Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., more commonly known as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper from Hollygrove, New Orleans. Wayne’s rap career began at only nine years old when he signed to Cash Money Records. Wayne is now 36 years old and has debuted 12 albums, almost all of which are certified gold or platinum.
His most popular album, Tha Carter III, won him countless awards and gathered the attention of the rap community. His song “Lollipop” was his first solo number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the song won him a Grammy for “best rap song”.
As one of the best-selling artists of all time, Wayne’s Tha Carter V album has been long awaited by his fans. The record took four years to produce and features the following artists: XXXTentacion, Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Ashanti, Mack Maine and Nivea. “One of the reasons I like this album so much is because he chose to feature so many other artists I listen to,” said Pleasant Valley High School sophomore Matthew Brewster.
According to Wayne, Tha Carter V will be his last album before retirement. Wayne was supposed to retire at 35 in order to focus on his four kids. The album was set to release in 2014, but was delayed due to conflicts between record labels. This is Wayne’s first album that was produced by Young Money Entertainment instead of Cash Money Records.
“Tha Carter V is about growth, flat-out. My thoughts are wiser. I still say what I want to say—it just sounds better and makes more sense. That all comes with growth and maturity,” said Wayne, as quoted by ESPN. Wayne takes pride in all 23 songs and hopes the fans appreciate all the work he put into it.
Each song on the album retains personal meaning for Wayne. The first song “I Love You Dwayne” is a tribute to his mother; the entire song consists of her words to him. Wayne uses the song to thank his mother for her support throughout his career. The song sets a bittersweet backdrop for the album.
In the last song “Let It All Work Out”, Wayne addresses his suicide attempt. At 12 years old, Wayne shot himself because his mother tried to prevent him from pursuing a rap career. The song is used to empower his audience and pay tribute to celebrities lost to suicide.
Tha Carter V was officially released on Sept. 28, 2018 and has been extremely successful. “I’m a huge Weezy fan and I have been waiting a long time for this album. I love every track,” said Pleasant Valley High School senior Andrew Schiltz. The album had the third largest streaming week ever and is set at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. “If the celebratory reception surrounding the long-delayed Tha Carter V proves one thing, it is how much Lil Wayne is truly beloved,” Rolling Stone said.
