"God Took His Time"
"God Took His Time"
My obsession with Tha Carter V.
Six years later, I am still impressed with and listening to Lil Wayne's “Tha Carter V” album— released on September 27th, 2018, on Wayne’s 36th Birthday. Twenty-three tracks, ten features, from his firstborn, his son’s mother, Nivea XXXTENTACION, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dog, and Nicki Minaj & Ashanti, to name a few. With a unique guest feature, I love the most: his mom. In my opinion, Tha Carter V is one of Wayne’s most personable and vulnerable albums, truly making him the best rapper alive. This makes sense, considering this is the last “Carter” album.
There was once a time when listening to Lil Wayne was part of our coming-of-age cultural experience; it was a right of passage to know a Lil Wayne verse or two by heart. It just made sense and was the thing to do while developing our uncensored taste and style as tweens.
Early to mid-2000s, Wayne was vulgar, raunchy, witty, and everywhere. There was no escaping Wayne by the time of his Milli era. He was the best rapper alive due to his skill level, vocabulary, and ability to create throughout cultural phases and sound, from mixtapes, remixes, and albums. Aside from the music, we didn’t know much about Wayne besides his NOLA upbringing and uprising with the Hot Boyz, who he dated and had children with, and that he’s the reason we know Drake & Nicki Minaj to the magnitude we know today. As well as his run-in with the law and health complications due to lean.
At the end of the day, we’ve only known Wayne as a Rockstar through & through….Till Tha Carter V.
The first track, “I Love You Dwayne,” is a message from his mother expressing her anticipation of his album, her deep unconditional love for him as a mother, and his loyalty and giving heart as a person, son, and father. The track transitions into the second track featuring XXXTENTCIAN, “Don’t Cry,” where Lil Waynes makes a heartfelt rock track to his mother from the afterlife. Lil Wayne doesn’t shy away from expressing to his loved ones and fans that he isn’t afraid of death due to his life experiences, outlook, and relationship with God. So when his time comes, he’ll like his tombstone to read “Don’t Cry, Stay Tuned.”
After a hell of an intro, Wayne doesn’t hesitate to talk his sh*t on the third track, “Dedicate” — If it wasn’t for Wayne, it wouldn’t be, which is one of my favorite songs on the track. Acknowledging Wayne's cultural impact over the years from face tats, the popularity of screaming Su-Woo, changing & shifting how we consume rap today. Stamping his bars with a sound bite from former Presindate Barak Obama
Out of 23 tracks, I must say my personal favorites are
Dedicate
Mona Lisa
Open Letter
Took His Time
Hittas
Demon
Mess
As of recently, I’ve grown to love Let it Fly, featuring Travis Scott. I don’t know how this track got past me this long, but I recently let it play and was floored…Lol, like yeah, this is the best rapper alive. The flow and writing of the song are crazy, and Travis Scott was a nice feature.
That’s another thing I can say about this album I love so much: it’s cohesive, and every feature makes sense. Like the track featuring Ashanti & Mack Maine, “Start this Sh*t Off Right” *chefs kiss* The Way Ashanti harmonizes on the track is so nostalgic, which is her secret weapon, in my opinion. It is to make a track feel like the early 2000s, warm and feel good. It was beautiful that Lil Wayne sang a song with his daughter, Regine Carter and Nivea. We don’t hear much from either of them on the music tip, but these tracks are precious. Dope New Gospel, featuring Nivea, seems like a healing track for both of them as individuals, artists, and co-parents. Now that I think about it, Dope New Gospel is also a fav song of mine for this very reason. This track inspired the creation of my “hip-hop is gospel “ playlist.
Wayne took us on his internal spiritual journey from the afterlife, past, and present day. Finally, telling us the details of the time he shot himself as a kid, which happened to be a failed suicide attempt.
As someone with their relationship with God, I find Wayne's poetic description of his relationship with God one of the most realistic and vulnerable testimonies I’ve ever heard. Considering both our backgrounds and his personal life experiences. Making it clear that God is within all of us, all the time, and it’s up to us to acknowwledge his presence and live by his word, such as honoring our parents, doing right by children, and not being afraid to share our gifts, and talents with the world — to have faith and confidence at all times, or else the world would eat you alive.
Since I wrote this piece, the internet has been in shambles about Kendrick Lamar's decision to headline the Super Bowl in New Orleans over Lil Wayne. Saying that Wayne deserves his flowers, yadda yadda ya.
Here is what I think:
Most fans and spectators of Hip-Hop and Rap are miserable and have no fundamental understanding, love, or interest in the art or the individual who wants to make the art. This causes them to speak out of turn and mistake themselves for God. Regardless of how we feel about artists and the industry, we are not God himself. It is never our place to say and demand where our faves should be in their careers and what type of opportunities they should receive. As consumers, spectators, and fans, our only duty is to support, engage, or disengage. Yes, we can critique (to a certain degree) and discuss with our peers, but not as people who write their checks or determine their faith.
xOxO - Shana B.