Lil Wayne - Tha Carter IV

This is one of the lowest reviews ive seen? From what lil wayne has been putting out (im not a humanbeing, sorry 4 tha wait) which both were rubbish, this is good! this is enjoyable to listen to. not as good as carter III and definatly not up for album of the year (section 80) but still good music that i can still enjoy. a lil harsh dj booth

cant believe you rated it so high nathan!

I'm a huge lil wayne fan and i'm so disappointed in this crap! This isn't even close to the carter 3. I think Nathan is being very generous in giving it a 3 star rating.

This album is absolutely terrible, Wayne can't rap for shit anymore not to mention that the only good songs on the album don't have Wayne on them

This album will serve Tech N9ne well, hopefully people will stop sleepin' on him...

I should mention that the bonus track "Mirror" is a real dope song that should have been on the album

Nathan is being nice with his score and I don't like it
Top 5
1. Outro
2. Interlude
3.What you actually thought there were 5 good songs?

I really never got the big deal with Wayne.I always thought his work to be lacklustre,him and the rest of his YM gang.I never understand a thing when their music comes on.

The only thing that made the carter III one of the best albums of all time is the fact that it reached a million sells in one week, not all the tracks on that album were good. Same for carter IV,lil wayne is the best rapper right now and his audience has grown dramatically, so I wouldnt be surprised if he reaches 1.5 million sales within the first two weeks. The album is dope and the more you listen to it the more youll like it

On point @ C4, but since when is Kanye one of the best rappers alive?

His ego is so big right now he believes he could put out shit and it could sell. He'd be right though. Carter IV wasn't thaaaat bad though theres a few songs I would put in rotation: Blunt Blowing, Interlude, Outro, She Will, Megama. 3.5/5 accidentally clicked 5 stars

This Shit Was Awful. He Needs To Go Back To Jail

Worse weezy album to date... I am a big weezy fan but he has mixtapes better then this album... Carter 3 was 10 times better... Carter 2 was 20 times better... Sorry weezy for now I stay bumpin that Game R.E.D. Album.. Shit goes hard..

I can't disagree with you on this one, Nathan. Good review.

Very disappointing album. Only 3-4 good tracks and 1 of those doesnt even have Wayne on it.

Gotta disagree with the review on this one. I checked out other reviews on this album and they rate it fairly poorly as well. I can't believe people are saying the album is so disappointing. I agree that it's nowhere a classic, but I dont see much difference between this and Tha Carter III. I would say this CD is way underrated, just like I said that III was way overrated. Lyrically on III he was a little better, but on III he also made a little less sense. This is a slightly more cohesive album.

I also can't believe that most of the standout tracks were given they're well-deserved props. For the energy alone, 6 Foot 7 Foot is better than half of Tha Carter III. How To Love is one of the most creative songs he's done. Then you have amazing tracks like She Will, Nightmares of the Bottom, and So Special. Also liked Abortion and Megaman was pretty hard as well.

Definitely agree with Nathan when he mentioned he might be burnt out. On some songs Wayne sounds tired, like he's just over rap. I think he'd rather be pursuing his rock/pop aspirations but no one is taking him seriously in those kinds of genres. Kind of a bummer that be feels like maybe retiring but maybe he should. I definitely believe he can do better than Tha Carter III and Tha Carter IV. If he ever returned to mixtape Weezy form, maybe he would.

Interlude is good. Because it has very little wayne on it.

Good read man. I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said. I wasn't a fan of C3 but it was at least tolerable. I find it difficult to go through the entire C4 album.

I did a review of C4 on my blog and I went a different route on explaining why it sucked so much. You all should check it out

http://keepitfr3sh.blogspot.com/2011/08/fr3sh-take-why-tha-carter-iv-failed.html

Why Tha Carter IV failed?

