Well hello there, did you miss me? It’s been two weeks since my last blog, but I thought, what better way to kick off my series of Rap music reviews (herein known as Choppin’ up the Drops) with the album that almost became the Detox of the 2010s, Tha Carter V.

His name is Weezy F. Baby, and the F is for FINALLY. In a long saga over at least 4 years that involves lawsuits, shots fired at a tour bus, a suicide attempt, Pharma-bro Martin Shkreli, and the break up from Cash Money (see the full timeline here), Lil’ Wayne fans everywhere can finally say goodbye to our collective blue balls, because the 5th installment of the Carter series is here, with a meaty 23 tracks. 2018 has been a monumental year for rap, with projects from Eminem, J. Cole, Drake, Nas, Kid Cudi, Mac Miller (RIP), Pusha T, Travis Scott, Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, Jack Rock, Future, and Wiz Khalifa, just to name a few, and although the year is only 3/4 of the way over, this is the cherry on top.

Here are some quick reactions for those that don’t give a shit about my track-by-track summaries:

1. This album takes me back to high school, and also makes me want to hug my mom
2. The features are hot, but we need to send a search party for Drake
3. This isn’t mixtape Weezy. He goes deep and dark at times, adding a lot of substance
4. Most of the instrumentals are incredible, with appropriate samples thrown in
5. Fuck Birdman

For the 2 people that may read my track breakdowns (don’t expect much humor), I thank you, and you may proceed below:

1. I Love You Dwayne

Like the beginning of Biggie’s track “Sky’s the Limit”, Wayne kicks of Tha Carter V with a highly emotional and tear jerking message from his momma. It’s rare to hear such a real and powerful confession of love, but damn do you know it when you hear it. There’s not much more that needs to be said than that.

2. Don’t Cry (ft. XXXTENTACION (RIP))

At first, I didn’t agree with this being the first track on the album because of it’s slowed down and dark nature, but the more I thought about it and listened to the rest of the album, it makes a lot of sense and sets up the rest of it perfectly. It’s a response to “I Love You Dwayne” and Wayne talks about his comeback from a suicide attempt, staying humble in the spotlight, and his mom carrying “the future”, all while XX howls Dooooon’t Crryyyyyyy in the background, meaning everything’s all good, which serves as a great appetizer for the hard hitting confidence we’re all used to getting from Wayne in the next track.

3. Dedicate

Wayne loves these bouncy beats, and what a way to lead into it with “If it wasn’t for Wayne, it wouldn’t be”. From the get go, you know this track is going to be all about Wayne’s dominance in the game and that signature lighter flick tells you he’s about to go the fuck in on this beat. That first verse is all about the empire he created “I turned the god damn into a God’s plan, go over the diagram, get to the job man, watch for the spy cam, sit back and watch…” The hook and following verses keep with this theme and then he ends the track with a damn Obama sample! “They might think they have a pretty good jump shot, or a pretty good flow, but our kids can’t all aspire to be Lebron or Lil’ Wayne.” Oh Lordy what a way to end it, and remind everyone who’s still one of the greats.

4. Uproar

Given the prolonged release of this album, it’s not clear when these tracks were made, but Wayne has previously been featured on this beat from Swizz Beatz with J. Cole in “Green Ranger”. Interesting enough, he starts off his verse in that version saying “I don’t even like this beat”, so it was interesting to see him include it in the album. Regardless, in this version he adds in the background applause and it almost sounds like he’s freestyling, if it wasn’t for the quasi-hook he returns to multiple times. I could easily see this track appearing on a Dedication mixtape instead of this album and the metaphors aren’t as sophisticated, but he keeps turning up the heat from “Dedicate” here.

5. Let It Fly (ft. Travis Scott)

As a Houston resident, I loved the classic Travis Scott in the first half of this track, with his signature adlibs (It’s lit!), and then Wayne seemlessly takes over like the two are running a relay race. It feels like he doesn’t breath once during his whole verse, and like classic Wayne, uses one word (in this case the word line) to structure his verse around. There are no pauses, just straight bars. My favorite line is this one is definitely “Tunechi Tune a lunatic, my goonie goons the gooniest”

6. Can’t Be Broken

Wayne decides to switch it up and slow things down for the next few tracks. This is him adding to that dark and deep tone I mentioned earlier, but you still get that heavy slap from the bass with the piano, and solid rhymes between the hook. These verses could easily be laid on top of a banger beat and be played in every club for months to come, but Wayne decides to go the more dramatic route, talking about how nothing is going to stop him.

