MUSIC REVIEWS
Lil' Wayne - The Carter, Vol. II
David Allun Jones
From the start, Lil’ Wayne called himself one of the greatest. Yeah, every rapper seems to be believe that they should be in the Top 5 list, but coming from a pint -sized teenager letting off super-sized threats, such boasts made him one to watch. As the Cash Money army splintered off in their own directions, a loyal Wayne remained home, replacing Juvenile and BG as Cash Money’s MVP with a determinination to succeed his idol Jay Z as the new Titan of Hip Hop. Seemingly out of nowhere, thanks to a slew of mixtape releases and 2004’s solid The Carter, whispers that Wayne could actually achieve such a goal became a little more pronounced. Now President of Cash Money, Lil’ Wayne’s evolution into a grown man and up-and-coming hip hop frontrunner continues on this second installment of The Carter series.
Fiery, cocksure and more hungry than ever, a relentless Wayne shines all over The Carter II. He wants to shatter the stereotype that Southern rappers can’t rap and he effortlessly does so, abandoning over-the-blown crossover attempts and glittery beats of Mannie Fresh for a evened LP of straight, hardcore post-gangsta rap gangsta rap. He makes little time for choruses on a handful of tracks, endlessly spitting ominous street talk through tightened jaw with a spooky chant-like delivery that seems more accustomed to voodoo than hip hop.
Though the focus is on the lyrics, the production doesn’t necessarily fall by the wayside. The beats are just as dark and looming, remaining as soulful and hungry as Wayne himself, with an impending sense of doom always hovering near. “Fireman” predicts destruction with it’s wall of swirling sirens and hard hitting bottom, the drug-hazed “Mo Fire” plods along a catchy reggae loop and “Money On My Mind” tackles the chopped and screwed sound of Swishahouse. Other moments find Wayne biting off Jay Z’s soul-sampled glory to great effect. The Carter II’s most alarming musical moment arrives on “Shooter”, an oddly magnetic duet with blue-eyed soul vocalist Robin Thicke. Supported by intricate ragga phrasing and live instrument-played New Orleans funk, the song’s strange stick-up metaphor and weird musical diversions add to the song’s mysterious allure making it his most off-kilter record to date.
The Carter II’s greatest feat is that Wayne has succeeded in creating an album that’s more well-rounded than not only his Southern rap counterparts but the East Coast emcees he obviously favors as well. The only thing holding Wayne back from a bonafide classic is a wider scope in lyrical content, and a little more soul searching could fix that real quick. By the time he’s dropped the fifth Carter (he plans to release five, then retire), he could most likely reach the near God-like stature of Jay Z. Volume II is convincing enough that he’s on his way.
