Lil Wayne is gearing up to release Tha Carter V. With all of the hype and anticipation behind the album, we decided to break down the five reasons we're anxious to hear Wayne's latest studio effort.
1. It's supposedly going to be his last solo album - Earlier this year, Wayne had a chat with the folks over at MTV and he revealed to the network that Tha Carter V would be his last solo album. "I personally plan on this being my final solo album, yes and it's definitely the final Carter album. It's the final Carter album. It's stopping at five," Wayne said. He went on to say that he won't totally throw in the towel, an occasional guest appearance isn't too much to ask for. "I plan on it being my final solo album," he said. "Whenever I have to pitch in for a Young Money album, a Like Father, Like Son album and something like that and maybe something out the blue." But as we've heard over the past few years, Wayne's guest spots seem to be pretty much hit or miss so a final solo album may be his last shot to give us his all. It seems as though Wayne has been putting in work to make this his best album yet. Word is he has an overload of material and will probably end up releasing multiple albums. "Honestly the reason why it became two albums was because I went to work on Tha Carter V, and I don't stop working. So it's like either Tha Carter V is gonna be 93 songs or we going to have to figure this out. So what we said was we going to drop two albums this year, and then we going to probably drop seven next year. So be looking forward to it, ya dig." Guess we'll just have to wait and see how things pan out.
2. He's reuniting with Mannie Fresh - Back in April it was reported that Mannie Fresh and Lil Wayne were seen in the studio together and a month later, the former Cash Money producer confirmed that he was working on Tha Carter V. "We're actually working on Tha Carter V," he told NPR's Microphone Check. It has been nearly a decade since Mannie Fresh severed ties with the Cash Money camp and worked with Wayne. Mannie Fresh was a key element in establishing Lil Wayne's musical career producing on Wayne's albums including Tha Block Is Hot, Lights Out, 500 Degreez and Tha Carter. Fans of Wayne have watched his progress throughout his career, morphing from Weezy F. Baby into Lil Tunechi and releasing rock influenced albums. Many say he has lost touch with his inner Hot Boy since the disbandment of the original Cash Money crew. Hopefully working with Mannie will help Wayne channel that energy and lyricism that made us all fall in love with him.
3. Tha Carter turns 10 on June 29th - Lil Wayne released the first of Tha Carter series back in 2004. Although the album was Wayne's fourth studio release, Tha Carter is often credited as his "break out" album. While his three previous albums pale in comparison, Tha Carter was a display of his growth in subject matter and lyricism. The album went platinum and marked the beginning of a highly successful career for Wayne. During a time where one hit wonders saturate the rap game, Wayne's ten plus year run is quite impressive. The album saga thus far is an excellent chronicle of his career. How dope would it be for Wayne to release the last Carter album on the 10th anniversary of the first?
4. He's got something to prove - All eyes are on Lil Wayne. Around the time Tha Carter IV was released, Wayne seemed to have gotten out of his groove. His features had gotten pretty mediocre, considering the source, and Carter IV was underwhelming to say the least. Fans weren't really feeling Wayne's drops and it showed as he had a dry spell for award nominations. "I apologize to my fans and I promise to work harder if it kills me," Wayne tweeted. Slowly but surely, it sounds like he's getting back to himself. Carter V's first single "Believe Me" sounds very Weezy-esque.
5. He's been planning this for awhile - It's been a long time coming and Wayne has obviously been thinking about this moment in his career for a minute. Back in 2009 Wayne rapped about this album. "I'm just getting high, thinking 'bout Tha Carter V," he spit on "Million Dollar Baby." With all of this preparation and thought, it seems safe to say that this album just may be his best.
