Rapper: Lil Wayne
Release: July 13, 2011
Comments: No “sorry” allowed. Here we have Lil Wayne gettin’ all apologetic and shit. Damn, Tez! I haven’t eagerly been awaiting Tha Carter. When it comes to hip-hop and rap, I never really await. I stumble upon. Now Weezy, if I had to say so myself, is the best mainstream rapper nowadays. In life in general I am a big fan of weird references and word play. Wayne connects this-to-that with uncanny ease. It is great. A majority of the tracks on Sorry are freestyles. This means minimal bullshit and optimal spitting. My favorite effort is “Gucci Gucci” — far better than the Kreayshawn original…this one is loaded with plenty of Weezy-isms: “My life is a movie, I got a leading lady; My rooftop drop back like Tom Brady” (Simple comparison/simile). “You’re a dead man walking: Michael Jackson Thriller” (Equality, facts). “Racks” does come close in terms of quality of material coming out of his mouth per second. “Real nigga since day one/Cause I ain’t promised day two/Throw that pussy at me/Bitch, I think I’m Babe Ruth.” And it goes on and on. It’s tough to select Weezy passages. Weezy’s rambling on the slow tempo “Marvin’s Room” fits quite well with the lyrics and stuff. I’ll stop here. Wayne is pretty divisive – love ’em, hate ’em. If you dislike him, this won’t change anything. If you’ve never listened to a Lil Wayne song and are open to rap, please do go ahead and give this a listen. Fans will appreciate it, I’m sure.
Grade: A-
Rapper: Lil Wayne
Release: 10/2010
Label: Young Money
1. “Gonorrhea” – B
2. “Hold Up” – C+
3. “With You” – A-
4. “I Am Not A Being Human” – C-
5. “I’m Single” – C+
6. “What’s Wrong With Them” – B+
7. “Right Above It” – A
8. “Popular” – B-
9. “That Ain’t Me” – B-
10. “Bill Gates” – B
Comments: Lil Wayne is an interesting fellow. He has an adoration of playing around with words. He particularly utilizes metaphor and simile. His rhymes range from cheesy Weezy to fairly intelligent and thoughtful. Beats have never really been a focal point for Weezy, especially on non-singles. He almost can’t be taken seriously, nor can his guest rappers, but some how they always end up with something called a song. It’s striking. On the R&B slow jam “With You,” we get a good sense of what Wayne is capable of in terms of sensible writing. He effectively tells a romantic story without much effort. What I’m saying is “With You” doesn’t sound forced or random. “Tonight it’s moonlight and candles and shit.” That’s all. It’s so Human Being. Imitating Beastie Boys rock-rap style isn’t Weezy’s thing. He made a terrible rock-esque album earlier this year, didn’t he? Let Wayne shine. He doesn’t need power beats or abrasive guitars. I was expecting Nicki Minaj to rap not sing a chorus on her feature in “What’s Wrong,” but I must say she doesn’t do that bad of a job. Wayne’s verses are solid. “Right Above It” was the first single (featuring Drake) from this record and contains the record’s most distinguishable beat/chorus. It deserves all the accolades it has/is getting. I didn’t expect much out of this relatively short LP. There are high points and other points that just seem to exist without much fanfare.
Grade: B- (82)
Examiner
Rapper Lil Wayne, real name Dwayne M. Carter Jr., was sentenced to one year in prison Thursday for attempted weapons possession charges, the Associated press reported. He remains free on a $30,000 bail.
The rapper changed his plea from not guilty to guilty Thursday. He was originally charged with illegal gun possession charges when police found a gun on his tour bus back in 2007. That charge carried at least 3 1/2 years in jail upon conviction.
Arguably rap’s most popular artist and one of pop’s biggest acts, the 27-year-old will remain free on bail while awaiting his February sentencing.
Sucks you for you, Little.
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