Tha Carter III - Album Review

Where to begin? As most of the world knows by now, Lil Wayne finally came through and released Tha Carter III on Tuesday June 10, 2008. After almost a solid year of putting back the release date and leaking I would say close to the entire original album, Lil Wayne was able to put together his latest releases to assemble the final draft of Tha Carter III. Seeing how the rap game is getting destroyed by the constant release of mixtapes and leaking of songs/albums weeks before they were meant to hit the streets, it is hard for an artist in the Rap and Hip Hop game to make a dope song, nevertheless album, and not have it be heard way before it was meant to. This was the case for Tha Carter III. Lil Wayne has enthroned himself as the “Best Rapper Alive,” and he has definitely put up the songs and lyrics to back up this claim. As a fellow Lil Wayne fan, I have been an avid listener for the past few years, paying special attention to the numerous official mixtapes which have been released featuring his music. For those who have hopped on the Lil Wayne bandwagon, riding his dick through all every song he has been releasing lately….PLEASE OPEN YOUR EARS TO THE MUSIC AND BE UNIQUE IN YOUR TASTES! Although I sound upset, I am more frustrated with the way people are following each and every song being released by rappers these days, thinking every song is FIRE. I know many people will probably think I am a hater, but to me the rap game has been getting destroyed everyday by the whack songs being played non-stop over and over again on the radios. But enough about that, I could write for days about where hip-hop is today and where I think it needs to be in my mind.

Without further wait, here goes the Track-By-Track breakdown and review of Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III.

” 3 Peat ” - Produced by Maestro

What an amazing introduction to Tha Carter III. Although I have heard 80% of the songs on this album before it was released, hearing the album straight through after downloading it from iTunes got me excited. This song has your typical Maestro production qualities to it: Keyboard, Horns, Strings, Bass/Snare combo. Lil Wayne was on his game when he decided to open the album with this song. Instantly you get a feel for how hard/powerful this album is about to be (only to be let down :[ ) Lil Wayne mixes up his vocals, changing octaves to match that of the music, making an amazing blend of lyrics and beat. The chorus-less song gives hints towards BM Jr. (one of my favorite Lil Wayne tracks of all time ). All in all, great intro/song.

” Mr. Carter (Ft. Jay-Z) ” - Produced by Drew and Infamous

Track 2, still on pace for a great album. I really love the simple kick/snare combo that Drew and Infamous uses. Lil Wayne definitely kills it on the lyrics on this song, as expected. Once Jay-Z comes in, the song gets maxed out. I love the way that Jay-Z comes in and for once can’t out-do his counterpart on a track, like he seems to do on every song he is featured on. Big props to Lil Wayne for making a song that can’t be topped even by Jay-Z. If you listen close to the lyrics, you can hear Jay-Z even start to rap off-beat, making his words match the song like Lil Wayne is known for doing. The title itself yields greatness, and this track is nothing short of anything I would expect (and maybe even better) for Tha Carter III.

” A Milli ” - Produced by Bangladesh

Although this song got leaked from the original Tha Carter III, this track is still a speaker-banger for sure. I knew the bass was rediculous on this track, but it beats so hard we had to turn the bass down in my friend’s car so we wouldn’t blow his windows with the subwoofers! Although a slightly-annoying “A Milli” plays the entire song, the beat and Lil Wayne’s lyrics blend it all together perfectly. This song was never made for Lil Wayne, and you can tell by how he adapted the song to fit his needs. ” I would rather be pushin’ flowers, than be in the Pen. sharing showers…”

” Got Money (Ft. T-Pain) ” - Produced by Play-N-Skillz

First things first, I have never been a T-Pain fan, so that must be taken into account for this song. With that being said, I was skeptical when this song was released as a single for Tha Carter III. Usually T-Pain seems to hop on every rap/hip-hop song possible to make his money at the main artist’s expense, but this might be one of the very few songs where T-Pain actually fits into the song. Using a catchy chorus and beat, natually this song was made for the radio. Props to Lil Wayne for making a song that generates constant money in royalties, that is just being a smart artist. As much as I want to hate the song, I find myself NOT pushing next on the CD player when this track comes on. For those who know me, this is the one song with T-Pain that I don’t mind if you play every now and then.