You know its a bad album when the best songs don't have you on it and the best verse goes to the oldest guy in the building (Nas of course, who DESTROYED everything else...which is prolly why it came last) I'm a huge Wayne fan but I'll be the first to admit to his inconsistency. This is his worst effort since 500 Degrees (yeah I said it)

Has everyone forgotten about Kingdom Come? The trash came out when Jay came back and everybody acts like it never happened. But on the contrary Wayne simply dropped some of his best songs early, too early if you ask me. 6'7 is a monster, How to Love is a great break from the "I am beast" bravado, and they both came out before people even knew the damn release date. The album has holes. I don't know why T-Pain is still viable as a hook singer and I just can't get behind BluntBlowin just yet. Few more listens and I'll be more level headed but its not trash so stop being angry ppl

I thought the album was average Lil Wayne. The problem with Lil Wayne's music for me is that it's really hard to listen to the album all at once. I thought that Tha Carter III was a little better.

Some of my favorite songs:
1. Interlude
2. Mirror (which was on the bonus editiion)
3. Megaman

I thought this was better than Tha Carter III. The album was solid, I'm with J Roc on this one.

Yeah, this is not the best work from Wayne, but maybe this inconsistency is something that happens with big stars.Right now i would like see T-Pain's new album, but probably, the result will be the same as Weezy C4.

Agree with pretty much everything said, Nathan. To me, it's an expensive mixtape. And you're right— Watch The Throne is a much "better" album.

BUT, at the same time, consider this: The Carter IV is projected to sell 700,000 copies its first week. Almost double what WTT did after its release.

Artistically speaking, it's true that the Carter IV ain't much. But if Weezy sells more than any other rapper with C4 this year on top of the fan base, buzz and credibility he already has, does "art" really matter (depending on your perspective, obviously)?

Wayne has made a name for himself by consistently releasing new music (mixtapes, single, appearances, remixes, etc.). Often that music is of lower quality than what you would hear on a Kanye album, but he releases SO damn much of it (and some of it's legit and entertaining), that he's put himself in the "top rapper" conversation. And this has worked because we're reaching a "digital age" of music where fans want their music instantly.

So while hardcore listeners that appreciate music on a deeper level (like you, myself and commenters on hip-hop blogs) may scoff at an album like C4, I have a feeling that many other categories of listeners WILL appreciate it. And you'll see that on the Billboard charts.

And IF C4 is a slam-dunk commercially, and then he releases an album the following year that does similar numbers, who are we to say what's "classic?" It all depends on your perspective as a listener. All I can say is that numbers—especially if an artist CONSISTENTLY sells— don't lie.

Ahh man! Wayne has let me down here! cut me deep!
I am one of those with a Young Money poster on my wall and ive always stuck up for wayne but this is a poor album.

1) I dont understand why wayne doesnt spit on the interlude or outro. Cmon wayne, Carter 4 is your album and the best verse on the entire disc comes from Andre on interlude?!

2)Mirror has single potential written all over it and its a bonus tack?

3)Blunt blowin, 6 7 & John = garbage. John is rozays track, its tha carter 4 wayne, throw this shit on a mixtape... 6 7 is a milli gon wrong and blunt blowin is basic & whack

4) How to hate summed up nicely by Nath = D.O.A

5) How to love is the most enjoyable track but not for a hip hop album, not for the carter 4 !!!

Wayne you cant start dissin JayZ then drop this to attempt to dethrone the king. He just laughing at you right now.

When the top two songs on the album (Interlude and Outro) don't even feature the actual artist then that's a problem. Not only does that say the album's weak but the rapper too.

Lil Wayne's the most popular rapper in the game...not the best though.

Often in boxing, the true greatness of a fighter is not actually known when he is in his prime as he defeats opponent after opponent (read: beats) rather convincingly. It is only after he ages, slows down behind bars, and gets himself back into ring are we aware of just how good the fighter is or was! Armed with an appreciation of what makes Lil Wayne unique, as well as an appreciation of his mic skills and limitations, the question is, "How good is Lil Wayne?" The answer is good but not great.

