Hip-hop
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday August 23, 2008
LIL WAYNE
Tha Carter III (Cash Money/Universal Music)If you took everything that was great about hip-hop, all the fantastic stereotypes, mixed in a bit of cartoon fun and ensured that Kanye West and Jay-Z dropped in, you'd have something close to Lil Wayne's latest release. Born with a gruff New Orleans drawl, and having released at least 468 illegal mix tapes on the internet, Lil Wayne has perfected his vocals into a style that suits the whole hip-hop spectrum; from the bling, girls and money tracks (Mr Carter and Got Money), via the surreal ET-mimicking galactic tracks (Phone Home) through to the straight-up, dancefloor party tracks (Let The Beat Build and La La). Forget about any serious political overtones (think the Beastie Boys or Common), or over-serious egos (50 Cent, Ludacris or Master P), Lil Wayne has a knack for bringing together the fattest, most danceable basslines, catchy yet quirky choruses and a big dose of fun.Hip-hop needed a shot of light-heartedness and Lil Wayne has delivered with an album that should blow all others out of the water.
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald
