Ropeadope

We have a winner, ladies and gentleman. His name is Lil Wayne.

After all the drama, disses, mixtapes, leaks and beef, Dwayne Carter aka Weezy F. aka Lil Wayne has delivered a masterpiece. Tha Carter III isn't good. It isn't even great. It's transcendent. This has to be one of...no, scratch that...this IS the tightest rap album of 2008 (so far). Haters be damned, I will carry this to my grave.

So what makes it so great? Is it the solid production that's provided by a handful of greats? Or is it Wayne's lyrics that are so clever that you'll want to hit rewind to hear that line just one more time? It is a wild marriage of the two, my friend. To top it off, Weezy isn't just aiming to put out an album full of catchy club hit singles. Take "Dr. Carter," where our lyrical superstar acts like a doctor of hip-hop. Each verse starts off with the diagnosis from his nurse and Wayne aims to cure his patients with his sick flows. Throw in stunning production by Swiss Beatz (seriously, I mean it when I say "stunning") and you have yourself the standout track of the album.

Individual tracks aside, this album as a whole is solid. Some critics are claiming that the album feels disjointed and unbalanced. I would have to agree: there is no real central issue that Wayne is pushing except HIMSELF. Rappers love to boost their own egos and Weezy is no different but his boasting isn't just the side dish to some tasteless main course, it IS the main course (and it tastes delicious, by the way). On "Mr. Carter," he proclaims, "Next time you mention Pac, Biggie and Jay-Z, don't forget Weezy, baby!" You're well on your way, Mr. Carter, but I'm sure you already knew that.

SUMMARY: If you're a fan of rap, you need this album. Simple as that.