While Lil Wayne is never expected to be the most technically riveting rapper, all Carter IV seems to do is retread old ground, and not even to the same standard as previous records. By no means there is a bad song on the album. In pieces each of these songs could stand on their own and be a perfectly serviceable Lil Wayne Track X. There are a few lines that make you smile and give respect. While he is still able to spit darts he is too incoherent and fly in too many different directions at time to form a cohesive song with hooks and choruses. In fact when you place these songs up against some of the others you have to wonder punchlines is all Lil Wayne truly desires to write.

There is stuff to like, especially when he gets a bit more conceptual with his writing, but it is more often than not covered in a format all too similar to listeners, and the songs are so short on content that the album's lasting appeal is limited. Bound together as a body of work however, it’s a semi-mainstream album without the energy and the flow that characterized much of Wayne’s previous work. That flow is what makes Weezy pop.

Now, I’m not going to say that Wayne can never regain his former greatness; I get the impression that he could still absolutely rip a track to shreds if he could only get himself excited about the prospect. And every so often, C4 crackles to life, and we hear flashes of the rap hero Wayne could still be. But even then it’s an exclusive acquired sound that doesn’t rank high with most rap fans even if it is done well. A perfect example would be "6 Foot 7 Foot" - with all the right elements, can only be passed off as old wine in a new bottle.

"Nightmares Of The Bottom" wafts along under the influence of a catchy piano melody, creating plenty of space, which Wayne adeptly fills with a strong performance. T-Wayne have already proven several times that they have a great chemistry together. And with "How To Hate" you are invested in the song even before Wayne starts rapping. When are these guys gonna do an album together?

"Mirror" has all the tried and tested ingredients to make it a hit with audiences. And is definitely the safest bet as a single. Bruno Mars swells to remarkable effect and Weezy delivers with an apt performance, lyrically not complex, yet Wayne cuts a lonely figure indeed; which is the intent of the song.

There are few tracks which don’t quite resonate time after time. The hook on "So Special" for instance don’t really come to a head, whilst "John" is not so much bad as it is unnecessary. "So Special" only garners a mention because it features 'always a pleasure to listen' John Legend. It is a decent song that is driven by its hook and Wayne doesn't do bad... but this is a part of the 'script' with the ladies, included because it fulfills the 'you want to give the females some shine' slot.

Production weakens this album. It’s not iconic, it’s not going to set off any trend. For the first four joints that blend together... you are left wondering there aren’t many speed changes on the album, but soon the album going to be jumping all over the place and needed better cohesion at times. The overall production is a reflection of everything hot from the last 2 years but while passable, it does complement Wayne’s style or his rhyme schemes.

Most of the instrumentals sounds like they were made from a “Lex Luger Drums Pack” and then assembled into slightly varied arrangment, but overall, unspectacular or flat. There is nothing wrong with going for a particular sound but these guys have the budget and contacts to be able to branch out and hit many different sounds instead of the same one again and again.

The other thing that holds the album back other than production is Wayne getting outshined on Carter IV. The problem with Wayne getting outshined on Carter IV is that at his best, he has proven he can hang capably with most of the people stealing the show on his album. Even Rick Ross. It isn’t so much that he’s sharing spotlight. It feels more like he’s asleep at the wheel, and they had to take the reigns. For some part, Wayne's presence isn’t even necessary (sometimes it’s literally nonexistent). The "Interlude" & "Outro" adds to the album, but everyone knows letting your feature artist body you is a no-no. If one were to insist on picking stand out verses, it is the ones done by Andre 3000 and Nas. Andre 3000's verse is easily the best of the entire effort in creativity and depth.

