“Tha Carter V” by Lil Wayne was released on September 28th, 2018 on both Apple Music and Spotify. The album was Wayne’s first major release since 2013 and the first Carter album since “Tha Carter IV” in 2011. The album has been one of the most hyped albums of the 21st century, as it was delayed due to a legal proceeding regarding its release. Weezy and his former mentor Bryan “Birdman” Williams had struggled for control of the album with Wayne tweeting out “I am a prisoner and so is my creativity.” Eventually the two settled their dispute and Wayne became the sole owner of his imprint, Young Money, and was finally able to release “Tha Carter V.” Upon release it quickly rose to number one on the Billboard Top 200, as fans of Wayne’s older music rejoiced.

“Tha Carter V” is a good album, which one can listen to from top to bottom without having to skip a song. Beat, production, and lyrics, are what make the songs tick. The songs get people moving and rapping along with them as the beats keep them going.

The 23 song album has nine songs that include features and one introduction, “I Love You Dwayne.” Most of the features are high quality, and star some of music’s biggest stars, including, XXXTENTACION, Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar. The best feature is by far “Dope N****z” (featuring Snoop Dogg). Wayne’s intro and flow is methodical, and the chorus is mesmerizing. When Snoop’s verse begins it is a complete change of pace and works flawlessly. The worst feature is “Dark Side of the Moon” (featuring Nicki Minaj). Nicki and Wayne seem to have a role reversal; Wayne that a majority of the singing, Nicki does the majority of the rapping, and it does not work well. If there were any song to skip on your listen through, this would be it.

While the features are what get a majority of people excited about, it is in the solo songs where Weezy makes his money. He mixes up the styles of each song, some more hip and upbeat, while others are softer and pleasing to listen to. The highlight of the entire album has to be “Uproar.” This song gets everyone onto their feet and dancing. The chorus is catchy and easy to sing along to, while bringing a vibrant energy to the room. “Uproar” even sparked a challenge that broke out on social media that involved people dancing to it. On the opposite side of the spectrum, “Mess” is a very good song in its own way. It shows Wayne’s range and is an alternative to the much harder songs in the album. Wayne speaks of troubles in his life that he went through with girlfriends, his wife, and drugs, while in a somber, yet catchy mood.

Overall the album is in the running for, or even leading in the chase for, “Album of the Year.” I would give it a 9/10; while there was much diversity in the songs, some sounded a little too similar for my liking. The best songs were “Dope N****z” and “Uproar,” while the song to avoid was “Dark Side of the Moon.” Any doubts about this album have been quenched as it has, metaphorically speaking, flown of the shelves. If you are looking for new music to get into, or are a fan of older hip hop and rap, then “Tha Carter V” is the album for you, and Weezy is your savior.