he has the capacity to expound on that is a story that Tha Carter IV is just itching to tell.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

iamgodsongs (December 3, 2009)

i couldn't even finish reading this, such a masturbatory press release kind of thing, dude had potential, i will not lie, but in comparison to the mixtapes he was putting out like a year before this, it's just shit. pure shit.

Spit_My_Last_Breath (December 13, 2008)

Oh and another point....

Anchors.... You obviously can't write a good review because everytime you do, you have to come and justify what you've said.

Spit_My_Last_Breath (December 13, 2008)

I'll say the same about this as I did about Ludacris.......

What a crock of shite.
This kinda music pisses me off.
Nothing but a corporate cash sponge.
All these people care about is getting the biggest record deal, making the biggest amount of money, driving the biggest cars and making sure everyone knows they're cool. This music has no passion, it has no balls, no substance.

Im not narrow minded about music - i like a fair range of genres but i cannot stand this shit 'music for the masses' that fills our airwaves.

2 Points here;

1. If you're into this mediocore mainstream moneygrabbing worm. GET SOME REAL FUCKING MUSIC

2. In the words of the late and great Bill - PLAY FROM YOUR FUCKING HEART

clamum (December 10, 2008)

SCORE IS FOR THE RELEVANCE TO THE PUNK SCENE

I like this site but goddamn, some shit you guys post makes me confused.

milt (December 5, 2008)

What does this album have to do with punk rock?

internettroll (December 3, 2008)

But really, what's everyone think of the new Lil Wayne?

cyborgfrance (December 3, 2008)

This album has a lot of memories of summer around it - just the merest mention of "octopus, oysters" gives me and my girl the giggles. Good album, even if nothing really touches Carter II's "Tha Mobb", hands down the best opening track to a US rap album this decade.

Oh, David Banner didn't produce "Phone Home", dude, that's Cool & Dre, who somehow managed to leave their Miami club-rap obsession behind for a second to make the best track on the album. Yeah, I said it.

King_Rodney (December 2, 2008)

Lil' Wayne didn't just kill hip hop, he raped it and left on the side of the road for dead.

Anchors (December 2, 2008)

I'm still waiting for you to name somebody that sounds like Lil' Wayne. Or, if you want to avoid that question for a third time, you're obviously more than welcome to.

elliot (December 2, 2008)

"Hahaha, I just realized that you're the "a little part of me died when I saw this review on the org" kid.

I need to stop, I'm arguing with a 14-year-old."

Hmmm.....again, not an actual argument. And even if I was 14, I'd still have my right to an opinion, which you don't seem to understand.

crackpotdemagogue (December 2, 2008)

"You're talking to a guy that appreciates pop country."

this shit is getting heavy!

SydBarrett420 (December 2, 2008)

FTR
Dr. Doom > MF Doom

cheesetits (December 2, 2008)

Wait a minute.......what's wrong with MF Doom?

Anchors (December 2, 2008)

Hahaha, I just realized that you're the "a little part of me died when I saw this review on the org" kid.

I need to stop, I'm arguing with a 14-year-old.

Anchors (December 2, 2008)

If you don't think kids on this site post the shit they do to try and seem more "punk" or underground than everyone else, you have your head so far up your ass that you'll never see the sunlight again.

You want to talk about unfounded arguments? How about yours that dozens of rappers sound like Wayne. You can't even name one.

Anchors (December 2, 2008)

I agree completely that he doesn't deserve the amount of praise he gets. Anyone who legitimately does think he's the best rapper alive shouldn't be allowed to listen to hip-hop. But, on the same token, all the kids on here crying about how he doesn't have talent while talking up MF fucking Doom shouldn't be allowed to talk about it either.

elliot (December 2, 2008)

"If you all just enjoyed what you want to enjoy rather than try so hard to impress people on here with your "punk ethos," you'd be a happier person. I promise."

Seriously, stop saying stuff like this. It's not even close to accurate.

I honestly despise Lil Wayne's music. And I'm not "trying" to hate it to be cool. Get a better argument to justify this bullshit, since you haven't come up with one yet.

SloaneDaley (December 1, 2008)

I think Lil Wayne has soem talent in him he isn't the worst rapper I've heard, he isn't as bad the shit No Limit was putting out in the late 90's. He is also better than say 50 Cent or T.I. but in terms of mainstream rap Kanye or Lupe Fiasco are both better. I don't hate mainstream I listened to both Biggie and 2Pac when they were mainstream in the mid 90's but Lil Wayne doesn't deserve the praise he gets is all I'm saying.

Anchors (December 1, 2008)

No, nobody else out right now sounds like Lil' Wayne.

