Last month, Lil’ Wayne released his highly anticipated album, Tha Carter 5. This album is a follow up to the Tha Carter 4, which was released in 2011. The 23 track album is proof that Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. is still the G.O.A.T. Tha Carter 5 features artists like Travis Scott, Nivea, Kendrick Lamar and Nicki Minaj and honestly nobody came to play! The album has an ole’ school vibe, which probably comes from the fact that it initially started being recorded back in 2013.
The album starts off with a heartfelt message from Lil’ Wayne’s mother on the track I Love You Dwayne. The next track, Don’t Cry, you officially hear the lighter flick and you know shit is about to get real. Although I can’t say that this is an album where you don’t have to skip a track, I do have a select number of favorites. I am a huge Nicki Minaj fan, so naturally Dark Side of the Moon is in my top five. Between Nicki’s vocals and Lil’ Wayne’s bars, this song is a masterpiece. Subsequently, Mona Lisa comes next and Lil’ Wayne and Kendrick Lamar on one track feels like God’s gift to earth with the amount of talent presented in five minutes.
The last track I will mention is Famous which features vocals from Wayne’s daughter Reginae. This track is one of my favorites, because it reminds me of Lil’ Wayne’s track Drop the World ft. Eminem. It is also one of my favorites, because it is such an accurate interpretation of what it is like for celebrities who are living in the spotlight. Being famous comes with many positive and negative factors, which Wayne addresses in his lyrics. One line that stood out to me was when Lil’ Wayne raps, “Probably thought that my career be short and sweet. Wishin’ I was in your shoes, I’d take them off and find a beach.”
Overall, Lil’ Wayne released a quality album. I expected nothing less, and I am happy that he is now free from the legal battles he was facing with Birdman and able to freely release music. I wanted an album equivalent to the Tha Carter 3, but I still enjoyed listening to the Tha Carter 5 nonetheless.
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