WYE’s Classic Album Reviews: Lil Wayne's Tha Carter II
In December 2005, the world was introduced to Tha Carter II by Lil Wayne, the sequel to Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter. Lil Wayne wanted to show the rap game not only was he here to stay but he came back better than he was before. Many fans and critics alike hail Tha Carter II as a classic album. Today, we take a dive 15 years later and see how this legendary project has held up over time. Is Tha Carter II really that good or is it held up by nostalgia?
Each song will be graded out of 5 with the reasoning stated below:
1 = This song is an absolute skip and I wouldn’t waste my time with it.
2 = You should probably skip this one too but there’s at least one interesting thing about it.
3 = The song is not bad but rather average or boring. It’s just a whatever track.
4 = The song is actually pretty good but there’s at least one thing holding it back.
5 = This song is among the album’s best and you’ll get the best vibes/meaning from the song.
Note: “Fly In,” “Carter II,” “Fly Out” will be counted as one song in the Final Score since it is a three-part song with the same beat scattered throughout the album.
Lil Wayne started Tha Carter II off right with “Tha Mobb.” The production was very smooth and Wayne’s flow was nice. The song is basically about Lil Wayne repping YMCMB and if you ain’t with that, you’re basically the enemy and he don’t care about you. Wayne didn’t have any really stupid lyrics and this was a great opener.
As noted above, “Fly In” is the first part of a three-part song on this album. As the opener, it was very hard as well. I love the piano in the background. Wayne’s energy was crazy in this song. You can tell how passionate he was on this track. This is definitely a song you can nod to. He also has quite a bit of good wordplay on this track, like in the middle of the song, the line that starts with “I’m so 504, you gotta kill me here.” That whole part of the verse was great. You can hear the hunger and drive of Lil Wayne and in my opinion this should’ve been the first song on the track to introduce Tha Carter II.
"MONEY ON MY MIND" | RATING: 3/5
This song is not a bad song, it’s just not very interesting to me. I understand the premise of the song, how Lil Wayne is always thinking about money and ways to get it. This song also has some very stupid bars from Weezy, such as in Verse 1 with “Then I dip, like ranch.” Really? Or the whole beginning of Verse 2, that horrible punchline about blow***s. This song is one I would consider average, it just has me thinking “Ok, what’s next?”
This was one of the songs I was looking forward to revisiting the most. After listening to it again at an older age, it’s still a very good song. The production is very nice and I love the siren-like sound in the background. I LOVE the hook of this song. It gets you so hype you can’t help but sing along. A Lil Wayne classic easily.
This song was so out of Wayne’s element. The Caribbean vibe he was going for, didn’t match his style in the slightest, but the production and the sample are the reason I like this song so much. It’s so catchy. The Caribbean woman’s voice sounds great in the background and I catch myself singing along with her every time I hear it. I couldn’t have cared less for any of Wayne’s verses. The song isn’t the greatest lyrically but the Island style of the song along with the background vocals does make it a fun listen.
"BEST RAPPER ALIVE" | RATING: 4/5
Wayne also got experimental on this track but it worked out well this time. The rap-rock vibe Wayne was going for actually sounded good on this. His flow was also great, most evident at the beginning of Verse 2. I love that rhyme scheme at the beginning of the verse. “The heart of New Orleans / thumpin' and beatin' / Livin' and breathin', stealin' and feedin' / Peelin' and leavin', killin' and grievin' / Dearly departed, erased, deleted / No 'prints, no plates, no face, no trace / Out of sight, out of mind, no court, no case.” Wayne reminded us that he’s the best rapper alive and songs like this make a good argument for him.
"LOCK AND LOAD" | RATING: 3.5/5
The downfall of this song isn’t necessarily Lil Wayne but rather the featured artist, Kurupt. He’s only on the hook of the song and this man whispering before yelling to “LOCK and LOAD” I found very annoying. Tha Carter II is very redundant on guns and gunplay so a lot of songs can get boring fast. This one in particular isn’t a bad song it’s just neither Lil Wayne or Kurupt made the song more interesting.
The background vocals are ATROCIOUS on this song. I almost turned the song off immediately. It’s so annoying. It repeats throughout the song so you can’t even focus on what Wayne is saying because it will randomly start going “Oh No No” over and over. This song is very underwhelming all together. The production is very simple, Wayne isn’t very lyrical on this track mixed in with the very annoying repeating vocals made this one of the worst songs on the album.
A Lil Wayne love song; if y’all know Wayne these are hit or miss. This is an example of a good Lil Wayne love song. My biggest knock on the song is that Wayne’s singing isn’t the best. Wayne’s singing in general is an acquired taste but on this song it’s very catchy. Curren$y features on this track and I enjoyed his verse, especially the flow. It always cracks me up near the end of the song when Wayne is talking to the girl about the sunset. Outside of Wayne’s singing, this is a very nice song.
The production is good on this song. I really like the repeating piano on this beat. Wayne’s flow with the bass sounds great as well. A very catchy hook. The problem is that l again, this is a typical gunplay song about Lil Wayne trying to be cool with people but they disrespect him and he gotta let the choppa spit. You get the essence of a young, hungry Lil Wayne who ain’t afraid to let opps know what time it is. Very solid song.
With “Carter II” you have the two-thirds parts of the series on this album. This should’ve been the opening to the album; I don’t understand why this couldn’t have been before “Tha Mobb.” Wayne spits in great detail that Tha Carter II will be a step up from Tha Carter I. Just like in “Fly In,” this also is very energetic and Wayne has some great lines as well, such as “All I have in this world is a pistol and a promise/ A fistful of dollars, a list full of problems” or “I'm ridin' for them reparations, no patience/ Slow paper is better than no paper /Fast money don't last too long, you got to pace it.” Lil Wayne is here to leave his mark on the game with Tha Carter II.