” Comfortable (Ft. Babyface) ” - Produced by Kanye West

Right when this song came on, I could instantly tell it was a Yeezy jam. The strings give it away, mixed with the soft and slightly relaxing blend of beat and melody. I was really glad to see use of the original R&B of my time such as Babyface. Big ups to him for keeping his head in the game and making it onto great songs and albums. I’m not fanatical about this track, but the soothing music with the simple snare-based beat make this a great R&B-fused jam.

” Dr. Carter ” - Produced by Swizz Beatz

This might be the most confusing song on Tha Carter III. I understand the concept behind the song, Lil Wayne demonstrating how he can rap to various beats and tempos. Yet amidst this, I am not a big fan of the constant change from 8 bars or so of rapping back to the “Dr. Carter” skit with an almost 1950’s horn section it seems like to me, and then back to a dat-skat jazz beat on the drums. I personally think this track would have been much better without the constant changing from skit to song to skit, but I guess it’s too late now to change that. The first track I felt would have been better off not on Tha Carter III.

” Phone Home ” - Produced by Cool and Dre

I know Lil Wayne can rap about damn near anything, I mean he is “the Best Rapper Alive.” But still, this song is just horrible in my mind. The “Phone Home” chorus sounds like Mike Jones and instead should be saying ” PUSH NEXT, PUSH NEXT,” etc. The whole concept of being almost out of this world had already been taken on by Lil Wayne via various mixtape tracks. Horrible song in my mind, making it almost impossible to even get any positives out of it, especially since the lyrics are recycled and almost annoying. Terrible song choice for Tha Carter III.

” Tie My Hands (Ft. Robin Thicke) ” - Produced by Robin Thicke

Instant bliss. Two words to easily describe this song. The reunion of Lil Wayne and Robin Thicke has been extremely anticipated by myself as well as any other fans of Tha Carter II. I didn’t think these two would be able to top “Shooter,” yet I was proved dead wrong. The slow and mellow guitar blends PERFECTLY with the slow kick/snare beat and Robin’s amazing vocals range. I’m glad to hear Lil Wayne get serious with his music, creating songs that have a meaning other than a bunch of smilies and metaphors describing how his “the Best Rapper Alive.” Although this song comes a little late after Katrina, Lil Wayne still demonstrates how he is true to his roots and his passion to rebuild New Orleans. ” They told me to try to keep my eyes open, My whole city underwater and people are still floatin’…”

My heart goes out to all of those who lost loved ones and everything they had to Katrina, keep your heads up and find that special place in your soul that keeps you going. Never give up hope, tomorrow will always be a better day.

” Mrs. Officer (Ft. Bobby Valentino) ” - Produced by Deezle

Although I am not a R&B fan, at least a fan of that kind of music being made today, I can’t hate too much on this track. I have always been a fan of Lil Wayne as the rapper, but I guess with all good comes bad, including Lil Wayne dipping his feet into the R&B genre more and more. I felt this was a great song, not really the type I would expect to be on the album following Tha Carter II, but still a good song. Lyrically I think the song was kind of stupid since it just talked about getting pulled over by a female police officer and then getting together with her. I think it’s quite funny to think about though, because Lil Wayne might be the only rapper I know that would be able to get out of a possible drug and gun charge with a female cop, haha.

” Let the Beat Build ” - Produced Kanye West and Deezle
Once this track came on, you know it’s Kanye West time. The sampling of soul singing is his trademark in the music game, and he made a JAM with this song. Just as the song is titled, this song really does build upon itself. Lil Wayne definitely collaborated with Kanye on this song, because his lyrics blend almost seamlessly with the music. This might be one of the best tracks I have heard in awhile that fuse the lyrics and beat perfectly together. Major props to Lil Wayne and Kanye for this fire; a feel-good song that I could put on anytime. “As I hit the kill switch, Now that’s how you let the beat build bitch…”

” Shoot Me Down ” - Produced by D. Smith

This song gives a vibe similar to that of ” Tie My Hands ” yet has a slightly darker feel to it. Although Lil Wayne seems to be more aggressive with his lyrics, constantly hinting towards his success through hustle and grind, he still seems to be held back due to the simple and constant tempo of the track. Not the best of tracks, yet Lil Wayne still is able to demonstrate his rapping abilities with a cameo of his recently-aquired guitar skills. He has hinted towards his growth in music by learning to play various instruments. Although it’s nothing special, you have to give him props for throwing a random guitar solo into the song that he plays himself.

