Tweet
Interesting read. I agree with alot of it. Only reason I knew about it is because Diddy retweeted it sometime yesterday and it caught my eye.
REVOLT | Can Lil Wayne Cement His Legacy With 'Tha Carter 5'?
what yall think?
ARTICLE BELOW
"At the moment, it looks like Lil Wayne's Tha Carter V is just a few months away. At a recent show in New Orleans, Drake announced that the fifth installment of Wayne's celebrated series (and, according to Wayne, his last album) will arrive May 5, and after a fake track list of the LP leaked on Friday, it looks like album season is officially underway.
If this is truly Wayne's last hurrah, it could mean more than just the end of an era. It could also mean that the artist who seems to perform best with his back against the wall will once again have something to prove. The once self-proclaimed best rapper alive has clearly been running low on inspiration as of late, with raps that seem to focus mostly on TrukFit, sex organs, guns, and not much else. Now, with his legacy potentially at stake, his looming retirement could reignite the fire that fueled a once-brilliant career.
By early 2005, the Cash Money glory days were long gone. The marquee artists that had built the Cash Money empire were long gone, Mannie Fresh – who had been instrumental in creating the Cash Money sound – had just jumped ship, and rumors began to swirl that Jay Z had been courting Wayne to join the Def Jam roster. To say things were looking bleak for Birdman’s imprint would’ve been an understatement. But Wayne stayed put, and via deciding to stay with the label he had begun his career with, he now had to not only prove that everyone should take notice that he was next in line for hip-hop’s throne, but also that turning down an offer from the God MC wasn’t going to be a career-ending decision. A newly rejuvenated Wayne dropped the platinum Tha Carter II later that year, and throughout the next two years bombarded the internet and airwaves with a slew of freestyles, remixes, guest appearances, and collaborative projects, all of which helped to cement his status as one of the most prolific rappers the world had ever seen.
At the time, it was well-established that he could rap with the best of them, but what wasn’t clear was whether Wayne really had the potential to become a superstar. The amount of interest, hype, and shear excitement he singlehandedly built leading up to the release of 2008’s Tha Carter III left many questioning his ability to make the transition. But, as we all know, those questions were answered and naysayers were silenced with the release of his No. 1 single, “Lollipop.” Tha Carter III ended up selling more than one million copies in its first week and went on to be the highest-selling album of 2008, with Wayne simultaneously becoming one of pop culture’s most ubiquitous figures.
As Wayne continued to ascend to pop supremacy, he seemingly fell in love with auto-tune (a vocal effect equally embraced by T-Pain and Kanye West) and began to rely more on catchy melodies than on hard-hitting rhymes. Critics began to argue that he could no longer compete with hip-hop's elite lyricists, arguing that he had lost it, sold out, and was too pop – until he delivered No Ceilings. The 16-track mixtape showcased Lil Wayne the lyricist in his purest form. The collection was full of wit, charm, swagger, ferocious deliveries, and insanely ill punchlines. Oh, and there wasn’t even a trace of auto-tune.
When Wayne began his 8-month stint in New York’s Rikers Island Correction Facility – only a few months after the release of No Ceilings – he left many wondering what type of effect prison would have on him. His first official release following the stint was the monstrous “6’7". After the failed attempt at rock music that was 2010’s Rebirth and the underwhelming I Am Not a Human Being (also released in 2010) it seemed Wayne was ready to return to his glory days with the Top-10 single that spawned lines like “Real Gs move in silence like lasagna.” The next few months saw Wayne continuing to deliver satisfyingly killer verses on Ace Hood’s remix to “Hustle Hard,” Kelly Rowland’s “Motivation” and his own Rick Ross-assisted “John.”
The first indicator of the mediocrity that was to soon come was the mixtape Sorry 4 The Wait, followed by a series of lackluster albums like Tha Carter IV and I Am Not a Human Being II, largely disappointing mixtapes like Dedication 4 and 5, and countless easily-forgettable guest appearances. These albums, tapes, and features weren’t entirely bad, per se, but they all lacked the hunger and effort of an artist interested in convincing the world that he was still the best rapper alive, and maybe that was because the focus had changed for Wayne.
Maybe he's grown too concerned with the success of YMCMB (by now, Drake and Nicki Minaj have become global superstars in their own rights), or maybe being the best skating rapper alive is where his heart now lies, or maybe promoting Trukfit (he began to rap about the clothing line every chance he got) is more along the lines of what Wayne has planned for his future, post-rap. Either way, he clearly has a lot going on, and maybe rap is no longer the focal point of his existence. Or maybe, just maybe, he had essentially accomplished everything he set out to accomplish in hip-hop and conquered every obstacle he faced – until now, that is.
In August of last year, just as the likes of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and A$AP Rocky were celebrating their nominations for MTV Video Music Awards, Wayne took to Twitter to apologize to his fans for his lack of nominations at both the VMAs and the BET Awards and promised to work harder even if it kills him. What will this mean for the development of Tha Carter V? Potentially, great music from a man who knows just how to make it.
Aside from Drake’s involvement and a tentative release date, details on C5 are scarce, but if he’s really committed to working harder, those who were initially fearful that this album would be just another release should be a little at ease. The timing of this Wayne revelation coincides perfectly with the release of his supposedly final offering, and he’s reached a moment is his career where he needs to be as focused as ever. This of course may actually end up not being his last album, but in the event that it is, he has to come correct. Jay Z has released four solo albums since giving us his “retirement” album, The Black Album, but for many fans, that album is considered to be the last real Jay album, and perhaps his best since The Blueprint.
Lil Wayne officially has something left to prove - to himself, to his fans, to his detractors - and the release of Tha Carter V will determine whether he can deliver on his commitment, produce a final statement worthy of one of the best to ever do it, and answer the question of whether he is, in fact, still Weezy F. Baby, the beast who once told us to feed him rappers or feed him beats."
REVOLT | Can Lil Wayne Cement His Legacy With 'Tha Carter 5'?
what yall think?
ARTICLE BELOW
"At the moment, it looks like Lil Wayne's Tha Carter V is just a few months away. At a recent show in New Orleans, Drake announced that the fifth installment of Wayne's celebrated series (and, according to Wayne, his last album) will arrive May 5, and after a fake track list of the LP leaked on Friday, it looks like album season is officially underway.
If this is truly Wayne's last hurrah, it could mean more than just the end of an era. It could also mean that the artist who seems to perform best with his back against the wall will once again have something to prove. The once self-proclaimed best rapper alive has clearly been running low on inspiration as of late, with raps that seem to focus mostly on TrukFit, sex organs, guns, and not much else. Now, with his legacy potentially at stake, his looming retirement could reignite the fire that fueled a once-brilliant career.
By early 2005, the Cash Money glory days were long gone. The marquee artists that had built the Cash Money empire were long gone, Mannie Fresh – who had been instrumental in creating the Cash Money sound – had just jumped ship, and rumors began to swirl that Jay Z had been courting Wayne to join the Def Jam roster. To say things were looking bleak for Birdman’s imprint would’ve been an understatement. But Wayne stayed put, and via deciding to stay with the label he had begun his career with, he now had to not only prove that everyone should take notice that he was next in line for hip-hop’s throne, but also that turning down an offer from the God MC wasn’t going to be a career-ending decision. A newly rejuvenated Wayne dropped the platinum Tha Carter II later that year, and throughout the next two years bombarded the internet and airwaves with a slew of freestyles, remixes, guest appearances, and collaborative projects, all of which helped to cement his status as one of the most prolific rappers the world had ever seen.
