What's A Goon to a Goblin? A Look at the Carter III

Next time you mention Pac, Biggie, and Jay-Z don't forget Weezy
-Lil Wayne, Mr. Carter/Carter III

This was supposed to be the album that cemented Lil Wayne’s legacy as one of the G.O.A.T.s. This was supposed to be the culmination of countless mixtapes and leaks that teased you with the idea that maybe Lil Wayne is what he says he is – this was supposed to be the coronation of a new king.

But is that what Weezie really wanted? Or was he setting out to prove he has a place at the table with rap’s mainstream giants? Regardless of what the Carter III was supposed to be, it is the worst of the Carter series while still being a thoroughly solid and marketable album.

To look at the Carter III I will give a brief overview of its major players:

50 Cent and DJ Khaled: I mentioned in a previous post about Lollipop how I reasoned it to be the result of 50 Cent challenging Lil Wayne’s ability as a song writer and potential to capture a mainstream audience. Now, in my book being a successful mainstream rapper today means taking no risks, leaving out the grime and sordidness reserved for mixtapes in favor of gimmicky simplistic hooks and vocoders. That being said – that is exactly what the Carter III is. Wayne never really goes in, never fully embraces the playfulness and hard-bodiness that set the tone of the Dedications, the Droughts, and the Carters.

As far as Khaled goes, I have become convinced that there has been a transition of the meaning of Best Rapper Alive – what was once a statement threatening every MC in the game has a completely new meaning. What Best Rapper Alive now means to Weezie – post 50 Cent’s challenge - is Best Rapper on a DJ Khaled song. Why? Those are the MC’s that matter to the radio stations and record labels, those are the MC’s that form the group Wayne so badly wanted to be a part of – successful mainstream rappers. Well guess what? When Wayne wanted to genuinely be the Best Rapper Alive – taking on the world in his mixtapes – he was. When Wayne wants to be the Best Rapper on a Khaled Song – settling for mediocrity – he is.

Note: If you are thinking - wait Wayne has gone platinum before and already was a mainstream rapper, that is not the point.  With Carter III he is aiming at superstar (which he has never been until now).  Go back to Don't Die on Like Father Like Son and I quote: "shit I guess I'm one sellout record away from being famous/shit I guess I ain't it."  Well he is now. 

The Styrofoam Cup: A lot has been made of Wayne’s drug use and justifiably so. The cup facilitated and catalyzed Wayne’s descent into the depths of his creative well resulting in some of the most clever free flowing word association verses that came to define Wayne’s style. However, when you rely on your ability to flow extemporaneously off the top you must be confident you will continue to catch lightning in a bottle every time you pull on a blunt and exhale a verse into the mic. On the Carter I and the Carter II, Wayne arguably caught that lightning every track – as for the Carter III his leather may still be so soft but he sure as hell never goes so hard.

The Vocoder: To me the vocoder is the fake tits of the rap game. Say you have a naturally pretty girl, I’m talking doesn’t even need to wear make-up if she doesn’t want to. But all of a sudden she starts noticing other girls getting what she wants. So what does she go and do? Thows some D’s on her chest and paints a mask on her face - now she looks like a pornstar and is enjoying everything she always dreamed would be hers - but at what price? Lil Wayne was that pretty young girl – where the hell am I going with this? – but as soon as he threw that vocoder on Lollipop he accepted mediocrity and all the splendors that buys you in the twisted world of the rap game.

The Leak: Over the past two years Wayne has seemingly favored quantity over quality and released countless mixtapes (whether or not he actually released the material or it was stolen still being a topic of debate). A bunch of the materialthat was initially intended for and should have been on the Carter III, ended up being released prematurely on mixtapes such as The Leak. Songs like I’m Me, I Feel Like Dying, and La La all would have been wonderful additions to the Carter III.

Mannie Fresh: Where the fuck is Mannie Fresh? The absence of Mannie Fresh on the Carter III may be the single biggest reason the album never recaptures the fire of the first and best installment of the Carter series. Now, maybe I was too hopeful to think even for a second that Mannie and Weezie would realize that they made and could make way more history together if only they could suck it up and resolve their differences. Listen to Go DJ and This is the Carter off the Carter I – this is Lil Wayne and the great Mannie Fresh at their finest -this is the foundation of the Lil Wayne movement that birthed the belief that Wayne could be one of the greats.

