Tha Carter II: Chapter 2 Of "Lil Wayne The Late Bloomer"

I've always had a soft spot for Lil Wayne. From his sophomore album, Lights Out, to the mixtape albums he did with Sqad Up, to his solo mixtape career, I've been a pretty avid follower of his music. In terms of mainstream albums, though, he's been hit or miss. The aforementioned Lights Out showed flashes of potential that were too bogged down in cliched concepts and Wayne's lapses in lyricism. To make things worse, 500 Degreez was almost completely forgettable. Then, somewhere along the way, it must have hit Lil Wayne that making good music was probably the best way to get people to realize his skills as an emcee. While he definitely didn't live up to his own outrageous proclamation as the best rapper alive (since the best rapper retired), The Carter was by far his best album at that point. Combined with good production, and some much improved lyricism to go with his cockiness, Wayne was able to put out a focused and consistent album that was relatively free of the laziness that plagued his previous two albums (excluding his debut since I've never heard it). 2005 saw Lil Wayne attempt to top the success of Tha Carter with its follow-up, Tha Carter II. Could he do it?

Track Listing and Ratings:
Tha Mobb (4 Stars)
Fly In (4 1/2 Stars)
Money on My Mind (4 Stars)
Fireman (3 Stars)
Mo Fire (3 1/2)
On Tha Block No. 1 (Skit)
Best Rapper Alive (4 1/2 Stars)
Lock and Load Feat. Kurupt (4 Stars)
Oh No (4 Stars)
Grown Man Feat. Currency (3 1/2 Stars)
On Tha Block No. 2 (Skit)
Hit Em Up (4 Stars)
Carter 2 (4 Stars)
Hustler Musik (5 Stars)
Receipt (5 Stars)
Shooter Feat. Robin Thicke (5 Stars)
Weezy Baby Feat. Nikki (2 Stars)
On Tha Block No. 3 (Skit)
I'm a D-Boy Feat. Baby (2 1/2 Stars)
Feel Me (5 Stars)
Get Over Feat. Nikki (5 Stars)
Fly Out (4 Stars)

If you've ever listened to any of Lil Wayne's earlier albums, you'll notice a marked difference in the quality of his rhymes. He wastes no time in displaying it, as the 5 and a half minute long opener "Tha Mobb" shows. Wayne spits straight through the tracks with no hook, making it seem more like a freestyle fit for a mixtape than an actual track for a mainstream album. While the track acts as a showcase for his flow and lyrics, it also acts as a tribute of sorts to his mother, as he shouts her out amongst his boasting. Skipping past the "Fly In" for a moment, Wayne gets down to the real start of the album with "Money on My Mind", which is exactly what it sounds like. With a slowed down chorus in tow, he raps about (as if you didn’t already guess) a being a hustler and getting more money. Not the deepest of subject matter, but with a beat that sports a Rick Ross “Hustlin” feel, along with Lil Wayne’s lyrics, it works. This holds true for other tracks of the album, most notably “Hustler Musik” and “Shooter”, which are blessed with the two best beats of the album; the latter gets an assist from Robin Thicke, who does both the production and croons throughout the song. Meanwhile, Wayne flows effortlessly over the guitar plucks and drums, and delivers one of the best examples of his swagger:

”So many doubt 'cause I come from the South
But when I open up my mouth, all bullets come out
Bang! Die b!tch n!gga die I hope you bleed a lake
I'ma play x-ray, helpin' y'all see the fake
I'm just tryin' to be the great, tryin' to get a piece of cake
Take it offa your plate, eat it right in your face
They got a whole lot to say but I don't listen
Call me automatic Weezy b!tch I keep spittin', POW!”

As entertaining as Wayne’s raps can be, however, the lack of concepts is the major drawback for Tha Carter II; as much as Lil Wayne has improved lyrically, this album doesn’t deviate much from him getting money, or bragging about how good he is. Combine that with that album’s length (it clocks in at about 77 minutes), and it makes for a tedious listen for even the most rabid of fans.

To make up for this, however, Wayne employs a few tricks to solve this problem. The first is using three tracks (the aforementioned “Fly In” as well as “Carter 2” and “Fly Out”), all of which use the same beat as he raps about himself, his home, and the rap game in general. This serves to lend Tha Carter II a sense of cohesiveness despite its length. More importantly, though, he occasionally departs from the typical money and “I’m on my hustle” tracks, and when he does, it’s a refreshing departure from the sameness of the majority of the album. “Grown Man” is the typical R&B type track for the ladies, and sees Wayne and Young Money spitting game to some ladies at the club in hopes of taking them home, but it pales in comparison to “Receipt”, which is a dedication to Lil Wayne’s significant other. Over soulful production, he tells about meeting her when he was younger, to rapping about how she keeps him grounded. What sets this track apart from “Grown Man” is sincerity; trying to pick up women at the club is typical (and Currency doesn’t really add anything to the song, either), but a track where you hear the emcee talk about staying faithful? Not so much. As good as this song is, the true highlight of the album is at the tail end with “Get Over”, which sees him telling of the death of his father while musing on his own mortality (”Just tryin to find my way to the next day, escape/Ya birthday could be ya death date/So I'm livin like it was just yesterday, let's pray”). In hearing him take a step out of his comfort zone, the listener is left wondering why he doesn’t delve into more introspective topics more often.

Though Tha Carter II is a good album, it’s not without its drawbacks. Wayne lapses from time to time, as evident on tracks like “Weezy Baby” and “I’m a D-Boy”. The former is a letdown from the momentum that the previous three tracks build, as the plodding, sleep-inducing beat causes Wayne to slow his flow; he could’ve spit Rakim-esque lyrics (which he doesn’t come close to) and I wouldn’t have cared. “I’m a D-Boy” isn’t any better, as it sounds like a reject club track with the synth sounds throughout; Wayne turns in a somewhat decent performance, but Baby’s verse is forgettable at best as the two spit about getting money and moving weight. The first single off the album “Fireman” is good for what it does, but it, along with the two aforementioned tracks, sounds out of place on this album in terms of execution. Leaving them off would not only cut down on the album’s length, but improve its overall quality as well.

Overall, Tha Carter II picks up where its predecessor left off and improves upon it; it cuts away some of the inconsistencies that held back the first part and sees Lil Wayne continue to grow as an emcee. The production, minus a few missteps, is good and diverse, whether it be the loud rock influenced sound of “Best Rapper Alive” or the smooth, guitar plucks of “Shooter”. While it rarely moves away from the themes of money and hustling, Wayne’s flow and charisma makes up for it and the production is icing on the cake. With this album, Wayne gives some consistency to his career and finally establishes himself as one of the better emcees in the industry today. If he explores deeper topics in future efforts, there’s no reason that he shouldn’t be there to stay.

Final Rating: 4 Stars
Most Notable Tracks: Hustler Musik, Shooter, Get Over, Feel Me