Lil Wayne, The Carter V and Rap Today

The first few sentence of this piece have to do two things. That’s reference the greatness that this the “Best Rapper Alive” (Wayne, duh), and state outright, that as one of the biggest Wayne fans alive today, “I’m not bias at all in my review of Tha Carter V and my slight to modern trap” (Love it but got too). Lil Wayne, as most people would refer to him, doesn’t necessarily re-emerge into Rap relevance with the release of his 42nd project, Tha Carter V. Rather, he re-affirms his position in the Hip-Hop HOF by finally returning to the style, tempo, flow, and delivery of his pre-Carter IV work. Don’t get me wrong. I’m definitely with the current wave(s) of music. From the fluid, but crazy hi-hats in every trap song, to mumble rap, to rock rap (as I like to call it i.e Uzi, Juice WRLD), rap has moved in a direction no Facebook group Hip-Hop expert could’ve predicted. With the incorporation of 2-minute rushed, quick tempo-ed style of Rap, every flow is starting to mimic the next. While lyrics and delivery obviously account for something, the similarities in flows between the likes of ASAP Rocky, 21 Savage, Wayne, and even J. Cole are too overt to miss. The difference between all of these rappers’ 2013 and now is simple. All of these rappers started off with slow cadences, riding beats at their creative will. Today, all of these rappers, who all started their careers before 2013 except 21, rush their raps in a way that makes them seem as bad as Drake’s biting. Figures like ASAP Rocky and 21 Savage (two of my favorite artist) started their careers with slower, chill content. - “What does that have to do with Lil Wayne”, you might ask? Well...he did it too.

We all know that Wayne’s bars have been delivered in a plethora of ways, but like I said, “since the Carter III, Wayne ain't been the same”. The Carter V reveals the side of Wayne that only shows itself after playing one of his classics and having to subsequently follow that first up with another like a Lays chip. Of course it mixes the brand of Rap that Thug and Future popularized during their respective meteoric rises, but most artist are anyway is my point. It’s refreshing to hear Wayne use the two styles simultaneously, navigating the more modern style more comfortably than he has to date. Songs like Don’t Cry and Let It Fly, dawn younger more trendy rappers, but Wayne definitely outshines them while remaining honest to his bread and butter. Metaphors and wordplay. It also helps that he isn’t just spewing words randomly on a beat. Now, most of his songs on this project have purpose and a feeling. The return to his peak self even put him at least on par with today’s undisputed great, Kendrick Lamar in Mona Lisa. Did he murder him? Of course not! But how many people saw that coming after projects like Dedication 6 and Sorry 4 The Wait 2 from Wayne. I prayed for it, but was honestly not expecting such an even, lyrical and creative battle between two “first ballot Hall of Famers”, as Stephen A. Smith would say it.