The production on the Carter III is solid but never able to stir the demons that lurk in Wayne’s mind – the beats never bring out the Wayne that makes you wonder if he truly may be from Mars like he claims on Phone Home.

Kanye offers up three beats – the Irreplaceable-esque “Comfortable”, the Robin Thick assisted “Tie Me Down” – which is not even close to Carter II’s Shooter – and my personal favorite Carter III track, “Let the Beat Build.” All in all, Kanye’s beats embody the essence of the Carter III – mundane yet enjoyable.

Even with all of the aforementioned critiques, the Carter III still holds up as a solid piece of work. After every listen I walk away with a new song in my head – no check that, a new hook in my head. It used to be you listened to Weezie and came away with couplets from verses that either blew you away with their intricacy or humor. Now Wayne - like the rest of the radio rappers he was so eager to join – leaves you with two bar hooks, both catchy and meaningless.

The main difference between the Carter III and its predecessors can be told from the stories of their opening tracks. Wayne set the tone of the Carter I and II with Walk In and Tha Mobb – two tracks, both with no hook, just pure lyricism set to ominous synth lines. You listen to Walk In and Tha Mobb and you are prepared to deal with a monster. You listen to 3pete and its that same old goon you will hear in the song before and after on your favorite “hip hop” radio station. So on A Millie, when Wayne asks what’s a goon to a goblin? Answer right along with him, nothing.

Highlights: In general, there is no one song that stands out to me as drastically better than the rest of em. But here are some scattered highlights of the Carter III.

Mr. Carter – solid beat, solid hook, okay Wayne, solid Jigga.

A Millie – The track most reminiscent of an old Wayne mixtape song.

Comfortable/Mrs. Officer – Two light and funny R&B songs. At first I thought Mrs. Officer was stupid but then realized the concept of literally fucking the police, in handcuffs and heals no less, is pretty funny (and so is the siren hook sung by Bobby Valentino).

Phone Home – We are not the same I am a Martian – that intro makes me think of Aesop Rock’s Mars Attacks every time. What is it with rappers and Mars? Anyhow, this is probably my least favorite track on the album but it still consistently gets stuck in my head.

Tie My Hands – I crack up with every listen of Robin Thicke’s spoken word intro – we are at war with the universe/the sky is falling/and the only thing that can save us now is sensitivity…wow. Really? I like the song but can’t take any song with that intro seriously.

Shoot Me Down – The beat reminds me of a stoned/mellowed out Takeover, mostly cause of the bass. The hook is solid and the song is a good drug song – I think it’s a drug song? – but as far as drug songs go, it’s no I Feel Like Dying. This is definitely one of the better songs on the album though.

Lollipop – Said it before, will say it again – best song all time or just of our generation? Oh, also, the remix at the end of the cd is sick but isn’t as good as the Kanye remix.

La La – Started out hustling/ended up ballin. Dope Hook.

Nothin On Me – This song is Wayne’s chance to rap with his New York friends and he doesn’t even come close to seizing the moment. Both Fab and Juelz outshine Weezie on a really solid Alchemist beat. This song could have been classic but the hook is just way too simple and uninspired.

On the Side: Fabolous references Major Payne in his verse. I feel like after a rapper or singer has already executed a pop culture reference perfectly – see R. Kelly in Make it Rain Remix, ‘I be drillin these chicks like Major Payne’ – than the reference should be retired.

Let the Beat Build – I really like Weezie rapping over “soul” loops and this might be my favorite song on the album. I feel like a remix with Bun B would be dope.

Misunderstood – the song is good but the rant at the end is amazing. Weezie says Al Sharpton is Don King with a perm and then he says some shit about sex offenders and drug users. Wayne being preachy is just funny to me.

All in all, like I said, it’s a solid album - listenable throughout, but as for legendary? No. Wayne came close to being a legend but I think it’s safe to say that day will most likely never come.