Whether that's for better or for worse depends on your opinion, but there is nobody else in hip-hop who sound like Wayne. His voice, even in autotune, is unmistakable. I'm not saying he's the best out, I wouldn't even put him in the top 20 right now, but he is absolutely unique and he is absolutely talented.

His rhyme schemes and delivery, on some songs, are mind-blowingly complex. He puts out some absolute garbage, (IE: Dedication 3) but then he comes back with some terrific shit too.

I'll use another southern rapper for comparison -- Lil' Boosie. Gets some dynamite beats, a lot of the same kind of club rap that Wayne makes popular, and he sounds so awful I can't accurately describe it. Even the club rap you all hate so much takes talent to produce.

If you all just enjoyed what you want to enjoy rather than try so hard to impress people on here with your "punk ethos," you'd be a happier person. I promise.

Bipedcasserole (December 1, 2008)

gee whizz this is fun

elliot (December 1, 2008)

"As soon as you kids, and emphasis on the word 'kid,' because a lot of these comments are clearly indicative of people who are mentally very young, grow out of the egregiously stupid mainstream = bad mentality, you'll be better for it."

Please, don't even try that. You're talking to a guy that appreciates pop country. Not that I should have to prove that to you, but since you're wrong, I thought I'd let you know.

I also like plenty of hip-hop, which is exactly why I find Lil Wayne repulsive. Musically and lyrically, he is nearly identical to dozens of other rappers. As far as his flow, which everyone seems to obsess over, it's non-existent. Which is maybe why Pitchfork and other weird kids think they need to latch onto him and give him praise. I don't know. I'm completely at a loss as to how millions of people have been duped into buying Lil Wayne's records.

The mere existence of "The Martian" should end any and all discussion of his talent, intelligence, or value as an artist.

SlowStupidHungry (December 1, 2008)

*extend, not extent

SlowStupidHungry (December 1, 2008)

"As soon as you kids, and emphasis on the word 'kid,' because a lot of these comments are clearly indicative of people who are mentally very young, grow out of the egregiously stupid mainstream = bad mentality, you'll be better for it."

Yeah, because anyone who thinks Lil Wayne is shit has a closed mind that's clouded with MRR musical fascism.

Or maybe you just have a really bad taste in music. Maybe, like nearly everyone else who lauds his garbage, you can't find a single thing to genuinely separate him from every other shitty rapper, so you claim that he has "charisma" (granted, gravely throated gimps are funny), and that everyone else is "close minded." You could extent your logic to defend anything shitty.

King_Rodney (December 1, 2008)

Is there anything worse than bad hip-hop? This is comparable to modern day disco.

crackpotdemagogue (December 1, 2008)

can i just take this moment to say:

WHO GIVES A FUCK

CCSummers (December 1, 2008)

I'll give you a call when I'm bumping Now 47 in my car.

Anchors (December 1, 2008)

Just two quick things:

1) Posted by elliot on 2008-11-29 13:33:33
Honestly, a part of me died when I saw this review on the Org. Flat out unacceptable.

This is the funniest thing I have ever read on this site.

2) As soon as you kids, and emphasis on the word 'kid,' because a lot of these comments are clearly indicative of people who are mentally very young, grow out of the egregiously stupid mainstream = bad mentality, you'll be better for it.

im_john_galt (December 1, 2008)

I am going to ignore what's been said thus far in the discussion and say that I think Lil Wayne kills it on this album. Kid has charisma and flow coming out of his ears, and i think his creativity and egoism is refreshing. His lyrics on their own are pretty useless, but through voice and tone I think they're pretty dynamic. I'd like to hear more like it.

conduit (December 1, 2008)

I usually don't care about non-punk things being reviewed here, but do we really need a review of this mainstream fucking garbage, let alone a 4 star review?

Lil Wayne is perhaps the most overrated rapper out today, and he represents all of mainstream rap, all style no substance whatsoever. He can write some clever rhymes but he has the inability to not use some kind of lame downright fruity vocal effect or a vocoder or something to change his actual voice, just like every other overrated rapper today. At least he actually raps sometimes, unlike the only other person more overrated them him, Kayne West.

Nas is pretty much all mainstream hip hop has left now that Wu Tang Clan has fallen off entirely.

TD99 (December 1, 2008)

Mainstream rap hasn't been anything close to good since 2Pac died. Underground hip hop (most of it) is the only stuff that is actually listenable.

SydBarrett420 (December 1, 2008)

Upwards, you idiot, if you took the time to actually look at my profile you would see the only albums I have rated are the albums I have actually reviewed for this site. I actually destroy Hopesfall in the review I have written for them.

