Lil Wayne
is one of the most well-known, well-loved, and continuously active rappers of all time, and he's historically reserved his most developed, personally reflective material for his Tha Carter series. Beginning with the first volume in 2004,
Wayne
found a middle ground between his electric mixtape impulsivity and the more considered production of his studio albums, and subsequent entries in the series were easily some of his best material. The series set a high bar for the self-proclaimed ¿best rapper alive,¿ and new chapters became events that fans looked forward to with an excitement that went beyond that of just another new album.
Tha Carter VI
comes seven years after the solid
Tha Carter V
, and five years after
's 2020 studio album proper
Funeral
. As has become customary with the series, it's a reflective surface of where
Weezy
is in 2025. ¿Cotton Candy¿ flips a saxophone-heavy bubblegum pop song into a relaxed, fluid beat that
brings an A-game flow to while
2 Chainz
drops in for an equally fun verse. The video game instrumental of ¿Peanuts 2 N Elephant¿ is strange but exciting new territory, and ¿Bells¿ calls back to
LL Cool J
's early hip-hop classic ¿Rock the Bells,¿ refitting the beat with
's stream-of-consciousness, rapid-fire bars. A singalong hook from
BigXthaPlug
on bass-heavy banger ¿Hip Hop¿ adds just enough catchiness to make it work in either the club or on the radio.
's early mentor
Mannie Fresh
produces the soul-sampling ¿Bein' Myself,¿ and his presence on the track is a nostalgic reminder of his role in making the first few volumes of Tha Carter so special. ~ Fred Thomas