The times they are-a-changin’. Last we really heard of Lil’ Wayne, he was fresh off the release of No Ceilings, a tape that even his naysayers couldn’t help but respect. That, Tha Carter III, and his seemingly endless features had him sittin pretty atop the rap game as a bonafide superstar. Now, after a year hiatus at Rikers Jail in NY, we see Wayne as a shell of his former self. The Martian has lost his alien qualities (for the time being) and is fighting it out with the rest of the earthling artists. Even with “How to Love,” “She Will,” and all of “Sorry 4 the Wait” being shitty (I’m pretty sure he spent 2 hrs making that tape), I still reserved judgment until the album came out. It’s time to accept that Weezy F. has lost what separated him from the pack. Going back to writing seems to have taken his old style and dumbed it down. It’s to the point his signature chuckle after punchlines just seems arrogant because they’re not clever and get repetitive. So much happened in the time he was gone in terms of artists on the rise and new releases that it’s almost like he’s now struggling to stay relevant. After this kind of vacation, one would expect he’d come back with something that matched the quality and commercial viability of Tha Carter III, but this album ends up sounding like a forgettable mixtape. And to top it off, the jab at Jay-Z makes him look foolish and bitter while Watch the Throne is on its way to Platinum. Maybe we’ll see a resurgence like Kanye post-808s, but I’m not holding my breath. Who knows, maybe the reaction to this album will get him focused and back to the state of mind that produced the heat we were accustomed to before. In the meantime, I’m gonna go listen to Da Drought 3.

Tracklist

1. “Intro”
2. “Blunt Blowin’”
3. “MegaMan”
4. “6 Foot 7 Foot” feat. Cory Gunz
5. “Nightmares of the Bottom”
6. “She Will” feat. Drake
7. “How to Hate” feat. T-Pain
8. “Interlude” feat. Tech N9ne
9. “John” feat. Rick Ross
10. “Abortion”
11. “So Special” feat. John Legend
12. “How to Love”
13. “President Carter”
14. “It’s Good” feat. Drake and Jadakiss
15. “Outro” feat. Bun B, Nas, Shyne, & Busta Rhymes

Late pass. I was hoping the whole prison thing would’ve ended up being a positive in some aspect for Wayne but it really seems to have just taken him down when he was at his best (post No Ceilings). Part of the appeal before was the fact he was higher than you could ever think of being, putting his dick in your cerebellum and mindfucking you with unparalleled metaphors. Something feels off now. Maybe I’m trippin. This track is still better than all of Sorry 4 the Wait combined. But I’m warning you, the hook is stupid as hell. Alright enough hate, take a listen

Lil’ Wayne – She Will ft. Drake

Tha Carter IV Tracklist

01. Intro
02. Blunt Blowin’
03. MegaMan
04. 6 Foot 7 Foot ft. Cory Gunz
05. Nightmares Of The Bottom
06. She Will ft. Drake
07. How To Hate ft. T-Pain
08. Interlude ft. Tech N9ne
09. John ft. Rick Ross
10. Abortion
11. So Special ft. John Legend
12. How To Love
13. President Carter
14. It’s Good ft. Drake & Jadakiss
15. Outro ft. Bun B, Nas, Shyne, Busta Rhymes

New Weezy f. off his upcoming Sorry 4 The Wait mixtape. Track’s called “Tunechi’s Back,” some No Ceilings fire over Meek Mill’s ‘Tupac’s Back.’ Glad he’s back, he should really stop leaving though.

Lil’ Wayne – Tunechi’s Back

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A bunch of new tunes hit the net from some big names today. I’m getting the feeling we should start expecting this for the rest of summer. Here’s a quick recap:

Nas – Nasty

Nas wasn’t fuckin’ around when he declared the return of Nasty Nas for his next album Life is Good. He delivers with “Nasty,” the first track from it. Really stoked for this album.

Big Sean – Marvin Gaye and Chardonnay ft. Kanye West and Roscoe Dash
CyHi Da Prince – Woopty Doo ft. Big Sean
Kanye West – Mama’s Boyfriend

G.O.O.D. Music comin’ in hot. Big Sean released his anticipated collab with Kanye from Finally Famous: the Album, “Marvin and Chardonnay.” They go back and forth with two verses from each. Sounds like it could be a radio jam, but not as good as I’d expect and still not sure about putting Roscoe on this one. CyHi Da Prince lays some southern flavor over a saxophone with the help of Big Sean in “Woopty Doo.” Some real shit brought up in that one! The track is off his Royal Flush 2 mixtape coming out tomorrow and is produced by Kanye and No I.D. Finally, Yeezy drops a track of his own, “Mama’s Boyfriend,” another word about his mom. More awesome Ye.

Lil’ Wayne – Dear Anne (Stan pt. 2)

N.O.R.E featuring Lil Wayne & Pharrell – Finito

It’s pretty apparent Weezy’s been writing… released a sort of sequel to Eminem’s Stan, “Dear Anne (Stan pt. 2).” This won’t be on Carter IV. He’s also featured with a good verse on N.O.R.E.’s “Finito,” which also features Pharrell. The beat and chorus on that one is reall catchy.

New video from Talib Kweli, showcasing some of his overseas endeavors. Pretty cool clips in there.

Wale – Sun.day.Breeze ft. Wiz Khalifa

Finally, “Sun.day.Breeze,” a remix of Wale’s “Breeze” ft. Wiz Khalifa. Production on this is pretty sick, literally feels like a Sunday Breeze.

Hip hop gods spoiled us today, enjoy!