Written by Danielle Adelaide Cairo
Lil Wayne’s newly released album Tha Carter VI, is a hell of an album to summarize.
Lil Wayne is one of the best rappers to exist in our generation, with his intricate use of word play, creative metaphors, and an effortless ability to rap over various beats captivates his audience at an instant. His current work is far different from his old, but fans still rejoice in his former provocative lyricism. His twangy vocals and use of metaphorical schemes will always be ingrained in hip-hops image for years to come.
Throughout the album, Wayne seems to rejoice in the happiness that consumes his life now, unlike his 2011 album Tha Carter IV, a time when incarceration was publicized in which he shrugged unwanted attention and stated “It’s Good. This is Wayne’s World, and y’all are just some tourists.” On track number eight, “Cotton Candy”, Wayne idiosyncratically plays on metaphors about cocaine, “Twenty-five lines on the dresser, Ran off the plug like a tesla, Coke make her sneeze, God Bless her…”
Lil Wayne has evolved from who he was in his youth and he doesn’t move the same creatively. However, that doesn’t mean he’s not a master at the rap game. Throughout Tha Carter VI, Wayne focuses on many well known old-school hip-hop references. On “Bells,” Wayne Samples LL Cool J’s 1985 song “Rock the Bells,” rapping over that notorious bass reverb that’s hard to miss. “Banned from NO” samples N.O.R. E’s 1998 song “Banned from TV,” which also referenced Wayne’s 2009 mixtape Banned From TV. The beat is built around an interpretation of the 1998 song. “Banned from NO” also samples “Drag Rap” by The Show Boys (1986) around when Wayne raps “Nothin’ getting between me and the team, not even a hyphen.”
On the song “Maria” he includes a shout out to the legendary Missy Elliott, an acknowledgement to his rap hero. Wayne has openly spoken about the major inspiration Missy Elliott has on his artistry. She has inspired his vocals in his early work like “Tha Block Is Hot” and “Block Burner.” “Maria” has a unique disembodiment, featuring an arrangement of hip-hop and opera with Andrea Bocelli singing “Ave Maria” in the background.
It’s understandable why Tha Carter VI album doesn’t induce chaos like Lil Wayne’s other work has in the past. It’s not that he isn’t relevant anymore, but most likely that his framework has changed. Before, his albums were about the traumas that haunted him throughout life, but now he’s expressing that he’s a testament that life can change over time. No doubt, Wayne is still a mastermind of his craft, in “Mula Komin” he pairs with his son Lil Novi stating “That’s Lil Mula, That’s my son he my youngest… He’s f***** your daughter, I’m f***** your woman.”
Lil Wayne is a self-defining artist, time after time he proves his importance to the world with his evocative lyrics. As years come the context of his work might change, but his essence will never differ from greatness.