” Lollipop (Ft. Static Major) ” - Produced by Jim Jonsin and Deezle

Now I know this was the first single from the final cut of Tha Carter III, and Lil Wayne is “the Best Rapper Alive,” but c’mon now Weezy F. Baby. You can do much better than this song. I will give respect and props to Lil Wayne for expanding his music influences and adopting the vocal effects made famous by T-Pain. With that being said, I will say that Lil Wayne uses them MUCH better than T-Pain (Just another strike against T-Pain in my book). This was a great beat that could only be used by none other than Lil Wayne, but there is no need for Lil Wayne to make his “official album return” with a radio/club banger such as Lollipop. I guess it’s just that part of me that loves Lil Wayne for his undaunting rapping abilities, but I think you should focus back on your hard-rapping roots Weezy.

” La La (Ft. Brisco & Busta Rhymes) ” - Produced by David Banner

The minute this track started, I was concerned with what type of direction the song would take. Although I think the children’s part should be taken off the beat completely (leave the xylophone if you wish David Banner), Lil Wayne, Brisco, and Busta all seem to save this track from being terrible to me. Very random assortment of artists on this song if you ask me, but they all seem the mesh well together on the track. I like how Lil Wayne isn’t afraid to get some upcoming rappers such as Brisco on his tracks, especially after pushing Curren$y so hard and then ending up dropping him from Young Money. Good hearing Busta Rhymes back on the rap scene, hopefully opening up the ears of kids these days to realize that rappers such as Lil Wayne are who they are today because of the hard work put forth by rappers in the past such as Busta Rhymes.

” Playing With Fire (Ft. Betty Wright) ” - Produced by StreetRunner

This isn’t the best of songs, yet Lil Wayne still finds a way to save this track by dishing some fire verses. I like how Lil Wayne has been getting emotional in his songs off and on, giving listeners a true look into the mind of a “rapper eater.” This song just seemed kind of short and without a true meaning to it. I think it could have used some more work before being put on Tha Carter III.

” You Ain’t Got Nuthin’ (Ft. Fabolous & Juelz Santana) ” - Produced by Alchemist

What starts off with great verses by both Fabolous and Juelz Santana, this track seems to leave me hanging, wishing for more. Not in the sense that it was rediculous and I can’t get enough, more of how both featured artists spit some pretty good verses and Weezy can’t even match them by the song’s end. The chorus seemed to just be made without much thought. The combination of Weezy and Juelz has been long-awaited, ever since their “I Can’t Feel My Face” mixtape project collaboration. The combination of Juelz and Fabolous can be expected both being New York rappers and all, but the 3-some is something unexpected and probably unfinished. This song just seems to end after each verse and by the end of the track, I am left feeling like it was a shortened version for a mixtape or something, even though it’s not.

” DontGetIt ” - Produced by Rodnae and Mousa

From the first second of the song, I got hyped knowing that Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Get Misunderstood” was being sampled again. Originally used on Common’s album, I’m glad to hear this song get used in a new light. It’s hard to tell exactly where this song was supposed to go, but Lil Wayne does stay on track of rapping and attempting to get political with his words. The extended rant on why he dislikes Al Sharpton seems out of place, especially since there wasn’t even an extended bitching about Bush or anything on this album, but props to Weezy for speaking his mind and not being afraid to do so. Overall, good song considering it’s over 9 minutes long.

Well there is the track-by-track review of the official Tha Carter III by Lil Wayne. As I have mentioned before, I was pretty dissappointed by this album. After hearing almost all of the tracks for the past few months leaked all of the internet, I really didn’t expect too much from Lil Wayne and this album. It’s a shame for sure that his original album had to get leaked, because that had the song-listing to potentially be one of the greatest rap albums of all time. Instead, us listeners were stuck with an album that seemed to be put together in a week or so, leaving real music fans disappointed. I think that Lil Wayne could have done SO MUCH better, especially considering he was releasing the 3rd and final album in Tha Carter Trilogy.