7. Dark Side of the Moon (ft. Nikki Minaj)

Wait, did I read that correctly? TIL Nikki can sing pretty damn well. It’s easy to imagine Wayne being replaced with Drake in this one, but I think Wayne holds his own and compliments Nikki well. This was a refreshing track for me because Wayne’s attempt at ballads have been hit or miss in the past, but I think the Drake-esque background growls and synth can work for Wayne too.

8. Mona Lisa (ft. Kendrick Lamar)

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t listen to this track on repeat 4-5 times before moving on to the next one. I’m a sucker for raw bangers like this, and the almost A Capella verse from Wayne over the simple beat and intermittent bass was something I had to consume multiple times to catch everything. Then the beat comes in and we get taken back in time to a “To Pimp A Butterfly”-like and emotional verse from Kendrick. I didn’t even know Kendrick could rap at octave that high, but damn was it fire. Brb, gotta go listen to some Kendrick now.

9. What About Me (ft. Sosamann)

This is the first song that I wasn’t really a fan of. I really like the beat, but this one definitely feels like it should’ve been on Drake’s “Scorpion” instead of Tha Carter V. I can see this being a track I’d have more appreciation for if I was single and just got done striking out at the bars on a Friday night, and in that sense, it’s understandable why it follows Mona Lisa. I imagine this is Wayne’s way of saying “this is what I think about when no one else is around”. So for all you hopeless romantics out there (aka Commish), this one is for you.

10. Open Letter

Keeping with the dark theme, Wayne uses “Open Letter” to discuss his problems with depression and suicide. Talking about his drug use to numb the pain and lines like, “I’m a angry lion hangin by a string, I can’t describe it, feel like an anchor tied to my finga, got me sinkin’ to the bottom” and “what’s the life expectancy when you don’t expect shit?”, he really gives a look at what depression is like, despite his fame and fortune.

11. Famous (ft. Reginae Carter)

For those that don’t know, Reginae Carter is Wayne’s daughter, and she opens the track with a hook where the vocals perfectly match the instrumentals. This was another one that I’m not particularly a fan of. Wayne approaches this from the viewpoint that this is moment he realizes he’s made it, but it doesn’t hit as hard as the other slowed down songs. It was cool to see his daughter on a feature, but otherwise I’ll probably be hitting next on this one when it pops up on shuffle.

12. Problems

Oohhhhh shit son. This is the style of rap I love the most. That kind of hard and persistent bass slap is the kind that makes you feel your organs vibrate at shows, and there’s no feeling like it. Wayne really lays on the codeine flow heavy in this track, but it really works for this beat. The lyrics are pretty disconnected from bar to bar, but this is just one of those songs you lay back, spark up, and pour up to, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s in this track where the mood changes back to one that’s upbeat and optimistic.

13. Dope N****z (ft. Snoop Dogg)

Seriously, props to the producer of this beat, because that transition to the XXplosive sample and Snoop hook is seamless. This is the epitome of a head bopper. One of those tracks where you almost don’t pay attention to the lyrics because you’re just lost in the beat. This was obviously a perfect beat for a Snoop feature, and like always, Snoop adds that layer of swagger and style that only he can.

14. Hittas

Starting off with an interview sample about performing with Willy Nelson, Weezy uses that as a intro to start off a track that shows his confidence has returned. There’s even a nice adlib from Drake asking “Weezy where ya been? The people miss ya”. This is the track that feels like the turning point. Wayne has moved out of the depression phase and is back to being optimistic.

15. Took His Time

This is another song of reflection and one to light up to. The beat is kind of similar to other slowed down beats on the album, but instead of having that sad and doomed tone, it’s all about being thankful. It’s a good track, but like a couple on the album so far, might not be getting many plays outside of the next couple weeks or outside of the album as a whole.

