The Carter V: Exactly What Lil Wayne’s Career Needed
Updated: May 2, 2019
Lil Wayne hasn't released an album in 7 years and that album was subpar to most critics and fans. Numerous rap fans grew up with Lil Wayne when he was considered one of the greats and on par with Jay Z. Jay Z prophesied Lil Wayne to be his predecessor.
The latest generation of Hip Hop fans have not been able to experience Wayne as a respected Hip Hop giant. They have heard the stories from Drake, Nicki Minaj, and others about the greatness of Lil Wayne but never experienced it for themselves. Carter V is a reminder to all the impact of Dwayne Carter to Hip Hop.
At the height of Lil Wayne’s career he was everywhere, think Drake times 10. The New Orleans native has released or featured on more than 200 singles. This amount of exposure eventually turned against him. A Weezy feature was no longer a novelty but a banality. The allure was lost of what was seen numerous times before with no change in content or art.
The Carter V revived Lil Wayne.
Whether the marketing scheme of the album delays was planned or not, it was genius. Lil Wayne went into obscurity after the Carter IV and it was the best thing to happen to him. The culture got a chance to miss Wayne and some forgot his talent. If the Carter V was released with subpar reviews it would further push Wayne’s career into anonymity, but that was not the case. Wayne delivered his best album since Carter III, who many regard as his best album period.
The production and beat selection on the album is on point. Wayne mixes soulful instrumentals with current hi-hats drum patterns that are in sync with his flow that has been copied many times over by rappers he inspired.
Carter also enlisted Mannie Fresh, hall of fame producer from the Cash Money Millionaires days, for “Start This S**t Off Right" which is classic Lil Wayne and Mannie Fresh material. He kept it family first with having Reginae Carter, his daughter, and Nivea, the mother of one of his children, on the album.
Carter V is a good body of work and put Wayne back into place as a hip-hop giant. Carter V is a statement of respect my legacy. Wayne delivered quality music after all these years, which I did not see coming, but it is always better that way.