All in all, if you have the money to spend and like Lil Wayne, I would suggest you go out and buy this album. But if you are someone looking to check out Lil Wayne for the first time, don’t waste your money. Instead go and buy one of his best albums in my mind, Tha Carter II.

I give this album 3.5/5

-Lack of consistency

-Over-produced songs

-Irrelavent/Rambling Lyrics (Becoming more common with Lil Wayne these days)

Indie Music Mix of the Moment

I know there has not been a post in 2 months. School and other things have gotten the best of me, but I am wanting to get this site up and running again, so I decided to start making more posts of just random songs, thoughts and insights as much as possible.

Let’s open up this post by reviewing a few songs that majority of people have probably never heard of. It’s a shame that more people don’t try to explore different musical genres and discover new artists, but hopefully my little slice of the internet can serve as a guide for those trying to expand their musical minds.

“Grounds for Divorce” - Elbow

This song gives off a Moby meets The Black Keys meets Beck with a side of Gorillaz. The strong influence of distorted slide guitar as well as the deep tones and simple rhythms of the drums and base create a heavy beat that is complimented with clean vocals and scattered lyrics. The music itself resembles the Southern-Rock vibe of the Black Keys. The heavy beats and echoing vocals remind me of Moby and the unique rhythms of Beck. I threw in the Gorillaz reference due to the lead singer singing vocals that could be put on any Gorillaz track. Enjoy.

[audio http://download17.mediafire.com/0ktjnj1uf2kg/n0nbxk0g0jt/34+-+Elbow+-+Grounds+For+Divorce.mp3]

“F-ked Up Kids” - Kevin Drew

I really enjoy the subtlety of this song, from the vocals to the mellow and upbeat rhythm. The simple off-tempo beat resembles many of the Indie bands that are starting to get big today (especially those from the UK). Kevin’s vocals compliment the song perfectly, creating a sense of withholding of the full power of the song from the listener. By this, I mean how the song seems to progress and I could see a strong vocal movement (Bono-ish?) happening at various parts of the song, but Kevin keeps the vocals on the same level. This keeps me intrigued as a listener and provides an up-beat song that is mellow enough to relax to.

[audio http://download17.mediafire.com/jfvy3sxjzapg/nfwyi39ynbn/27+-+Kevin+Drew+-+F-ked+Up+Kids.mp3]

“Fuego!” - Murder By Death

From the very beginning, the strumming guitars teased me into thinking this might be another The Killers-esque type of song. The entrance of an older-sounding voice by lead singer Adam Turla create a sound similar to that of Johnny Cash back in his day. The simple tempo resembles The Killers in many ways, yet the difference vocals and lyrics of Murder By Death create a very different type of song. Although the song is somewhat dark in its nature, it is definitely one to check out.

[audio http://download17.mediafire.com/wvdnvwjw02vg/b3y3yzvfvit/29+-+Murder+By+Death+-+Fuego%21.mp3]

“Coat Check Dream Song” - Bright Eyes

Conor Oberst is hands-down one of the most progressive and creative musical icons of our time. It’s funny how even though that statement would be agreed upon by many people, majority of music listeners have never heard of Bright Eyes, nevertheless its lead singer Conor Oberst. Off of the newest album Cassadaga, Bright Eyes delivers an album full of influence from Country and Americana, and then comes through with this gem. The beat of this song is nothing I have ever really heard from Bright Eyes, having a off-tempo rhythm complimented with the mellow and flowing voices that can be found on every Bright Eyes album. Definitely a must-have for Bright Eyes fans, and especially for those trying to check out a completely new type of mellow alt-rock.

[audio http://download17.mediafire.com/dvebg3yhxvng/zpyzidomy4i/18+-+Bright+Eyes+-+Coat+Check+Dream+Song.mp3]

“Invisible” - Modest Mouse
Energy, emotion, and subtlety. These words may not completely work together in most musical descriptions, but for Modest Mouse I think they work great. For those who have heard Modest Mouse before, you know of their distinctive melodies back by empowering vocals. Isaac Brock and the boys delivered yet another great Modest Mouse album with We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. The traditional catchy and distinct guitar melodies are present on this song, along with Brock’s unique vocals (some might get anoyed with the slight-screaming that comes out on some songs, but I love the uniqueness). Yet another great Modest Mouse song that gets you up off of your ass and makes you want to just rock out.

