"To just keep it goin' like that, I think not only am I being greedy, I'm fooling myself to think that it will continue to be that great." Thank God I haven't put out an album that hasn't went platinum," he said. "I signed my contract at 11, I went platinum at 14. If you go on to count his nine solo LPs, four Hot Boys albums, 2006 tag-team album with Birdman (Like Father, Like Son), his 2009 YMCMB compilation (We Are Young Money) and the dizzying number of mixtapes he has dropped, it becomes easier to understand how Wayne may be all rapped out. Weezy put out his first solo album, Tha Block Is Hot, in 1999, but before that, he was cutting his teeth on Cash Money Records as part of the groups Hot Boys and the B.G.'z. "Man, I've been rappin' since I was 8 years old. So why not just retitle "I Am Not A Human Being II" to fit the mood? "Because I know y'all want me around for a little bit, and Carter V is my last album," Weezy revealed.
And he's also mentioned that this is his final solo album ever, unless someone forks up "$25-35 million". Dre on “Forgot About Dre" and no one’s forgotten about Dre since.Lil Wayne claims this is the final chapter in The Carter series. Dre did the same with 2001 after The Aftermath compilation got a lukewarm reception and “The Firm flopped,” as he put it on “Forgot About Dre.” And it’s funny because Wayne’s current position shares a few more similarities with Dre’s before 2001, right down to his lead single from Tha Carter V, “Believe Me.” On the Vinylz and Boi-1da-produced track, Drake is the lead performer, carrying the chorus and spitting a scene-stealing verse, all while championing Wayne's return to prominence. That same legend-turned-underdog advantage is what allowed Nas to win everyone over again after two widely panned albums with Stillmatic. That’s why even though Lil Wayne has never really fallen off or gone anywhere, he’s faced enough adversity to work himself into the position of the underdog, and there’s nothing people love more than a good comeback. People want to see that artist overcome those hurdles and reclaim their former glory. Once haters have knocked an artist to what they believe is the lowest point, a new excitement comes from the question of whether that same artist will be able to surmount those depths, and it’s most exciting to witness it be done. Wayne hastened the process by following up Tha Carter III with an experimental rock album, Rebirth, underwhelming most with Tha Carter IV, dressing weird, and just giving people a ton of excuses to turn against him.īut just as a cheerleading stance gets tired, so does a cynical one. It’s the only direction anyone can go after such an incredible rise. Really, ever since Tha Carter III, when he sold a million copies in one week and won the Best Rap Album Grammy and reached a point of ubiquity that’s happened to maybe like five rappers ever, the descent began. More recently, that perceived downfall has been a major part of the critical narrative surrounding Lil Wayne. There’s the natural erosion of talent compounded by increasingly complacent masses that get bored and aggressively seek to tear down the very individuals who they propped up not long before. Anyone who’s paid even a minor amount of attention to pop culture over the last decade is familiar with Weezy’s seemingly endless streak of wins. He’s had career-defining verses and era-defining songs. He’s experienced record-breaking sales and chart success. Wayne’s seen serious heights as an artist. We should’ve known then that the climate surrounding its release was going to be special, even by Lil Wayne’s standards. “I’m just getting high, thinking ‘bout Tha Carter V” was an early and subtle hint at the importance of this album.
Five years ago, when songs from Tha Carter III were still on the radio and Tha Carter IV was over two years away, Lil Wayne was already contemplating the impending prestige of Tha Carter V. ” -Lil Wayne on “Million Dollar Baby,” 2009 “I’m just getting high, thinking ‘bout Tha Carter V.