Just like your dick on the forehead tattoo sporting friend Lil Wayne, you fail.

fallingupwards84 (December 1, 2008)

i will agree though that this is definitely not an 8... if i reviewed it, it would have gotten a 2.5/5 (which most of you would still consider way too high, but whatever)

fallingupwards84 (December 1, 2008)

NotPatriotic - Again, that's fine if you think that, but it doesn't give you any right to attack Anchors for liking it. Like I said before, music is very subjective. A lot of hardcore and "brocore" lyrics are absolutely ridiculous too, but some people like them, so whatever.

There is nothing punk about Wayne? You're absolutely correct. There's nothing punk about 90% of the bands reviewed on this site.

And as far as the charges of misogyny - yes, Wayne says bitch and all that good stuff. So did 2Pac. Biggie. NWA. Ice Cube. The fact is that most hip hop does. That's just part of it. You don't take it seriously, and if you can't help but take it seriously, then just listen to PC music exclusively. Nobody is forcing you to listen.

NotPatriotic (December 1, 2008)

Listen FallingUpwards, I'm fine with rap/hip-hop being reviewed on this site, it's great. I'm just amazed Anchors thinks this album is an 8, really this dude just likes shitty rap. That's fine, but I'm gonna call him out. Some of the posters in this thread are kinda dumb, but the ones who are calling out little Wayne and Anchors are 100% correct. There is nothing punk about lil Wayne. Minor Threat are punk, also there is no misogyny in Minor Threat lyrics, Minor Threat stood for something good and productive, Lil Wayne stands for shit.

fallingupwards84 (December 1, 2008)

Ok Syd, thats fine if you think that, but chill out. Nobody forced you to click on the link. It was at the bottom of the reviews anyway, it should be pretty easy to ignore

You have Finch and Hopesfall in your top albums on your profile... so you're about the last person who should lecture me about what is good music and what isn't.

SydBarrett420 (December 1, 2008)

"Listen to what you want to listen to, and let the rest of us listen to what we want to listen to. But don't attack us personally because we have different tastes then you. Grow up."

What do you expect from promoting rap on a punk site? Don't give me the "they review metal,emo, pop, etc." argument either. All of those sub genres at least are somehwat interelated to eachother, Lil Wayne has NOTHING to do with any type of genre or sub genre covered by this site.

Lil Wayne is to rap, what Pete Wentz is to punk.

fallingupwards84 (December 1, 2008)

Thats fine if you don't like the music, but to attack someone's character for liking this music is absolutely absurd.

I'm not sure if you all are aware of this, but music is all SUBJECTIVE.

Those of you trashing Lil Wayne's lyrics, what about these lyrics right here:

I don't want to hear it
All you do is talk about you
I don't want to hear it
Because I know that none of it's true
I don't want to hear it
Sick and tired of all your lies
I don't want to hear it
When are you gonna realize...

That I don't wanna hear it
Know you're full of shit

Shut your fucking mouth
I don't care what you say
You keep talking
Talking everday
First you're telling stories
Then you're telling lies
When the fuck are you gonna realize...

That I don't want to hear
Know that you're full of shit

Oh wait, those worthless lyrics are ok because its Minor Threat!
Stupid me.

The double standards on this site are sickening.
Listen to what you want to listen to, and let the rest of us listen to what we want to listen to. But don't attack us personally because we have different tastes then you. Grow up.

SlackMFr (November 30, 2008)

Li'l Wanye can fuck goats & drink cherry juice.

allfornot (November 30, 2008)

Yeah, crackpot, but Lil Wayne is
"The man who, by most accounts, is supposed to be the savior of hip-hop."
Whereas the Casualties are pretty much known for their awful lyrics.

Anyway, I'm not a big Hip-hop fan, but I enjoy seeing a different genre reviewed. Keep them coming Anchors.

nebraska (November 30, 2008)

if you actually like lil wayne, you don't deserve whatever hearing you have left. tour bus flip.

CCSummers (November 30, 2008)

well said. I would say you are correct in comparing casualties lyrics to lil wayne lyrics. I can see the similarities.

crackpotdemagogue (November 30, 2008)

Ok, if this is turning into a debate about lyrics, i'd like to contribute this gem for scrutiny. Its a seminal number by the casualties, sensitivley titled "fuck you all"...

