The 2011 MTV Video Music Awards had its highest rating in network history when it aired on August 28. That means more people than ever watched Beyonce’s baby bump. More people than ever saw Lady Gaga pretend to be a guy. More people than ever also saw Lil Wayne headline the show by doing—well, nobody is quite sure. Weezy ended the show—just two hours before the release of his highly-anticipated Tha Carter IV—by donning women’s tights and auto-tuning “How to Love” before jumping into an off-kilter, heavy rock rendition of his street single “John”. By the time his performance was over, fans across the country (and Twitter) were scratching their heads and wondering, “Is that it?” Unfortunately, that confused disappointment will also come after listening to the fourth installment of Weezy’s Carter series.
Instead of rapping with his patented bizarre creativity and whimsical insanity, Wayne uses three trite gimmicks to carry his music: the inverted metaphor flow (“have it your way, Burger King”), extensive use of similes (“I’m a diamond in the rough like a baby in the trash”) and the phrase “call it” (“a bunch of bloods, call it blood clot”). Weezy F. Baby alternates those three tropes to cringe-inducing results that make most of the songs seem lazy and uninspired. “Nightmares of the Bottom” and “Megaman” feature Wayne rapping for minutes on end, a notion that would usually have fans salivating, but here they leave listeners reaching for the “skip” button.
That Weezy F. Baby we all learned to love does rear his familiar head on occasion, sounding utterly ferocious on the singles “John” and “6’7’.” “She Will,” powered by Drake’s addicting hook, is a strip club anthem that will get the club bouncing, while “It’s Good” is a headline- grabbing offering that showcases Lil Wayne finally sending a verbal jab at Jay-Z by offering to kidnap Beyonce and hold her for ransom. It’s in these moments of enthusiasm and energy that we get glimpses of the Wayne that was. Unfortunately, those moments aren’t enough to offset the truly unbearable moments that “How to Hate,” featuring T-Pain and the line “when it Waynes it pours” bring to the album.
It’s telling when the best two songs on the album don’t feature Wayne at all. “Interlude” has Tech N9ne and Andre 3000 tearing the beat to shreds, while “Outro” has legends Bun B and Nas sounding as inspired as Wayne should have been all album.
For all of its shortcomings, Tha Carter IV is still a serviceable effort from the ever-entertaining performer, but the project is a far cry from the works that made Wayne the most sought-after musician in the country.
