Here's what Drew Beringer of absolutepunk.net had to say about the new Lil' Wayne album. This is quite a detailed review!!

Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
Release Date: June 10, 2008
Record Label: Cash Money/Universal/Young Money

Dwayne Carter, Jr., also known as Lil Wayne, is one of the most controversial rappers in the mainstream today. Already claiming to be the “greatest rapper alive” and topping many hip-hop critics lists as the hottest rapper in the game right now, his highly anticipated third chapter of Tha Carter is upon us. Anticipation grew more and more as the record kept getting pushed back and delayed, it makes one wonder if the anticipation and hype will be too much for the New Orleans rapper to overcome.

It’s not like Wayne was just lying around doing nothing. A workaholic, he released numerous mixtapes between Tha Carter II and Tha Carter III and appeared on many, many tracks throughout the hip hop universe. But now it’s time to deliver with Tha Carter III, and the verdict is mixed.

Accompanied with an all-star lineup of producers, Tha Carter III is at its best when the beats hit hard and Weezy lets loose, but dips when he takes on the slower, more R&B oriented beats. You see, Weezy’s appeal is his quick flow and delivery, and when he slows it down, he struggles. Also, his lyrics are more inconsistent than ever, as it seems that he knows he’s hot right now and that people will just eat this up, regardless of substance. Or sometimes he is just baked out of his mind and his lyrics make no sense, or he repeats a line numerous times, as if he can’t think of what to say next.

But Weezy is at his best on tracks that are quick from the get-go and hit you over the head with booming bass, such as “A Milli.” If you disregard the annoying repetition in the background, it’s a huge song where Wayne is unleashed. While “Phone Home” is a ridiculous song, you can’t help but smile at Weezy channeling his inner UFO, and the Twilight Zone-like beat is nuts. “La La” is a David Banner produced joint, with Weezy and Cash Money accomplice Brisco give off good vibes, but the song is taken down a few notches with a poor verse from Busta Rhymes.

Weezy falters the most when he slows it down, such as on “Comfortable,” which features Babyface. It’s just not his style at all and really does a disservice to his delivery. Kanye West delivered the beat for the aforementioned track, as well as for “Tie My Hands,” “Shoot Me Down,” and “Let The Beat Build,” which are all good Kanye beats and would fit his style, but are hit or miss for Weezy. On “Tie My Hands,” Weezy gets serious and delivers some of his best lyrics, rhyming about the Katrina tragedy, while “Shoot Me Down” has more of an alternative vibe to it with marching beat drums and a guitar riff that needles in and out. But the worst song by far on this album is “Lollipop,” which coincidentally is his biggest hit ever, making all the way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. But nothing about it works. It’s too slow, Wayne’s lyrics are weak, and his flow is ruined by the use of a vocoder. It’s easily one of the first songs I skip on the album.

But the best song on the album is “Dr. Carter,” a creative track with a unique beat from Swizz Beatz. Taking on the concept of a doctor that has to save hip-hop and struggling rappers, Wayne steps up his lyrics while giving props to other rappers such as Kanye and Andre 3k, as the beat moves with a smooth jazz vibe backed by a vibrant bass line and subtle yet efficient horns.

Other tracks are strong because of their guests, such as “Mr. Carter” which features a killer verse from Jay-Z, while “You Ain’t Got Nuthin’” is carried by Juelz Santana, and “Got Money” will be a huge hit in the club, with help from R&B crooner, T-Pain. “Don’t Get It”, the closer, clocks in at nearly ten minutes, with about 5 of it dedicated to the song (which is decent), and ending with Weezy smoking a blunt and babbling about why people don’t like Al Sharpton, discusses how coke dealers are handled in the court of law, basically summing up how people “speculate before they informate,” and how that causes problems and misunderstandings. It’s a cool way to close out the album, with Weezy being somewhat socially conscious.

At the end of the day, Lil Wayne is a talented hip hop artist, but is inconsistent throughout Tha Carter III, showing glimpses of being the greatest, but other times coming off as nonsensical. Basically, C3 is a step down from Tha Carter II, but it has its moments, and if you are a fan of Weezy, you’ll be a fan of this. Don’t get me wrong, I greatly enjoy Lil Wayne, but in no way, shape, or form do I think he is the greatest alive. If he could deliver lyrics and go hard consistently on one of his label releases like he does on his mixtapes, then we could consider the argument, but until then, we’ll hold off. But for right now, we’ll settle with him being one of the hottest MC’s in the mainstream right now, but with work to do.