Fuck you...[x6]...all
How the fuck do you tell me
How to fuckin' do this song
You'll never lead my life
So you'll never understand
Why the fuck I do the things
That I do everyday

Don't come up to me
Don't you say that we are free
You can take your stupid
Love and peace power
I'm in love with beer
All you fuckin' bastards
Can just fuckin'go away
'Cause you make me sick to my brain

Fuck you, Fuck you
Fuck you....[x6]...all

All you fuckin' bastards
Try to make me sick
Every fuckin' chance you can
You try to make me fall
Every fuckin' chance you can
You try to preach to me
But you'll never understand
I just wanna be free

We are leavin', leavin' in our time
So do it fuckin' now
Every fuckin' now
Every fuckin' chance you can
You just bring me down
I can't take no more
Of all your fuckin' lies
So All I hate to say to you now is

Fuck you, Fuck you
Fuck you....[x6]..All

I don't like your kind
I never liked it before
So why why don't you just
Go away and fuckin' die now

I just had enough of it
I'm really sick of the brats
So listen all of you this time

Fuckin' just let me be
Gonna get drunk and
You're not gonna get to me
Gonna fuckin' break some botlle
And not gonna give a damn
I'm just gonna make my own Rules

Fuck you...[x2]...Fuck you...[x2]...
Fuck you...[x2]...All
Fuck you...[x6]...All

I hate the whole fuckin'
Fuckin' stupid world
Every single time I realize
That I hate every fuckin' life
You never led my life
You'll never understand
Why I have to lead the life
That I fuckin' lead
Why you fuckin think you understand
Our fuckin' way of life
But you'll never understand mine
Fuck you...Fuck you...[x3]...All

superskabro (November 30, 2008)

they posted this but not my Kings of Leon review? wow.

DarthNader (November 30, 2008)

the best part of "Got Money" is the line "bitch im the bomb like, tick.... tick...yeah!"

gets me every time

NotPatriotic (November 30, 2008)

Score is for misogyny

NotPatriotic (November 30, 2008)

"T-Pain-assisted club smash “Got Money.” The latter combines a thumping beat and T-Pain's Auto-Tune for a fun four minutes that’ll be stuck in your head for weeks"

This "Got Money" song is one of the worst songs I have heard all year. Holy shit, Anchors do you actually like this song?
I really can't believe you like this song.

Lets check out some of the lyrics of said song:
[Verse 1: Lil Wayne]
Now I was bouncing through the club
She loved the way I did it but
I see her boyfriend hatin' like a city cop
Now I ain't never been a chicken but my fitty cocked
Say I ain't never been a chicken but my semi cocked
Now where your bar at?
I'm tryna rent it out
And we so bout it bout it
Now what are you about?
DJ show me love
He say my name when the music stop
Young Money Lil Wayne
Then the music drop
I make it snow
I make it flurry
I make it out back tomorrow don't worry
Yeah
Young Wayne on them hoes
A.K.A. Mr. Make It Rain On Them Hoes (Young Money)

Wow

the_problem_with_fire (November 30, 2008)

the stuff i've heard from this is awful. what the fuck.

CCSummers (November 30, 2008)

I can make 279 songs in a year. They'd all sound like shit though.

Oh, wait a minute...

givemeamuseumandillfillit (November 30, 2008)

I just don't get it. Now, i like a few hiphop acts and they span all major eras, locations and sub-genres, including mainstream.

I actually bought the record having avoided the hype and just expected a nice mainstream hiphop record with some cohesiveness. The only thing i really knew him by was the fact that he was in Back That Azz Up, like what, 10 years ago?

I returned it after a week and felt rather embarresed about the whole deal. It's just not good, the "songs" doesn't feel classic, they just seem extremly loose and almost disrespectful, like if he made a record about making a record on a whim. Now, obviously alot of solo artists depend on different beat crafters over a record but this record just tries to be everything, think about every #1 billboard hiphop hit the last 10 years and its style and each of them are represented here. And what the hell is up with his "flow"?! He sounds like he's in a Insane Clown Posse Offshoot.

A few tracks are listenable but all in all, this selling a million records in a week is definently proof of how sheep-like people are. Some Mainstream hip hop records are very powerful because of the fact that they are so deep in the mainstream but still offer something worthwhile and this one is pretty much as far away from that as you get.

However, the whole "he made 279 songs in a year" thing is something he deserves respect for, however i'd like to debate the "song" part...

DarthNader (November 30, 2008)

jedi mind tricks suck

i like how it says at the bottom of the review: people who liked this also like, then theres Samsara by Yakuza. i see them as very similar albums. ha.

freesandwich (November 30, 2008)

where is the soulja boy review?

DuffB (November 30, 2008)

People who don't like AutoTune shouldn't be forced to explain their dislike for it. It would be like asking someone to say why they don't like the guitar tone on a shitty metal album - said person may just find the sound unappealing.