[audio http://download17.mediafire.com/jd9c5ze0gn9g/0cqdcqtqykn/52+-+Modest+Mouse+-+Invisible.mp3]

The Spill Canvas - “No Really, I’m Fine”

Well here it is folks, my very first full album review. I have been waiting to post this since I started the site, only because I did not have enough time to sit down and really put my best effort into it. So here we go:

No Really, I’m Fine is the latest album to be released by Souix Falls, SD native Nick Thomas and his band The Spill Canvas. The 2007 release is the first album to drop since the 2005 release One Fell Swoop and 2004 debut album Sunsets and Car Crashes. Ever since I first heard The Spill Canvas over two years ago, they have landed a solid seat in my Top 10 Favorite Bands (more of that list to come at a future date). Starting as a solo project by Nick Thomas, Sunsets and Car Crashes was the first album to drop under the Spill Canvas name, setting in stone their future of music greatness. Although I wouldn’t classify The Spill Canvas as an Emo band, especially since that term has developed into a wide range of music, I would call their music emotional, for Nick speaks the truth in every song (and sometimes the truth really sucks). Songs such as “Caterpillars” and “All Hail the Heartbreaker” solidify the rock music, while the dark, deep, and emotional lyrics in “The Tide” and “Black Dresses” bring out the other part of life that everyone hates to experience. After getting signed to One Eleven records in 2005, Nick and the boys released One Fell Swoop, the first major-label record to get exposure. Staying true to their roots, this album was alternative rock at its best, interlocked with powerful lyrics that really make you appreciate and enjoy the little things in life. Songs such as “Staplegunned,” “Self-Conclusion,” and “Lust a Prima Vista” coveted The Spill Canvas into a rock band to look for to blow-up. After waiting two years and memorizing every song of theirs, I was finally treated with the joy of their newest album No Really, I’m Fine. After a long period of record negotiations and spending time touring, The Spill Canvas came back with their first truely professionally-produced album (and the difference is clear). Although the songs have a obvious sound of big-label production, Nick was able to keep that Spill Canvas sound enfused with the timeless lyrics they have always had. The first single “All Over You” just hit the MTV air-waves this week, premeiring on TRL, as well as on MTV2 and the FUSE network. Below is all of the information you need to check out this amazing band. As rediculous as this might sound, if I ever were to request a band for someone to check out, this is THAT band. The Spill Canvas just seems to connect to me in every single way. And the new album is no different. So please, check them out. Vote for them. Download a song or two off iTunes. Go buy the album at Best Buy. Just open your ears and experience one of the best bands to never hit the radio yet, The Spill Canvas.

“All Over You” [The Newest Single]

“Connect The Dots”

OFFICIAL SITE

MYSPACE.COM PAGE

Ben Folds 2008 Campus Tour

In writing this entry, not only am I posting a very funny video made for a great Ben Folds’ song, but also sharing my delight in knowing that I will be seeing Ben Folds perform for the 3rd time this coming February 29th at Purdue University. I’m exstatic in so many ways right now, because I had the preveledge of seeing my first Ben Folds concert ever at Purdue University with a buddy in 2005. After that show I became a huge fan, dedicating myself to collecting all of his records from all of his projects. Not only do I have all of the Ben Folds Five albums, but I have both solo albums, “Rockin’ the Suburbs” and “Songs For Silverman” as well. Although I love BFF (Ben Folds Five) material, my favorite music of his has come from his latest album “Songs For Silverman.” With such tracks as Jesusland, Late, and Prison Food, there is no wonder why this album holds a special place in my musical heart. Following the Songs For Silverman release, I was able to see Ben Folds for the second time in the summer of 2007, on tour with John Mayer at Verizon Wireless Music Center in Noblesville, IN. This was yet another great Ben Folds show, although I wish he could have played a longer set. But now knowing that I will get to see him again at my own campus, I cannot complain. Although the complete tour has not been released, the Purdue show will be on February 29th at 8PM in the Elliott Hall of Music. Tickets go on sale 1/19/2008, yet I will be waiting in line early on the 18th to get my tickets (Purdue students get the extra day )

For complete details of the tour check out: Ben Folds.com
Tickets can be found at: Ben Folds Tickets @ Ticketmaster

To tide you over here is the latest single from Ben Folds, “Learn to Live With What You Are”
Enjoy.

