At the tender age of 15, Lil Wayne was already becoming something of a trump card in Cash Money’s hand, and Wayne’s Hot Boys group produced some of the more popular singles from the label (cf. We on Fire and Project Chick). Ten years later, Lil Wayne has far eclipsed his Cash Money contemporaries and is being compared to rap’s greatest stars, living and dead. Though a Hot Boys reunion,
reported late last year, has yet to materialize, last week Lil Wayne released his sixth official studio album,
Carter III. On the track Dr. Carter, Wayne assumes a concerned bedside manner in order to casually and comically dress down the weak skills of his presumed competitors. The understated production (compliments of Swizz Beatz) matches Lil Wayne’s understated delivery and keeps his playful persona front and center. —
Erik Bryan, Jun. 18, 2008