TheGuwumpkis (November 30, 2008)

This bubble gum pop is nothing but trash!
JEDI MIND TRICKS, WU TANG, KRS.......REAL HIP HOP!!!
Fuck Lil Wayne!

actually_OFFENDS_me (November 30, 2008)

Another thing that actually OFFENDS me, which is hard to to these days, are the people who are pissed that musicians make money. The strange, slow, old people on punknews.org and the few annoying stragglers on this website.

HumanUnkind (November 30, 2008)

I don't really know this guy's stuff but one of my friends quotes lil wayne lines at my all the time and all of them are dreadful and pointless rhymes about nothing.

john_stone (November 30, 2008)

Hilarious!

You must be great at the limbo, because you keep setting the bar lower and lower!

SlowStupidHungry (November 30, 2008)

"Rounding out the best stretch of the 16-song album is the smash “Lollipop,” and though detractors will contest that Wayne overuses Auto-Tune and doesn’t really rap on the song, those same people are unable to explain why that’s an inherently bad thing."

Something has to be inherently bad to be bad? How about, it's a garbage pop song that doesn't represent anything that I've ever liked about hip hop or rap. Same goes for this douche bag's whole career. This shit is serious trash. And why would anyone be dumb enough to ask why this was reviewed on here... We should all know by now that Lil Wayne is the only "artist" in this genre that a lot of white people listen to. Their reasoning is as varied as it is meaningless.

Shit.

LIQUIDSWORDS (November 30, 2008)

I honestly don't see the hype in Lil Wayne, there are at least 20 rappers out now that are far more superior than he is.

TJMoney (November 30, 2008)

I'm all for some hip hop reviews on the site but lil wayne is just bleh.... he has talent, he has punchlines, and he does all his songs without writing them so thats good, but he is so played out. his delivery is kinda wack, he sounds like he needs to rest his voice for a little while. he sluts himself out on everyone's shit.... he is the definition of overexposed.

inagreendase (November 30, 2008)

For everyone complaining, you guys know you don't have to click this link, right? Unless someone installed one of those programs where they can control what happens on your computer. Shit's crazy!

I don't understand, isn't there a hiphopnews.org out there?

I don't know about you, but this link isn't quite working for me...

Anchors, I'm gonna write my Q-Tip review today... make sure Aubin posts that shit

Ouch... Aubin hasn't posted reviews since 2001 or so...

DarthNader (November 30, 2008)

anyone else like Madvillany 2 better than 1?

speaking of MF DOOM

Adam_K (November 29, 2008)

"this is just bad.
listen to MF DOOM."

If anything, this is the Wayne album for DOOM fans, which is why it sucks.

bluexmaslights (November 29, 2008)

"Until this site stops posting reviews of emo albums, metal albums, metalcore albums, folk albums, and screamo albums, then there's really no rational reason to leave out hip hop. That is unless punknews only reviewed punk albums. It hasn't for years and years."

touche!

clamum (November 29, 2008)

""I don't understand, isn't there a hiphopnews.org out there?"

Until this site stops posting reviews of emo albums, metal albums, metalcore albums, folk albums, and screamo albums, then there's really no rational reason to leave out hip hop. That is unless punknews only reviewed punk albums. It hasn't for years and years.

Anchors, I'm gonna write my Q-Tip review today... make sure Aubin posts that shit"

Good point. There's new articles about Bullet For My Valentine, and goddamn, now that's a fucking punk band.

clamum (November 29, 2008)

What the fuck is this garbage doing here?

killthepatriarch (November 29, 2008)

Score is for the new Kanye West, probably his worst record ever since "The College Dropout"!

DarthNader (November 29, 2008)

i love it when shit like this happens.

ORG-DRAMA!!!

Citizen_Crack (November 29, 2008)

This record is not as good as tha Carter II, which was amazing, but still isn't bad. I think my favorite song has got to be "Kush," which for some reason isn't included in the review. It's absurd the kind of hate Lil Wayne is generating on this site.

new_wave (November 29, 2008)

Love this record, how can you not like some of these songs?

a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli a milli

cheesetits (November 29, 2008)

I don't care about having hip hop reviews either, but at least pick some good hip hop to review, maybe things under the radar perhaps? This is still a punk web site after all, and I think more kids would be ok with it if the good underground shit got the exposure.

mikexdude (November 29, 2008)

I really don't mind having rap on Punknews. Who cares? New reviews come every 3 or so days. Get over it.

fallingupwards84 (November 29, 2008)

But CCSummers, until you and the dozens of others on here who decry this as "too mainstream" and "shit" without being specific as to what you mean about that, then it appears that you only hate it because its popular. Be specific. Tell us exactly what you don't like about him. If you don't feel like doing that, then don't complain about him in here. So far, only one or two people have been specific about what they don't like about him - one person said that his flow isn't as tight as other rappers. Fair enough, that's a legitimate complaint if you feel that way.

