For example, he ran the shortened simile style of punchlines (generally credited to Big Sean and still being abused by Nicki Minaj today, i.e. Tha Carter IV had little to no redeeming value aside from moments like lead single “6 Foot 7 Foot,” which affiliate DJ Scoob Doo described as “‘A Milli’ on steroids.” The project was utterly mediocre even by the standards of serious fans, as turmoil and the fast life seemed to have finally caught up with him and got in the way of his art. Possibly suffering from PTSD, creative rust and a general lack of determination after serving eight months behind bars in New York’s famed Rikers Island jail, his return was full of senseless blunders that only stained his legacy.Īnyone expecting Lil Wayne to deliver greatness this go-around was met with disappointment.

In celebration of Tha Carter V, VIBE ranked the albums from this series to determine which reigns supreme.ĭue to a combination of Lil Wayne’s bad luck and having already set an impossible benchmark dominating with Tha Carter III and the No Ceilings mixtape in back to back years, Tha Carter IV was almost destined to be a failure. With next year marking two decades since Lil Wayne’s solo debut Tha Block Is Hot, his latest album Tha Carter V has performed relatively well from critical and commercial standpoints at a time when most considered his career to be in limbo.

1-3 collection of albums, but Wayne’s latest work proves him capable of bouncing back from a slump the same way last year’s well-regarded 4:44 showed his big homie could still make music that resonates after a steep decline. Always looking up to Jay-Z (their rumored 2011 subliminal skirmish aside), Tha Carter series not only potentially borrows inspiration from Hov’s late ‘90s Vol.

Since releasing Tha Carter in 2004, Wayne’s tireless work ethic has shaken up the game through countless mixtapes and iconic collaborations with everyone from day one producer Mannie Fresh to the likes of Cool & Dre, Bangladesh, Kanye West, and Swizz Beatz.

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