Even though “Carter III” was uber-hyped, it still is a quality album that you couldn’t help but want to slap on repeat. The Carter III was, for the most part, a great combination of both the ferocious pu$sy-monster that thrilled hip-hop fans with his unique wordplay and off-kilter multi-flows AND the charismatic Weezy F Baby who can apparently tear apart the charts by his mere presence.

I applaud and appreciate that Lil Wayne tries to bring drama (Abortion, Nightmares, Mirror) and variety (How To Love) to his music. I only wish he had took a little more time and done more of this. It would keep listeners hanging in and bring them back enough times for the less obvious qualities (punchlines over hard banging beats) of a Lil Wayne song. Simply put, Tha Carter IV has too much of mixtape Weezy in it... and you have probably gathered by now from Nathan's review, this is notably the inferior version.

Just as it seemed a simple task to anoint Wayne as a strong contender in the "Best Rapper Alive" heavyweight division during the "Drought 3" thru "Tha Carter III" era, it seems equally simple to dismiss the post-prison Wayne as a fraud. Though I suppose you could say that post-C3 and not really be wrong.

Undoubtedly the album will do good numbers all over the world. But it is not a stretch to say that much of the sales for the first week or more will owe it to the media hype and the brand name that Lil Wayne has become, and would be little related to what he actually accomplished in the ring... err... I mean studio.

My Top Picks:

1. Nightmares Of The Bottom 2. Interlude
3. How To Hate 4. President Carter
5. Abortion 6. Six Foot Seven Foot

Why do people love to bring up Kingdom Come?

What about Rebirth or anything pre-Tha Carter?

Or help about Encore? Or Nastradamous?

Every great rapper has dopped a dud...get over it.

i hate to say this but wtf u thinking im amazed im evening givin this 3 but i have to agree were the hell did the fire go from carter 2-3 thats what we lookin for hes lost it.

My favorite Carter Albums go in order 1,2,3,4.. this is the worst out of all of them I expected more from him the only songs I liked were singles months ago like 67 and john, the rest of the album fell short So Special and megaman are the only ones I can rock wit, I MISS THE OLD CARTER WAYNE!! I think its laughable for Wayne to think he better than jay that "diss" song was wack and the line was very forgettable. Ill keep WTT on repeat and wait on drakes album...

4 good songs tops on this album

smh...

This review reminds me of the review for Blueprint 3. What we need to remember when we listen to the album is that this is LIL WAYNE. Im not saying he is the best rapper alive but he clearly plays in a league of his own based on his style. Wayne doesnt write his songs and he stays true to this method on each album. I mean how many times do you need to hear Wayne say on a song how much he doesnt give a F*** for you to believe it. Lil wayne gives us music that is FUN to listen to. You dont need to break down lyrics, and analyze metaphors. Instead Weezy gives you raunchy dirty lyrics while also pitching some wordplay here and there. You dont need to listen to Wayne to enjoy his music. Pop in his cd and drive around. Like every song you'll zone out and if the music your listening to doesnt pull you back then you'll change it. If you drive around listening to Wayne you'll find yourself being like "wait...did he really just say that?"

So when Nathan disses lines like "You faker than some titties u get titty f*cked" that line gets immediately imprinted in ur mind so the next time you play the song you wait for that part and the next time you hear it..who knows, u might even say it with him. He's obviously not worrying about how clever he's being but just how raw he is.

Put yourself in Wayne's shoes...Why the hell is The carter not a classic when its clearly one of the most memorable albums of the century so far? Oh because he made party songs like Got Money and Lollipop and put them on the album? All Im sayin is the dude cares more about money than anyones opinion.

How is Wayne not taking risks Nathan? How to Love, ahem..Rebirth?!?!?! Not to mention his willingness to rap on any type of beat, song, melody hence No Ceilings and Sorry for the Wait.

When you review an album all you gotta do is sit down on the computer play the album from beginning to end while browsing ur Tumblr. Dont take a microscope to the song and just let it play in the background..if you find yourself continuously giving it attention then its good sh*t.