Did you listen to those tracks I posted below? He puts out good music when he wants to; if you don't think he has ANY talent, then you don't like rap music. What albums of his have you listened to? I'm not saying he's amazing or anything, he's fun to listen to - kind of like in the same way that it is fun to listen to old Snoop Dogg records. You know that some of it is a gimmick, and you know that the lyrics are for the most part mindless and without any real point. But its entertaining to listen to.

That said, I stand by my point that this was a disappointing album. Download Tha Carter II, that album absolutely kills.

TROOF (November 29, 2008)

I love hip-hop and have no problem whatsoever with mainstream stuff, I just don't like this. Yes, I have heard him drop some decent lyrics on mixtapes but I just can't get into his voice or style.

blanktapesemptybottles (November 29, 2008)

as a counterpoint Lil Wayne plays guitar

CCSummers (November 29, 2008)

You can brush off complaints about this artists by claiming the "YOU JUST DON'T LIKE HIM CAUSE HE'S POPULAR!" bullshit, but I think even you probably know that's a crock of shit. I don't give a shit how many records someone has sold, I judge them based on talent, not on the size of their bank account. There are shitty underground rappers and there are shitty mainstream rappers. Lil Wayne is a shitty mainstream rapper.

crackpotdemagogue (November 29, 2008)

I don't understand.... in this batch of reviews a band called 'bring me the horizon' has also been covered, and as I see it, in terms of punk rock credentials Lil Wayne is more punk than them. Why all the fuss? So what, he's black, he rhymes, he's signed to a major and the sound he makes is generally electronic as opposed to guitar-based, but since when was punk ever just about music alone? At least lil wayne is attemting to provide some kind of social criticism. I don't understand why people are so blinded by genres and categories. It's all bullshit to me.

INDW (November 29, 2008)

I post just to add to the 'pro' camp.

I would never call myself a 'fan' of hip-hop but enjoy the odd album and would never care enough to find out the talent myself, so getting it here every now and then is awesome.

fallingupwards84 (November 29, 2008)

"I don't understand, isn't there a hiphopnews.org out there?"

Until this site stops posting reviews of emo albums, metal albums, metalcore albums, folk albums, and screamo albums, then there's really no rational reason to leave out hip hop. That is unless punknews only reviewed punk albums. It hasn't for years and years.

Anchors, I'm gonna write my Q-Tip review today... make sure Aubin posts that shit

bluexmaslights (November 29, 2008)

I don't understand, isn't there a hiphopnews.org out there?

branden (November 29, 2008)

this review is a little cornball.

DrGunn (November 29, 2008)

i think endless guest appearances are pretty much par for the course at this point in mainstream hip-hop.

blanktapesemptybottles (November 29, 2008)

it'd be cool if you reviewed really great underground hip hop like Doomtree or something, this isn't.

d_bag (November 29, 2008)

even if you think he's all hype, you have to admit that the hype is more the product of his endless studio work and guest appearances than some totally arbitrary music industry thing. i'm not even a longtime fan of this guy and i can see this.

DrGunn (November 29, 2008)

i don't mind hip-hop reviews on the 'org and i'm not upset that this got posted, but seriously this dude is insanely mediocre and a result of endless hype.

fallingupwards84 (November 29, 2008)

elliot - name one rapper with the personality of Wayne, name one rapper with his charisma, name one rapper with Wayne's original raspy-sounding voice

thats what you backpackers don't understand - the greatness of a rapper is determined by multiple components - Wayne's got the charisma and personality of a Biggie-type rapper. Is his flow as good? No, but that's why he's not even close to being the greatest ever. He's just fun to listen to.

Some of you forgot the point of music - its supposed to be ENTERTAINMENT.
So relax.

elliot (November 29, 2008)

Lil Wayne is absolute garbage. He has awful flow and his voice makes me want to throw up. He's getting hype because, for some illogical reason, a few critics have decided he's great. Now everyone is jumping on this bandwagon, while not acknowledging that there are hundreds of other rappers doing the EXACT same stuff has him, yet they don't like those guys. Just Lil Wayne.

Honestly, a part of me died when I saw this review on the Org. Flat out unacceptable.

d_bag (November 29, 2008)

yeah, the beat in "Let the Beat Build" is awesome. same with "Playin' With Fire." i have to agree though, that although i like "Let the Beat Build," it definitely feels like he never really delivers on that song, which kinda sucks.

onegirlarmy (November 29, 2008)

A Tribe Called Quest, Outkast (pre- "Hey Ya"), and Run-DMC are all miles better than this garbage.

fallingupwards84 (November 29, 2008)

Another thing -
I can't say that I'm surprised that 90% of the people posting in this thread on punknews are close-minded idiots that have probably never heard a Lil Wayne album in their life, but since he's selling a lot of records, they feel the need to hate on him. Just like punks in the late 1990s hated on Jay-Z, and punks in the mid 1990s hated on 2Pac and Biggie. And just like punks today finally accept the fact that Jay, Big, and 2Pac put out some great records, punks in the 2010s will accept the fact that Lil Wayne has talent as well.

