Lil Wayne The Carter III Review

Let it be known that I am far from one of these Lil Wayne fanatics who hang onto every word that he says. I am often disappointed with the state of Hip-Hop or mainstream Hip-Hop because there is a difference. I am still feeling some type of way that Common was not even mentioned in the Hottest MC’s or even MTV’s Honorable mention. But MTV sucks and we all know that they by no means represent the real Hip-Hop.

With that said Lil Wayne’s new album The Carter III is CRACK! Like I can’t feel my face because it’s numb CRACK! With all the anticipation for this album there are many a critic who are running around the Internet making false claims. Claiming Weezy has lost it, the album sucks ect. Ect. I cannot conform to these fair-weather fans, their empty screams sound just as ridiculous as the dude on MTV who was fighting to get Soulja Boy on the top ten (yea, I’m still not over that).

Now before I go any further, is the Carter III comparable to Reasonable Doubt, Illmatic, or Ready To Die. Not at all, those albums are classics and you would be hard pressed to find an artist who could prepare such a lethal album in the current state of Hip-Hop. However one cannot deny that Wayne is one of the hottest mainstream rappers right now.

Let’s get to the album, did he not rip it on 3-Peat, Mr. Carter, A Milli. I mean he starts the album off with a mean flow and witty lines. He and Jay trade bars like ferocious animals on Mr. Carter. Hov himself passes the torch and calls Wayne the heir to the throne. I think Wayne has come along way; I would like to see him focus on more than hit punch lines and actually start saying something valuable. The pyramids were not built in a day, everything is a process and on this album along side his typical swagger and punch line filled rhymes Wayne goes beneath the surface and says some things with some depth on the album. It is always good to see an artist grow!

Mrs. Officer is a certified summer banger; I’m already riding around with the sunroof open letting that joint blare out the speakers. Props to the joint with David Banner, it has that real deep dirty South feel. That Mississippi, New Orleans, Texas feel, which is major that with all this success Weezy can pay respect to his roots and turn the mainstream onto it.

Not to many features on here but those that are on the album are notable. More specifically when Fab meets Wayne meets Juelz we have a nice mix. I haven’t seen Fab spitting like this since he was on the Clue Mixtapes. Now that’s how you let the build beat b****. Another banger for you pump around the way. First I want you to Phone Home then go play in some fire. The production on this album is amazing, hands down.

Concept wise, can you really hate on the genius of Dr. Carter. The game needs a heart shock, something to revive it and this concept, delivery and flow make it one of the hottest tracks on the album….. I saved yo life! I guess hip Hop ain’t dead. Shoot me down, the slow and weak cannot comprehend it and I will not break it down for you.  Tie my Hands, after his completely ignorant statement about New Orleans in the interview I posted on the blog a few weeks ago, I was happy to see him acknowledge the sad state of New Orleans and the disenfranchisement people of color.

Last but certainly not least did Wayne get political on Misunderstood. Did Wayne go and sample Nina Simone and try to put some soul on this. My only complaint here is that Common just used this same sample not even a year ago. In my opinion Common’s version was better but nevertheless the best part of the song was Wayne’s personal reflection on what’s going on with the state of black people and how it relates to the law. His words for Al Sharpton were tough but I felt them. Like if you are not going to reach out and help a young brother improve then please do not say anything at all. All in all I give the album 4/5, it is not a classic but it is definitely a good effort put forth by Wayne!

“I’m, you know, not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans, because I don’t think anyone should be unkind to anyone else. And so, I have been very concerned about how to think and what to do about that because I don’t like … that. And then I’ve been, this, you know, concerned about, oh, how should we deal with the Olympics, because they’re not being nice to the Dali Lama who is a good friend of mine. And then all this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and I thought, is that karma? When you’re not nice that the bad things happen to you?” Sharon Stone

Thousands of people have died and Sharon Stone has the nerve to make such a statement. I am baffled by people’s disregard for tragedies and their lack of respect for the people who lose their lives to such conditions. The people of China do not deserve to be disrespected in this way, and we wonder why people hate Americans. This cocky way of passing judgment upon other nations and its people is disgusting!