“Jigsaw Falling Into Place” - Radiohead

Ah we have been spoiled once again. I can remember not too long ago Radiohead announced online that they were going to be making an album, coming as a complete surprise to even the most dedicated Radiohead fans. Being the comtemporary artists they are (always breaking boundaries in their music) they took it one step further and recorded an album in a matter of weeks, selling it online for any price chosen by the purchaser. [Yes this sounds quite stupid, but this stunt actually made them a good deal of money and helped to demonstrate the problem facing the music industry today with their pricing and publishing policies.] In Rainbows became the not only the most controversial album, but also my favorite album to date. Being the fan that I am, I decided to purchase it online the day it was released for a good $8 (which of course had to be converted into Euros). After listening to the album straight through, I was jaw-dropped like a kid going to Disney World for the first time. Only in this case my Disney world was a digital download of a CD (Yes I know my pleasures in life are twisted). This video became the first “official” music video for the In Rainbows album, and was created just as you would expect Radiohead to: Odd, Random, Thought-Provoking, and kinda creepy (Sorry Thom). All-in-all, this album is a MUST-HAVE for any fan of alternative music.

You want to know my favorite tracks? I thought you would never ask. Here we go:

“15 Step”
“Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”
“Faust Arp”
“Jigsaw Falling Into Place”

Heres the music video, so go out and PLEASE BUY THIS ALBUM. You will not be upset, I promise

American Zeppelin - DJ Doc Rok [Jay-Z/Led Zeppelin Mash-Up]

“Roc Boys (And the winner is…)” [Whole Lotta Love]

“American Gangster” [Immigrant Song]

Genius. That’s all I can really say about this mixtape. First we were spoiled by the American Gangster album that Jay-Z made to collabo with the Denzel Washington film (which rumors had it Jay-Z pushed for the lead role but ended up just making the album instead). If that album wasn’t enough, DJ Doc Rok took it one step further and mashed all of the songs on the album with various Led Zeppelin songs (Brilliant!). Once this mixtape hit the web, it blew up instantly. This whole album is a must have for any Jay-Z, Zeppelin, or fan of music in general. The way all of the songs blend together is perfected in every way. Major props to Jay-Z but most of all to DJ Doc Rok for being able to first think of something this crazy and then actually produce it. Go out and get this album however you can, if you need help getting a copy just send me a message and we can work something out.

“We On” - Gemini ft. Lupe Fiasco

This is a semi-new song off of Gemini’s “Troubles of the World” album. First released via MySpace on both Gemini’s (a.k.a. GemStones) and Lupe’s page, this song became an instant classic in my book. Although Lupe Fiasco is just beginning to take shape in the commercial music industry, he has been pushing out hits and mixtapes for years. His record label, 1st and 15th, is home to both Lupe and Gemini, as well as Bishop G and a few other artists. Look for some future songs from Gemini and the rest of the 1st and 15th gang in the future, as well as a full album review of Lupe Fiasco’s newest album “The Cool.”

As Lupe would say,
FNF UP!

“Us Placers” - CRS (Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Pharell Williams

This was my favorite song off of a really great Kanye West mixtape. The “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” mixtape, released in May of 2007 was definitely a collection of the best Kanye songs of the time. Containing such hits as “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” Common’s “The Game,” along with Kanye’s remix of “Throw Some D’s”, this mixtape was topped off by the CRS song “Us Placers.” The song is created around a sample of Thom Yorke’s (lead singer of Radiohead) song “The Eraser.” Using this sample, the secretly-created collabo of Kanye, Lupe, and Parell formed the group CRS (a.k.a. Chicago Runs Shit) and created one of the top songs of 2007 in my mind. Although as many mixtape fans would agree this song is fairly old, it didn’t gain much attention until the music video was released for it just a month ago. Personally, I think the video is what makes the song 10x better (and I never thought that was possible).

No I’m not on a Lupe/Kanye/Chicago tip right now, just gotta post what I have available and this video is an amazing media to compliment a creative and unique song.

Cheers.