Drake – HYFR video featuring Lil’ Wayne

Drake – Take Care video featuring Rihanna

Both songs from Drake’s “Take Care”

Unfortunately, the record begins not so much with a bang, but with a whimper.

Tha Carter IV’s hackneyed inaugural track “Intro” is a rigid, mid-tempo washout from the moment Weezy starts into his indolently written verse, until he finally puts the track out of it’s misery. Had he simply scrapped Intro all together and started off with the album’s second track Blunt Blowin’ Tha Carter IV would have had the volatile, momentous launch that is the God-given right of any release from the Young Money war chest. After all, Intro, Blunt Blowin’, and ten more of the record’s other eighteen songs start off with the exact same ‘lighter click, inhale’ combo anyway.

Despite the negative picture I’ve painted thus far, Lil’ Wayne quickly redeems himself, with an album whose track list is not only lyrically substantial but fearsomely catchy and addictive. Creative and original cuts like the chilling, pseudo-political President Carter and evocatively emotional Mirrors add humanity, depth, and dimension. Songs like How to Hate bring humor and edge, while its sister track How to Love provides us with a rare and momentary glimpse of the more sensitive side of the hip-hop powerhouse. If nothing else, Tha Carter IV is unquestionably, an album of layers and refreshing complexity.

So, once again I find myself on the opposite end of the spectrum from my music reviewing peers, who have unexplainably been foaming at the mouth, spitting licentious vitriol all over Tha Carter IV. In this writers humble opinion, Tha Carter IV, as a whole, is a much needed return to form for Weezy, especially after the half-witted rap-rock monstrosity that preceded it, Rebirth. If you can work your way passed its bumbling, snooze-worthy beginnings, and a few irritatingly repetitive and ridiculous production decisions.
Tha Carter IV is a great album.

Hearing Lil Wayne rap over Kreayshawn’s “Gucci Gucci” is great. “My homies got that white girl, they call it Lady Gaga” raps Wayne, his giddy wordplay standing out on this mentionable track.

In “Marvin’s Room” Wayne puts a thug bravado over Drake’s hit, his intentions passionate and strangely romantic, alluding to Aaliyah’s “Rock the Boat” for backup. “Grove St. Party” features guest rapper Lil B over the Waka Flocka Flame track, his swagged out delivery a perfect fit for Weezy’s.

“Sorry 4 The Wait” obviously stands out for its Adele sample, with Wayne throwing powerful punches and boastfully declaring that he is “ahead of the time.”

Overall, Sorry may not be comparable to the Drought tapes, but it is definitely fun and listenable. Lil Wayne’s delivery is witty and enjoyable, his rhymes layered with similes and metaphors that will provide for a quick laugh, or an instantaneous raise of the eyebrows. All over the place and absolutely amusing, Sorry will have you smiling, keeping you occupied until the next Carter drops.

Rick Ross – 9 Piece (Remix) video featuring Lil Wayne

Producer: Lex Luger
Album: God Forgives, I Don’t
Director: Gil Green

Lil Wayne – John video featuring Rick Ross

The Game – Red Nation video featuring Lil Wayne

The Parris directed “Red Nation” music video will be available online only as it was deemed too controversial and was banned by MTV and BET networks

Latest Episode in the Groundbreaking Music Series Set To Premiere on Sunday, June 12th across MTV2, MTV and MTV.com

MTV2 today announced that it is set to welcome hip-hop’s hottest MC to the legendary “Unplugged” stage with MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged. As the world awaits his highly-anticipated ninth studio album, Tha Carter IV, Lil Wayne is the latest artist to perform on this Grammy® and Emmy® award winning Unplugged music series. Featuring stripped down versions of his classics and more, MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged will premiere on Sunday, June 12th across MTV2, MTV and MTV.com at 9 PM ET / PT.

“Lil Wayne is an amazing choice for Unplugged as he is at hip-hop’s forefront – leading a new generation of artists whose appeal spans across music genres and playlists,” stated Amy Doyle, EVP, Music and Talent, MTV. “Lil Wayne’s skills, influence, and catalog are a powerful addition to the legacy of artists who have rocked the Unplugged stage.”