SWAY from MTV and his cronies have lost all credibility. Like it was bad enough that the list of hottest mc’s was horrible. Like how is Rick Ross 5 spots above Andre 3000. How is Common not on the list at all? And how do you have a lengthy discussion about Soulja Boy. Like for real now Soulja boy is considered rap, what were the lyrics to that song again! GTFOH

How is the deciding factor, LYRICS? Seriously Sway I had a decent amount of respect for you but to allow this trash to be representative of the hottest MC’s is really disheartening. It just furthers that the merging of Hip Hop and mainstream is the death of Hip Hop as an art form and the creation of a very lucrative business.

So I click back to MTV.com and I see that they have an honorable mention list. TRASH! Like Kick Rocks MTV and your cronies who know nothing about what Hip Hop is, or what it means to be an MC. This should be the hottest ringtones list, like just because you create a buzz with some bubble gum rap does not mean you are an MC.

Like Talib Kweli put out an amazing album this year, I knew he wasn’t going to get any love because he’s under the radar. But for Common to not even get an Honorable Mention, all of you so called Hip Hop heads lose your credibility. Kanye West, just how you have spazzed about your own injustices in the past, I need for one of your tirades right now about fellow G.O.O.D. Music artist Common. Sway, get some balls and put a real squad of hip hop heads together and make a real list. You have to man, you have to save your credibility on this one fam, Hip Hop needs You!

MTV SUCKS SUCKA FILLED RATHER THAN SUCKA FREE!

This Just in:

Nas changes controversial album title

May 19, 2008, 01:44 PM | by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Current Affairs, Music, Music Biz

A representative for Def Jam has confirmed to EW.com that hip-hop artist Nas has made an eleventh-hour decision to change the title of his new album from N—– to simply Nas. The Queens rapper sparked a heated debate last fall when he announced the provocative title for his upcoming ninth record, but last October, Island Def Jam Music Group chair Antonio “L.A.” Reid publicly denied widespread reports that label execs were uncomfortable with his decision. “We stand firmly behind and beside our artists with pride and with pleasure,” Reid told MTV News at the time. “Anything Nas wants to do, I completely stand beside him.”

But in an interview with MTV News last week, Nas suggested that he was facing renewed pressure: “Everybody is trying to stop the title…. Record stores are gonna have a problem in this day and time selling a record with that title. Who knows what’s gonna turn out and be on that title? Who knows what that title will be?” The politically-charged self-titled CD is due in stores July 1. For more of Nas’ thoughts on his new music, check EW’s summer music preview coverage in print on Friday.

Courtesy of:
http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/

As Hov would say POLITICS AS USUAL

MTV Sucks for thinking that their horrible round table discussion about who the hottest MC’s in the game right now is relevant. I am just amazed about how these commentators view Hip-Hop! Big Daddy Kane, KRS 1, Rakim, Kool G. Rap are constantly disrespected via this mainstream Hip-Hop nonsense.

Their arguing who the Hottest MC is and have the nerve to have a serious debate about Soulja Boy. Like are you serious, now all of the sudden Soulja Boy is a staple in Hip - Hop. Lyrics were at the bottom of their discussion every time. This debate alone destroys the credibility of this list.

AND WHERE THE F*** IS COMMON ON THE LIST? MTV SUCKS

HOTTEST MC’S IN THE GAME

10. T.I.

9. Andre 3000

8. Young Jeezy

7. Lupe Fiasco

6. 50 Cent

5. Snoop Dogg

4. Rick Ross

3. Lil Wayne

2. Jay-Z

1. Kanye West

CONGRATS TO YEEZY, I JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW COMMON IS NOT EVEN ON THE LIST. THE NUMBERS ARE ALL MESSED UP!

