Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter 3” – Album of the Year?

Yo, Ordinary Joe, What do you think about this?

"I call the April babies cuz they fools..."

An example of the many rhymes on the most anticipated album of 2008, “Tha Carter 3”. Is Lil Wayne the 'best rapper alive'? Lil Wayne's fans hold the words of this addict of many drugs as a gospel of the hood (whether they live there or not). Why? I don't know... really I don't know; but that’s the way it is. Lil Wayne made a big transition from "Project Chick" to "Duffle Bag Boy" but so has rap. The significance of his June 10 album, “Tha Carter 3”, is not to make music for the love of it, but it is the definitive manifestation of Lil Wayne's position as the best rapper alive because so far Kanye West's fans have the album card and Jay-Z fans have the classic card... I'll get to lyricism in a bit.

On the Carter 3 album, Lil Wayne's idea of the best rapper alive is rhyming and making it sound rhythmic. If you don't believe me then take a listen to his song called: “Mr. Carter”. In this song, he teams up with his biggest competition to being the best rapper alive (remember that being the best rapper alive and the hottest rapper in the game is different). “Mr. Carter” was, seemingly, Dwayne Michael Carter (Lil Wayne) and Shawn Corey Carter (Jay-Z) showing the world how legendary the two Carters are as it pertains to hip hop. Besides Lil Wayne's 3 verses falling short to Jay-Z's one verse, if Shawn Carter's verse was omitted from the song, Dwayne's verses would be unsatisfactory for any type of album: classic or mediocre.


Ordinary Joe, do you think hanging out with New York Rappers got Wayne thinking he was as good as a New York rapper? In his song called "Nothing On Me" that features artists Fabolous and Juelz Santana, both of the featured artists out shine him like Wayne was a candle between two suns. The best rapper alive must be the best rapper on his songs. Maybe featuring in songs with artists like Young Jezzy has Lil Wayne looking hotter than he really is. Merely rapping about what ever comes to his head. In one verse Lil Wayne covers as many topics as a perfect teacher. However, if a teacher delivers so many topics at one time, the lessons tend to make no sense.

Well Ordinary Joe, what do I think about “Tha Carter 3”, do you even have to ask?
Lil Wayne did a good job, of asking questions in his lyrics, and I must say most of the answers were not hard to find. “If it’s so explicit then why you listening?” At that point I wondered why I was listening…oh yea to write this review. I know Hip Hop has “grown” to the point where over usage of expletives has become the norm. But we always knew that the “Best rapper alive” would break down walls of normality and set a new record in dirty words.


Although it was leaked, the album is still expected to debut at #1 on the charts. Thanks to the many Weezy fans who will buy anything he makes, I’m sure.
Can someone help me listen to “A Millie” and not go away repeating it…please? A Millie, A Millie, A Millie…yea like I was saying “A Millie” has the tightest beat on the album but there’s not much lyrical content to it.

Ordinary Joe, I definitely think he got a little to “at home” rapping with New Yorkers Fabolous and Juelz Santana. I’d like to clarify on a statement you made Ordinary Joe. You said there’s a difference between being the best rapper alive and the hottest rapper in the game, I don’t believe Weezy falls under neither of those titles.


Since Lil Wayne asked that we never forget him in the lyrics of “Mr. Carter”, I’ll never forget to mention him…as the one rapper who tried so hard to compare himself to Jay-Z, Pac and Biggie and didn’t succeed…by a long shot. “Let the Beat Build” is the epitome of what Weezy has come to been known for, taking a good beat and rapping about absolutely nothing on it. Doesn’t he call that “murdering” a track? True, well I call it butchering a track!

With such confusing lyrics like, "You say tomato I say tamata/ You say get em I say got em/ Yea I got em" either Lil Wayne is not living up to the hype or he's on such a higher level, he's on a different planet(sounding like a Lil Wayne rhyme not intended).
The only songs where he sticks to topic are "Tie my Hands" and "Mrs. Officer", where he raps about having sex with a female police officer. Fruitless rhymes are just one of the many mistakes made by this veteran rapper through out the album. Hence we Ordinary Joes, have no choice than to give “Tha Carter 3” a C grade, as far as living up to the much anticipated hype goes.