I Am Not A Human Being
Young Money
So much is written about Lil Wayne and his recent stint in jail, that his music has been pushed aside and almost forgotten. What better way then, to make sure his rapper hasn’t been forgotten, than to release an EP whilst still in prison?
This 10 track release, which was released virally on the rapper’s 28th birthday, is the perfect fillip for fans foaming at the mouth for Tha Carter IV. Kicking off with Gonorrhea, its Fireman-esque high end and booming bass, Weezy drops his usual new-age savvy knowledge with lines such as “You guys is washed up and I’m shitting on ‘em like two girls and one cup” – Nice.
There are some typical heavy rap numbers on this record to go along with his opening gambit such the title track which takes a chopped guitar riff and moulds into an 80s era throb, the Microsoft-boss named Bill Gates and Hold Up which shows the New Orleans native hasn’t lost any of his edge but this EP shows many other dimensions to his arsenal.
Tracks that really shouldn’t work, do, because of his unwavering confidence and readiness to go places other rappers don’t even think to tread. With You has a sung hook that wouldn’t be out of place in a 1950s diner, Popular features Lil Twist with a flow that makes him sound even younger than his 17 years and the Nicki Minaj guested track What’s Wrong With Them has Weezy sounding very similar to a girl on the second verse though which stands up against any of the tracks on Tha Carter II and III.
Moving from lyrics that cover romance and filthy sex [he definitely loves a certain part of the female anatomy] to internet-led lingo, Carter doesn’t let up throughout and stamps his mark on the rap world once again. It’s not a release that could be considered an album but it still stands head and shoulders above 99% of mainstream hip hop’s releases in 2010. Even with guests on almost every track including the pointless Jay Sean [seriously, what?] and over-saturation of Drake, Wayne steps up to the plate and knocks it out of the park. He is the best rapper around at the moment and if this is anything to go by, Tha Carter IV is going to be bananas.
Abjekt.