We ain’t thugs for the sake of just being thugs. Nobody do that where we grew at nigga duh. The poverty line we not above so out comes the mask and gloves cause we ain’t feeling the love. We ain’t doing crime for the sake of doing crime, we moving dimes cus we ain’t doing fine. 1 out of 3 of us is locked up doing time; you know what that type of shit can do to a niggas mind. My mind on my money, money on my mind if you owe me ten dollars you ain’t giving me nine. Yall ain’t give me forty acres and a mule so I got my glock 40 now I’m cool and if al sharpton is speaking for me. Somebody get him the word and tell him I don’t approve. Tell him ill remove the curses, if you tell me our schools gon be perfect. When Jena 6 don’t exist tell em that’s when ill stop saying bitch, biiitchhhh!!!!!

Jay – Z “SAY HELLO”
American Gangster

In the 2003 Fade to Black DVD, Jay-Z referenced taking time out in his music to address what’s going on in the hood, asking his peers, “am I wrong to do that, to have those feelings.” Well on the last verse of Say Hello from Jay’s latest album American Gangster, Jay addresses many inherent issues within the black community, its duality is indescribable, just vibe with me!

We ain’t thugs for the sake of just being thugs….. True but false, we live in environments where many feel that they have no other options but to resort to a criminal lifestyle because of the lack of resources to education, and job training to achieve that American Dream. However, we also live in a time where the commercialization of hard times has become intriguing to many youth. In fear of not being respected our youth are imitating thug lifestyles in an effort to replicate what they see on television and hear in songs.

The poverty line we not above so out comes the mask and gloves…….. True indeed, many of our families are living below the poverty line, suffering, living from check to check. So out comes the mask and gloves…. Wait a minute, who is this mask and glove being used to hide? Who is the victim of these tools the perpetrator you so vividly paint chooses to use while committing his crime that he’s not doing for the sake of committing crime? More than likely, people who look just like you, live in similar conditions as you, creating a vicious cycle of survival of the fittest in our communities!

1 out of 3 of us is locked up doing time…………. Oh I know what that type of thing can do to a brother’s mind, to a young man’s self esteem. When your peers are being hauled away in record numbers to institutions of enslavement, better known as prisons! However, thread this story together; already Hov has answered some of his own questions, showing you the circumstances which desperately rape our communities of our brothers.

Yall ain’t give me forty acres and a mule……….. So you got your Glock 40 now you’re cool. No….. Not cool, that’s misplaced anger. They did that to us, well who is they, is this “the proverbial man” who keeps his foot on top of the black man’s throat? No! This is a historical reference, reflective of the United States and promises that were made to people of color that were not fulfilled. Moreover, it’s institutionalized racism that Jay is talking about and how it affects the neighborhoods we live in. The lack of resources and awareness on how to achieve in this land of American opportunity. Back to this Glock 40, this gun, our anger and despair for a system that oppresses us is quite valid but to then take out that same anger on our own people only furthers a system of destruction upon us as a community.

And if Al Sharpton is speaking for me………. Say no more my brother; many feel that the Old Guard of leadership is out of touch with the issues of today’s generation. A few months ago I saw Sharpton attacking Nas over his new album title “NIGGER”. I thought, we have to get better communication within our community of leadership! Nas shouldn’t have to hear via MTV news that Al Sharpton has a problem; Sharpton should contact Nas directly and feed him some knowledge and wisdom as a younger brother. We should respect our elders and in turn they should respect us and what we are trying to create as an innovative and creative group of young people.

Instead, we need to openly communicate about issues respectfully and provide viable solutions to these problems. Because once again, I hear anger within ourselves when we truly should be coming together to fight against systems of inequality and their injustices. Sharpton can’t make the schools better and neither can Jay, but with an agenda targeting urban public school systems WE Can. Targeting legislation used to fund educational programs in underserved communities, using our right to vote, utilizing our freedom of speech against the ills that plague us, We Can. By reinvesting in our own communities and not spending our dollar in everyone else’s the minute it’s earned, we can create economic prosperity and create opportunity within our neighborhoods. Then the mask and gloves don’t have to come out because they are only hurting us. There’s an awareness issue in the hood, there’s misplaced anger in the hood, it’s time now that we unite together and build with each other to create an agenda and Make It Happen! 1
C. Shine