“Tha Carter III” (Cash Money): C+
If hype translated into reality, this would be the album of the year. But magazine covers and guest spots don’t equate to good songs. Ultimately the most anticipated rap album of 2008 is a disappointment. Perhaps because so many tracks that might have been hot were leaked prematurely, perhaps because Mannie Fresh’s signature go-hard gutter production is noticeably absent, perhaps because the syrup is starting to go to Wayne’s head, “Tha Carter III” feels like a subpar effort from a rapper capable of more. On a single verse, Wayne’s spastic rhymes are a welcome break. Over an entire album, they grow tiresome. Underwhelming beats, random guest spots (Babyface, Busta Rhymes, Bobby Valentino, Robin Thicke) and a sense that Wayne is rambling give the album an unfocused, hollow feel. Download: “Dr. Carter.”