The BEST song on Tha Carter II. A hustler’s anthem. Wayne was in his bag with this one. The production was so beautiful on this track. I love that smoky blues feel this beat has. Lil Wayne, who’s normally a terrible singer, sounds gorgeous on this beat. His voice makes this hook my favorite on the whole project. I love the motivational feeling from this song; it makes you wanna get up and grind. It was so refreshing to hear this song again and enjoy it just as much as I did when I was younger.
The second Lil Wayne love song on this album and Wayne went 2/2 on love songs this project. I absolutely love the background vocals on this song along with Wayne’s “It’s kinda hard saying this s**t to your face so I do it over snares and bass” during the hook. Lil Wayne maintains a great flow throughout the song and I love how he builds into the hook before it comes. Another positive from this album.
Lil Wayne and a good singer is one of the most underrated duos in music history. Robin Thicke’s vocals sound great on this soft, slow production. My problem lies in I don’t think Robin and Wayne are on the same page. What Robin is singing about has almost nothing to do with what Wayne is rapping out. Robin is singing about robbing a woman on the hook of the song but Wayne constantly changes his topics . From robbing his opps to radio stations not playing his music to the hypocrisy in hip hop. Very confusing concept to say the least. Sounds like two different songs.
The WORST song on Tha Carter II and it isn’t even close. There are multiple reasons why this song is so stupid. For one, Lil Wayne has such an ashy voice on this track, as if he hasn’t had any water in days. Two, his ad-libs are annoying as all hell. After every three or so words, Wayne is saying something in the background. You ever had a situation where you watch a show or movie and someone is talking the entire time? That’s Lil Wayne on this song.
Third, this song is literally about calling Lil Wayne “Weezy Baby” instead of just Weezy. Yes, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. was so bothered about people getting his nickname wrong that he made a whole song about it. One of the stupidest meanings to a song in history. The bars on this song are so lame, like the start of Verse 2. “Yeah, I'm slick as an old mack/I'm sick as a Prozac/and Tha Carter I was the d**k for you h***s' trap/and this is Tha Carter II and this is the bozack/ah, diggin' you hoes back.”Later on in the same verse Wayne literally says “Sweet succotash, gee, golly, what the f**k?” The only thing that saves this track is the featured artist, Nikki Jean. Her singing is beautiful and the only good thing about this song. So for those who believe that Tha Carter II is a no skip album, I highly recommend you listen again.
The hook is hype and catchy. Wayne does a good job detailing the life of a drug dealer on this song. This song isn’t bad at all but outside of the hook, this is a very basic song. Birdman is on this song too and I could’ve done without him as. He doesn’t add anything interesting. Looking back on this album, this is one of the songs I wouldn’t skip if it randomly came on but I wouldn’t choose it to listen too.
I love the way this production sounds. It’s so upbeat and motivational. This is a very unique set up to the track. Lil Wayne is being interviewed and that’s how the whole song is. There’s no hook, it just goes back and forth between Wayne rapping and answering the questions.
I found it hilarious when the interviewer asks Wayne what his motivation is and he’s almost appalled that she would ask him such a question. Like an “are you serious right now?”
Wayne did such a great job rapping on this production and he answers the questions on the chorus and the meaning of the song through the rap. He states that he represents the hood and his family. You get a great sense of pride from Lil Wayne here.
He states that there are rappers out here but none are like him. Finally, one of my favorite things about the track is when Wayne seemingly breaks the fourth wall by stating the interview was over and telling the listener to go to the next song. Another banger from this album.
Lil Wayne and Nikki Jean reunite on this song, but unlike the horrible “Weezy Baby,” Lil Wayne actually does a fantastic job here. Nikki’s voice is absolutely beautiful and she did a way better job here than she did on “Weezy Baby,” although she did great on both songs. This song has the REALEST meaning on the whole album.
You can truly hear the emotion and passion from Lil Wayne all over it. He speaks on the death of loved ones, poverty and the danger he faces on the daily but he’s a soldier and a survivor. Wayne explains that all that pain and strife gave him the ambition to be successful. Due to his upbringing, Wayne has lived by the phrase “only the strong survive.”
Although Wayne misses those he’s lost and it’s taken a toll on him, he must “Get Over” and remain strong because they will reunite again someday. Wayne explains that he has times where he wants to give up but he remembers those who aren’t with him and pushes himself harder. This is a beautiful song and Lil Wayne and Nikki Jean executed it perfectly. When Lil Wayne gets personal, it makes for some of his best work. This is one of the best Lil Wayne songs ever.
Finally, we have “Fly Out.” Not only is this the finale to the three-part series but this track also concludes Tha Carter II. This is a good song without a doubt but it noticeably didn’t have the same passion and energy as the first two. This also isn’t as lyrically strong as the first two either. A good track nonetheless.
Final Thoughts
For the most part, Tha Carter II has held up over time, but it does have its fair share of lows that people often overlook. This album showed us a young, hungry Weezy determined to take his place atop the rap throne. Tha Carter II gets a score of 60.5/80(75%). It is definitely a good project but nostalgia has blinded some people. On this album, Wayne’s highs are high but his lows are low. Songs like “Hustler Musik,” “Receipt” and “Get Over” showcase why this album is a classic and admired by hip hop fans.
The subpar tracks on this project such as tracks like “Oh No,” “Weezy Baby” and “Mo Fire” definitely brought the project down and are skippable. For Tha Carter II, the good does outweigh the bad and this project has stood the test of time over a decade later.