16. Open Safe

Whether it’s home alone, in my car, or at a club, you’ll definitely catch me turning up to this one and clapping along to the beat. To me this is vintage Wayne, and I’m so happy to see numerous fresh, but recognizably Wayne tracks that stay true to his strengths. That last verse in the last minute is filthy, and one I’ll be looking forward to rapping along to years from now.

17. Start This S**t Off Right (ft. Ashanti & Mack Maine)

Another bouncy beat, with features from Ashanti (RIP) and Mack Maine? What more can you ask for. I’m so happy to see Mack Maine make his way on this album. In my opinion, Wayne was at his strongest when Mack was heavily featured on his mixtapes, and this one delivers just as well as the rest. Wayne’s metaphors combined with the bass guitar and synth, and Ashanti singing in the background is a thing of beauty. Definitely in my top 5 for the whole album.

18. Demon

Another track that starts with an A Capella feel, the beat comes in perfectly, and then an old school Motown sample from The Crowns of Glory’s “Lord Hold Me In Your Arms” follows. This is another simple, but beautiful, and head bopping song. Not much here lyrically, just sit back and enjoy while spacing out about something else.

19. Mess

Paralleling the feel of “What About Me” and slightly “Open Letter”, “Mess” is about Wayne’s inability to be a good partner to anyone (bae, side bitch, or wifey) because he can’t stay on top of his own shit. Another short, simple track that I’m not really a fan of and doesn’t add a lot to the album. Next.

20. Dope New Gospel (ft. Nivea)

I wasn’t expecting Wayne to return to the deep, insightful side of the album, but here we are again. The whole theme of the album follows the pattern of 2-3 deep tracks with insight into his internal thoughts, to a reminder that he can still be his old self. To me, this really shows an evolution for Wayne through out the Carter series. Similar to Ashanti, Nivea provides beautiful vocals that layer over his verses.

21. Perfect Strangers

Ugh, to be honest, at this point I’m tired of the depressing relationship stuff. Believe me, I understand that these kinds of thoughts can take up your mind often, but it’s now reached a point where this track is almost interchangeable with some of the others. There’s nothing wrong with it, it just isn’t very memorable. Like I said before, if I was sad and single I would probably have a deeper appreciation for the abundance of these tracks.

22. Used 2

Another beat that builds with the intensity of Wayne’s verse. This isn’t a club banger, but it’s definitely one you can get a little hifi to. This is a welcomed change in mood after the past couple tracks. This is all about Wayne tracking down a snitch and his use of firearms “I used to smoke to get high, now I smoke to get vibes, I used to tote the semi, I still tote the semi”. More classic Wayne. Like a few other tracks in the album, the songs outro is his mother speaking about him, and in this case, her being unsure the details revolving around the time Wayne was a child and sustained a self-inflicted gun shot wound, but Wayne seems to claim it was a suicide attempt.

23. Let It All Work Out

Sampling the Sampha song “Indecision”, Wayne ends the album going into more detail about his suicide attempt. This was clearly a major focus point for the album, and according to him, was something he did because his Mom forbid him from rapping when he was young. The album kind of comes full circle here. It starts with his mother professing her love for him, Wayne saying everything will be fine, and as the album goes on, he reveals more details about why things aren’t fine, but by the time we get to “Let It All Work Out”, Wayne has come to terms with his situation and is thankful for his second lease on his life. “Thank God cuz I’m still in this bitch, but he said, “remember this, ain’t no body like you in this bitch””. And finally, it ends with his mother repeating the opening tracks title “I love you Dwayne”.

Overall, I really like the direction of this album, and have more appreciation for it in its totality vs. individual tracks. There will definitely be a dozen or more that stay in my rotation for a long time, and I think Weezy did a lot of growing up in this album. Although I’ll always love mixtape Weezy and the infinite wordplay and metaphors, it was nice to see he’s capable of going deeper than “1000 different ways to describe going down on a chick. Tha Carter V was probably his best album outside of Tha Carter III (Rebirth is way at the bottom), and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next now that he’s the sole owner of Young Money.

Final score: 8/10

Love,

Dr. Karatechop