At the time, it was well-established that he could rap with the best of them, but what wasn’t clear was whether Wayne really had the potential to become a superstar. The amount of interest, hype, and shear excitement he singlehandedly built leading up to the release of 2008’s Tha Carter III left many questioning his ability to make the transition. But, as we all know, those questions were answered and naysayers were silenced with the release of his No. 1 single, “Lollipop.” Tha Carter III ended up selling more than one million copies in its first week and went on to be the highest-selling album of 2008, with Wayne simultaneously becoming one of pop culture’s most ubiquitous figures.
As Wayne continued to ascend to pop supremacy, he seemingly fell in love with auto-tune (a vocal effect equally embraced by T-Pain and Kanye West) and began to rely more on catchy melodies than on hard-hitting rhymes. Critics began to argue that he could no longer compete with hip-hop's elite lyricists, arguing that he had lost it, sold out, and was too pop – until he delivered No Ceilings. The 16-track mixtape showcased Lil Wayne the lyricist in his purest form. The collection was full of wit, charm, swagger, ferocious deliveries, and insanely ill punchlines. Oh, and there wasn’t even a trace of auto-tune.
When Wayne began his 8-month stint in New York’s Rikers Island Correction Facility – only a few months after the release of No Ceilings – he left many wondering what type of effect prison would have on him. His first official release following the stint was the monstrous “6’7". After the failed attempt at rock music that was 2010’s Rebirth and the underwhelming I Am Not a Human Being (also released in 2010) it seemed Wayne was ready to return to his glory days with the Top-10 single that spawned lines like “Real Gs move in silence like lasagna.” The next few months saw Wayne continuing to deliver satisfyingly killer verses on Ace Hood’s remix to “Hustle Hard,” Kelly Rowland’s “Motivation” and his own Rick Ross-assisted “John.”
The first indicator of the mediocrity that was to soon come was the mixtape Sorry 4 The Wait, followed by a series of lackluster albums like Tha Carter IV and I Am Not a Human Being II, largely disappointing mixtapes like Dedication 4 and 5, and countless easily-forgettable guest appearances. These albums, tapes, and features weren’t entirely bad, per se, but they all lacked the hunger and effort of an artist interested in convincing the world that he was still the best rapper alive, and maybe that was because the focus had changed for Wayne.
Maybe he's grown too concerned with the success of YMCMB (by now, Drake and Nicki Minaj have become global superstars in their own rights), or maybe being the best skating rapper alive is where his heart now lies, or maybe promoting Trukfit (he began to rap about the clothing line every chance he got) is more along the lines of what Wayne has planned for his future, post-rap. Either way, he clearly has a lot going on, and maybe rap is no longer the focal point of his existence. Or maybe, just maybe, he had essentially accomplished everything he set out to accomplish in hip-hop and conquered every obstacle he faced – until now, that is.
In August of last year, just as the likes of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and A$AP Rocky were celebrating their nominations for MTV Video Music Awards, Wayne took to Twitter to apologize to his fans for his lack of nominations at both the VMAs and the BET Awards and promised to work harder even if it kills him. What will this mean for the development of Tha Carter V? Potentially, great music from a man who knows just how to make it.
Aside from Drake’s involvement and a tentative release date, details on C5 are scarce, but if he’s really committed to working harder, those who were initially fearful that this album would be just another release should be a little at ease. The timing of this Wayne revelation coincides perfectly with the release of his supposedly final offering, and he’s reached a moment is his career where he needs to be as focused as ever. This of course may actually end up not being his last album, but in the event that it is, he has to come correct. Jay Z has released four solo albums since giving us his “retirement” album, The Black Album, but for many fans, that album is considered to be the last real Jay album, and perhaps his best since The Blueprint.
Lil Wayne officially has something left to prove - to himself, to his fans, to his detractors - and the release of Tha Carter V will determine whether he can deliver on his commitment, produce a final statement worthy of one of the best to ever do it, and answer the question of whether he is, in fact, still Weezy F. Baby, the beast who once told us to feed him rappers or feed him beats."
Comment