Of course, I'm sure many of the people complaining about punknews posting "mainstream" reviews are ironically listening to New Wave or '59 Sound right now. They never complain when punknews posts uber-mainstream reviews such as Fall Out Boy, Story of the Year, My Chemical Romance, Hawthorne Heights, Foo Fighters, Rage Against The Machine, or Metallica. That's fine, because its white music and it has guitars (punks LOVE rules in music - guitars are an absolute requirement)

if you're a Wayne hater but claim to enjoy hip hop, listen to this track please:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg9Re0NRx0I

Wayne slaughters that track - 5 minutes straight of rapping, no hook, no chorus, and raw as fuck - rawer than most of the music on here. And its no obscure track, its the opening track to his multi-platinum album Tha Carter II.

Here's the second track on that album. Again, no hook, no chorus, just rawness and Wayne rapping with amazing flow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wzIAOUDAGQ&feature=related

If you don't think he has an ounce of talent, then you simply do not like hip hop. Period.

This is 2008, its not 1995 anymore. Rap has changed but that doesn't mean its all garbage. Stop living in the past and accept the fact that there is a lot of talent out there among the new crop of hip hop artists. That includes you CCSummers. Later Gramps

fallingupwards84 (November 29, 2008)

Anchors, I'm glad you reviewed this (don't listen to the mindless people below me who immaturely dismiss any music that sells). But I'm going to have to disagree with your review.

Tha Carter II is a classic record. Call me crazy, I think its a 5/5. Absolutely golden. Wayne tears it up the entire record.

Tha Carter III just isn't the same. Its a 3/5 at best. There are a few incredible songs on this album - "A Milli", "Got Money", "Comfortable", and "Dr. Carter". But thats really it for me. "Mr Carter" was a huge disappointment, Jay-Z lazily went through the track and was not impressive. An amazing Kanye beat on "Let The Beat Build" was wasted because Wayne lazily went through that track as well - the whole time, I was waiting for him to tear it up and he wouldn't do it.

On Tha Carter II, Wayne claimed to be the best rapper alive, and he actually backed it up. On this album, though, Wayne just doesn't seem to have the hunger that he had on his previous record. He seems tired on some of the tracks, like he's not putting any effort. I think the multitude of mixtapes he did before this album took away some of his best lyrical material, because its really missing on this record

CCSummers (November 29, 2008)

I'm going to go ahead and say I appreciate the rap reviews. But this is ridiculous. Nas review was cool. This is a complete joke. I didn't think you'd buy into this shit too Anchors. If you insist on doing rap review, can you review some rap people don't scoff at please? This is hurting any reputation hip hop has on this site.

1234go (November 29, 2008)

Dear Punknews. you are not pitchfork. That's cool though. You're punknews. You bring me punknews and I appreciate that. Now please fuck off with the hip hop reviews. Much love.

SydBarrett420 (November 29, 2008)

When did this site turn into AP.net?

Why giv this garbage the time of day on this site? I guarantee that hiphopnews.org isn't reviewing the next Gaslight Anthem.

People like this garbage because it applies to the lowest common denominator.

Lil Wayne is to hip hop what MC Lars is to punk rock.

DrGunn (November 29, 2008)

i call bullshit on the whole lil wayne thing. it's like, the dude suddenly decides to start telling everyone that he's the best rapper alive, mainstream rap is in such a sorry state that both mainstream and underground outlets start repeating this ridiculous claim, and then lots of tools who can't come up with their own opinions begin believing it and suddenly "tha carter III" is the "most anticipated hip-hop album of the year!"

dude is mediocre at best.

SydBarrett420 (November 29, 2008)

stop trying to push this dogshit on this site. 90% of us if not more could give two shits about Lil Wayne or any other idiotic rapper.

CCSummers (November 29, 2008)

hahahahahah

HOISTDATRAG (November 29, 2008)

I like the rap/hip-hop reviews, but i really can't understand what's so good about this guy. It's just the same old club rap I've heard for the past eight years.

souldoubt (November 29, 2008)

seriously?