Technically speaking its not a great album but its still good sh*t. Every rapper creates a legacy based on their "look". When you think Kanye you think a certain way, same for JayZ, Tupac, Biggie, Nas. Wayne knows how he looks and isnt trading it off so he can try to compete lyrically with Jay and Cole. Maybe theres a reason Wayne had Misunderstood as the last track on The Carter 3.

So i wanna summarize what im saying it make it more clear. Nathan wants an album to be a steak filet mignon
Lil wayne and the carter 4 is an appetizer sampler cuz its everything you've had before but its always good.

P.S

Villematic>Watch the Throne> The Carter 4 and everything else in 2011 and yes including Take Care ..l.. Drake

"I'm a diamond in the rough like a baby in the trash" Lil Wayne

You know what? This is not even funny! I mean, "Game's corollary" at least provided some good jokes (and then he dropped a decent album), but this wack Lil Wayne (since Carter III) is just disturbing.

His "Rock album" was a travesty from the start, so I can't take it seriously as a fail, but this is actually the definitive proof of a "time when Lil Wayne went mediocre".

It's worse than a bad album: it's a BAD RAPPER's album!

agreed. The whole album sounded like a bad mixtape. Go get R.e.d. or The Throne if you need a good listen.

another underwhelming project from wayne

In all honesty, this is a very accurate review. Album is decent, but the productions on some of the tracks are borderline horrible, not to mention the recycled lines from Wayne.

I have to agree. To be a good rapper or a good rapper in fact one has to evolve musically and lyrically. Lil' Wayne has not... at all.
From the formulaic "line ..pause lame pun" rhyme structure from his heavy drum autotune production - lil' wayne hasnt changed at all since 2008 with the exception that his puns are really lame now.
LOL he has the nerve to diss HOV with such a crappy album as in really?

This is average at best. It is like he has become pretty, how should I put it, lazy lately. He has been dropping random punchlines, and nothing else. It's like he doesn't enjoy rap anymore. Excellent review Nathan.

I am sorry, did you really just say neck and neck with KANYE? Kanye? Kanye? Are you @*#$! serious? He is pathetic. I am pretty sure Nas is still in the game? Isn't he? Nas is far better than Jay-Z ever dream of being. I can't compare Eminem to Nas it wouldn't be right. Not because either one is better, just because one's white and the other is black. I think they are pretty neck and neck though. But Kanye? Dude, do you know anyone in the game? Kanye is down right... he just sucks. Busta Rhymes is amazing. So is The Game, along with Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg, they're still in the game, right? Kanye West wasn't neck and neck with Eminem, there's just no way in anyone's dreams that would even be thought of.

Now, The Carter lV to be honest I agree. It really wasn't all that. I have to agree with how you said he was better when he was young. I am not sure he is really focused on his music making right now, I really don't think he is. No Ciealings - Swag Surf. That song was great, correct me if I am wrong. I would give this album an average.

Reason being: Todays music is @*#$! up. Today there is hardly any rap. This CD is average for today that's all there is to it.

Lil Wayne clearly states in "Blunt Blowin" that he doesn't care anymore. "I don't give a lovely @*#$! ass nigga, with my money growin"

question: who's putting out classic albums? yeah there's always this first classic album then afterwards just bangers or worst. with carter iv there's no) difference (even the most beloved jay z didnt put out classic albums on every release) i've listen to the carter iv thru and thru and i feel this is just as good as any other carter releases with the exception of maybe carter i and ii, carter iii was in my opinion a banger but not a classic and carter iv is right in line with that. dj booth this is by far the worst rating ever and all you bloggers giving it a one star come on really? stop hating!

Just listend to this album...SOUNDS LIKE A MIXTAPE. Track 13 'president carter' is so shit, its shouldnt even be on a mixtape nevertheless an album.

I liked it. Not the best thing ever, but good.

There are probably 2-3 songs I actually like on this album. Very disappointed.