Tha Carter III

iTunes Review

Lil Wayne is not rap’s most successful artist, but he is undoubtedly its most unpredictable. In an industry that becomes more inhibited and conservative with each passing year, Wayne is one of the few million-dollar pop stars who refuses to color inside the lines. His much-anticipated Tha Carter III is far from perfect; most glaringly, it lacks focus. But then again this album’s jarring collection of styles is what makes it exciting, and what makes it so definitively Wayne. No one could make Weezy choose between the Jamaican infusions of “Mrs. Officer” and “A Milli,” the vintage soul of “Mr. Carter” and “Dr. Carter” and “Let the Beat Build,” and the pop subversions of “La La” and “Lollipop.” They are all equal parts of Wayne’s personality, and Tha Carter III accords them all equal space. And the lyrics? Suffice it to say that Wayne is the most quotable man in music, and he uses his voices in ways that makes other rappers appear timid and banal. Not since Prince has a mainstream artist been as endlessly inspired by his own unconscious and as unafraid to follow his own muse.