GlamBalam (November 29, 2008)

Wow! I hate this!

consider_the_ravens (November 29, 2008)

id love to take a turd on this guys face

Bipedcasserole (November 29, 2008)

good review, but in the end, Wayne's just another ringtone rapper.

his songs are kind of unorthodox, i guess, but he's just not a good enough MC to be of any importance. he's like Kanye in that regard, except Wayne's songs are far more annoying and cliched.

but again, good review. just don't get carried away trying to demonstrate "how awesome hip-hop is."

dadudebob (November 29, 2008)

yuck

TROOF (November 29, 2008)

Overrated garbage. His delivery drives me crazy. That being said, keep it up Anchors, I enjoy the Hip-Hop reviews. Fuck the haters.

shrapnel (November 29, 2008)

why the hell is this on here?

ajlvt (November 29, 2008)

this is just bad.
listen to MF DOOM.

24HourPriapism (November 29, 2008)

is this pitchfork? are we suddenly reviewing shitty mainstream rap albums as some form of ironic high art? what the fuck?

for me, Shad's "The Old Prince" is probably the best rap album i've heard this year. and definitely the best rap video of the year, hands down: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH8SDiPPjoc

Anchors (November 29, 2008)

Minus_20_scene_points:

Check these sits regularly:

datpiff.com
hiphopgame.com
hiphopdx.com
allhipho p.com
rapgodfathers.com

And those should keep your apprised of everything going on in hip-hop, from new mixtapes and major releases to singles, freestyles, everything. Hiphopdx is the best of the bunch, but I check all of those daily.

Anchors (November 29, 2008)

The reason all the hip-hop I've reviewed are getting high scores is because, get this, I've reviewing albums that I like instead of albums I don't. Tough concept, I know.

As far as why I'm reviewing more mainstream stuff, I'm just getting a feel for how to write about hip-hop so I figured the best way to start would be writing about the most recent major label stuff that I dig. The big releases of the year.

I fully plan on reviewing Elzhi, Q-Tip, Termanology, Skillz, Charles Hamilton, and shit like that but not quite yet.

chrisafi (November 29, 2008)

lol xshoutoutx tells it like it is

xshoutoutx (November 29, 2008)

HAHAHAHA... anchors you are truly an idiot!

SloaneDaley (November 29, 2008)

dude sucked from way back.

Icapped2pac (November 29, 2008)

Fuck no. This guy gets no love. When I think of the proverbial "Wack MC', this is exactly what comes to mind.

mikexdude (November 29, 2008)

Triple post -

Score is for the "pussy monster" freestyle he did.

cheesetits (November 29, 2008)

Then why is Bring Me the Horizon at the top..........

danperrone (November 29, 2008)

this review is at the bottom for a reason

mikexdude (November 29, 2008)

off*, fuck my life.

mikexdude (November 29, 2008)

Yeah, I like your hip hop reviews Anchors, but 'Lil Wayne is trash.

Feeeding5000--get of depression and write some reviews, what happened?

cheesetits (November 29, 2008)

I do appreciate the hip hop reviews Anchors, but there have GOT to be better cd's to review.

chrisafi (November 29, 2008)

lol

Are you EVER going to give a Hip Hop album less than four stars.

Jesus

mattramone (November 28, 2008)

Why does anyone take this guy seriously? He's objectively terrible.

minus_20_scene_points (November 28, 2008)

good review as always.

so can anybody recommend some decent mixtapes out there? I just picked up rick ross' "return of the cocaine cowboys" and dipset's "presidental paper vol 1." both are pretty decent, but i prefer dipset a bit more, duke da god screaming over everything aside.

what's good out there? i'm not up to snuff on mixtapes, so any suggestions are appreciated.

feeeding5000 (November 28, 2008)

Stop posting hip hop reviews.

I will drag my ass out of crippling depression to write some fucking hardcore reviews if it will improve the latest storm of shit.

Anchors (November 28, 2008)

Posted by cheesetits on 2008-11-28 21:19:44

I hate this guy, I don't know why he gets the occasional cred on this site, it's garbage mainstream hip hop. I can't take anyone seriously that has anything remotely to do with T-Pain, I think he's the worst thing in pop right now. Same goes with Kanye West.

You are going to love my review of the new Kanye album.

flannagin94 (November 28, 2008)

Is it just me or does the tattoo between his eyebrows look like a dick.

freesandwich (November 28, 2008)

i cant believe this is is being reviewed on here. also lol @ the "buy this record" link that goes to interpunk.

cheesetits (November 28, 2008)

I hate this guy, I don't know why he gets the occasional cred on this site, it's garbage mainstream hip hop. I can't take anyone seriously that has anything remotely to do with T-Pain, I think he's the worst thing in pop right now. Same goes with Kanye West.

Cos (November 28, 2008)

Who is this guy? I've never heard of him.