With well over ten million in sales, unquestionable street credibility, critical acclaim, industry accolades, eight Grammy nominations, and four Grammy wins for his multi-platinum selling album Tha Carter III, Cash Money/Universal Motown recording artist Lil Wayne has firmly laid to rest all doubt that he is anything less than the best. Now, with his upcoming 9th studio album release, Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV is one of the most anticipated albums of 2011.

MTV’s Unplugged concert series first debuted in 1989 showcasing popular musical artists playing acoustically in an intimate setting. The acclaimed series is credited with starting an “acoustic revolution” among musicians, bringing acoustic instruments and arrangements back into the musical mainstream. Unplugged has received critical acclaim, spotlighting artists including Eric Clapton, who won six Grammys including Album of the Year for his performance, Nirvana who won Best Alternative Album Grammy for their Unplugged appearance, and Tony Bennett whose performance earned him Album of the Year honors. Other past Unplugged performers have included Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Mariah Carey, Oasis, Sting, Paul Simon, Paul McCartney, Alicia Keys, R.E.M., LL Cool J, Aerosmith, Jay-Z and more. Most recently, Unplugged has evolved to showcase the work of today’s top artists and the stars of tomorrow such as Adele, Lykke Li, B.o.B., Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, Adam Lambert, Katy Perry and more across MTV Music Group’s multiple digital platforms: Unplugged.MTV.com, Unplugged.CMT.com and Unplugged.VH1.com.

MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged is a production of Den of Thieves with Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager serving as Executive Producers. Garrett English, Amy Doyle and Joanna Bomberg serve as Executive Producers for MTV. Elena Diaz serves as Executive in Charge of Music Talent for MTV. The series was created by Robert Small and Jim Burns.

About MTV2

MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

About MTV:

MTV is the world’s premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy®, Grammy® and Peabody® award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV’s sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is the leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

About Den of Thieves:

Founded in 2007 by Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager, Den of Thieves has quickly emerged as a force for ambitious event shows and uniquely stylized reality television series. Using their extensive experience working with talent, Ignjatovic and Prager launched Den of Thieves as the TV arm of the Warner Music Group in 2007. After a successful three year partnership there, they branched out and are now fully independent. With an array of formats ranging from Comedy Central’s stand-up special “Russell Brand in NYC” to VH1’s “The T.O. Show” to the MTV Video Music Awards, Den of Thieves continues to create, develop and produce original television.

Nardwuar vs. Lil Wayne video

Nardwuar interviews Lil Wayne in Vancouver, BC, Canada

The Lil’ Wayne “I’m Still Music” tour proved to be a force to be reckoned with. Having seen the same stage host many other artists, Rogers Arena (formerly GM Place) proved to be the right landscape for the vast musical catalogue that his discography boasts.

There are several considerations vital to a stadium show versus that of a smaller venue. Firstly of course, there’s the price, which tends to be considerably higher than your 400 person or your 2,000 person venue. There’s also where you’re located and how much of a fan you are of the artist. The bang for buck is what we’re all searching for. Vancouver’s leg of the “I’m Still Music” tour was definitely worth the price of admission, no matter where you were. The larger screens featured an accurate and well chosen array of close up shots during the night. The only exception was during Rick Ross’ set. For some reason the shot remained static, just Ross standing in front of a 30 foot canopy where no close up was seen of the rapper on the screens. If you were privileged to be close enough, or have floor seats, he was in full view. But throughout the night the only rapper without close ups was Ricky Rozay.

From the get go, the carefully planned show went smoothly. Travis Barker and Mixmaster Mike kicked things off, performing inside of a blown up boom box; Mixmaster Mike scratching and mixing in the circle meant for one speaker, and Barker drumming inside the other. The visual depiction was fantastic, and a surprise cameo by Paul Wall had a lot of onlookers stunned.

Barker showcased his drumming talents, stepping up a fast tempo beat for a mash up of Outkast’s “Bombs Over Baghdad.” He continued through an array of songs, drumming away seamlessly alongside MMM’s mash ups. “Give The Drummer Some” of course was the album most drawn from, and for an opening act the performance was superb.

Rick Ross’ set followed shortly thereafter. The Teflon Don performed in signature fashion, emerging with ferocity after a Pulp Fiction sampled intro and Thriller laugh sample. He kicked his set off with “MC Hammer” and proceeded to run through “Husslin,” “Aston Martin Music” and brought Masspike Miles out to be his hypeman, aiding Ross on “Cigar Music” and taking T-Pain’s role for Ross to perform live renditions of DJ Khaled hits. “Blowin’ Money Fast” received the strongest response, the back and forth crowd response from the hook was perfect as with “I’m Not A Star” also received a huge reception.

Rick Ross concentrated on promoting the new Maybach Music release “Self Made” throughout his 30 minute set (which appeared longer as he performed more verses than full songs). His call and response with “Self” / “Made” back and forth with the crowd appeared somewhat corny, however he’s in the position he’s in and is “self made” as a result of his marketing practices.

Though apparent early on, once Lil’ Wayne took the stage, wearing a Vancouver Canucks Hockey Jersey and fitted cap (the Canucks having won a significant game the night before), the weed aroma’s kicked up a notch. They had been around earlier, as with most concerts, but as Wayne came out the joints became considerably more prevalent.

The strong roar of the crowd was impossible not to partake in as he ascended from beneath the stage, straight into “I’m Going In.” From there on, the show was Wayne’s with the New Orleans native commanding his audience’s every look. The Cash Money/Young Money rapper had a full band behind him, and a three story set of scaffolding that he alternated which level he stood and performed upon. Behind the scafolding stood screens projecting slideshows and animations showcasing the various songs. Weezy’s energetic presence on stage and non-stop movement was captivating.

Midway through Lil’ Wayne’s set he informed the crowd that he had to go change, the arena was lit up briefly before darkening again. A sequence from Gladiator where Russell Crowe enters the arena played out behind him on the main screen as a man that the audience assumed was Lil’ Wayne, covered by a hood, barefoot, and wearing a Monk’s robe emerged. It was revealed not to be Wayne, but in fact SB (Nicki Minaj’s hypeman) as Nicki Minaj asceneded from beneath the stage wearing a corset, a signature beehive wig and extremely colourful tights. She began with “Roman’s Revenge,” running around the stage whilst her dancers interpreted and performed their choreographed moves. The dancers collaborated to create a football set up, where Nicki ran through them, scored a touchdown and was met by a referee at the end of it all.

Unsurprisingly, a large amount of men surrounding me sat down, uninterested in Minaj. They even booed, but couldn’t be heard over the roars and screams of the thousands of adoring onlookers. Minaj performed her hits from “Pink Friday” before Lil Wayne returned and Minaj briefly made a stage exit to change her wig. Minaj had trouble hiding her smile, which was cute. Her performance solidified her validity as a rapper, with her high paced movement and breath control working to bring her material to life.

Wayne made his return shortly thereafter, running through hits and verses from collaborations with Drake, Eminem and DJ Khaled amongst others, bringing out his own guitar and singing some of his rock songs as well. The set included several theatrical performances where actresses would come out on stage to aid in his live renditions including a woman loosely dressed in a police uniform to play out “Miss Officer.” Fireworks and flame bursts occassionally spruced up Wayne’s set, but at no point were they necessary as Lil Wayne live is far superior than on his recordings.

The “I’m Still Music” tour is definitely a stadium show, organized to perfection. The light collages set up behind the artists were served as a great accentuation and the close ups for those in poor seated areas were orchestrated to perfrection by the live feed on huge display screens. Wherever you were, the atmosphere and the way Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross and Travis Barker performed was phenomenal.

Photograph by Adam LeBlanc

Lil Wayne – John video featuring Rick Ross