Released: June 10, 2008
Genre: Hip hop ∙ pop rap
Label: Cash Money ∙ Universal Motown ∙ Young Money
Producer: Birdman ∙ Ronald “Slim” Williams ∙ Lil Wayne ∙ Alchemist ∙ Bangladesh ∙ Cool & Dre ∙ D. Smith ∙ David Banner ∙ Deezle ∙ DJ Nasty & LVM ∙ Drew Correa ∙ Infamous ∙ GX ∙ Jim Jonsin ∙ Kanye West ∙ Maestro ∙ Mousa ∙ Play-N-Skillz ∙ Pro Jay ∙ Robin Thicke ∙ Rodnae ∙ Swizz Beatz ∙ Streetrunner ∙ T-Pain
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lil Wayne is without a doubt one of the greatest rappers of all time. His flow is impeccable and of course the lyricism is fire. By 2008, he was a household name after being a member of southern hip hop group Hot Boys and his own solo career dropping classics like Go DJ, Fireman, Shine, Tha Block Is Hot, Stuntin’ Like My Daddy, and countless other classics.
Lil Wayne’s sixth studio album Tha Carter III was released on June 10, 2008 by Cash Money, Universal Motown & Young Money Entertainment. The album became one of the most heavily anticipated albums to be released that year and rightfully so.
Tha Carter III is truly one of the most remarkable rap albums of all time. His wordplay was already unmatched as it was, but on this album is where I started to truly appreciate the artistry of Lil Wayne. I believe this is the album that truly showed the world that Lil Wayne is THE Lil Wayne.
Everything about Tha Carter III is so good: the production, the album cover of baby Wayne is similar to the classic hip hop albums Illmatic (Nas) & Ready to Die (The Notorious B.I.G.). Tha Carter III debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and had opening day sales figures of 423,000 copies, and eventually selling 1,005,545 copies the first week. The album also has been certified 8x platinum, selling over 8 million copies.
Ladies & Gentlemen, I present to you Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III.
3 Peat
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Vaushaun Brooks ∙ Colin Westover
The album opens up with 3 Peat, and when I say Wayne went crazy…HE WENT CRAZY. The lyricism was insane!
“They can’t stop me, even if they stopped me..”
Lil Wayne, 3 Peat, 2008
Mr. Carter (featuring Jay-Z)
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Andrews Correa ∙ Sha Ron Prescott ∙ Shawn Carter ∙ Marco Rodriguez
Mr. Carter was released as a promotional single for the album, featuring fellow rap legend Jay-Z. From a lyrical perspective, the song has one of the Mr. Carters (if you’re living under a rock, both men have the same exact last name with no relation!) passing the torch to the other. Mr. Carter peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart and also at number 27 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as well. Mr. Carter was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2009.
***Mr. Carter contains interpolations of Jay-Z’s Lucky Me, and was sampled for No Frauds by Nicki Minaj featuring Drake and Lil Wayne.
A Milli
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ C. Hester ∙ Shondrae Crawford ∙ Quentin Cook
A Milli had me in a chokehold in high school!!! Released as the second single from the album, A Milli peaked at number 1 on the Hot Rap Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts respectively. The song won the Best Rap Solo Performance at the 2009 Grammy Awards.
***A Milli contains samples of I Left My Wallet In El Segundo (Vampire Mix) by A Tribe Called Quest & Don’t Burn Down the Bridge by Gladys Knight & The Pips. The song was also sampled for Steady Mobbin’ by Young Money.
Got Money (featuring T-Pain)
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Faheem Najm ∙ Juan Salinas ∙ Oscar Salinas
Got Money was released as the third single from the album, and features my boy T-Pain. The pair utilized the auto tune effect in the record, and is lyrically about balling in the club. The song made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 13, making it one of his highest debuts, and peaked at number 10. The song also peaked at number 2 and 7 on the Hot Rap Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts respectively. Got Money has since been certified 3x platinum by the RIAA.
***Got Money contains interpolations of Bitches Ain’t Shit by Dr. Dre featuring Tha Dogg Pound, Jewell & Snoop Dogg, The Hand Clap by Hurricane Chris & Umbrella by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z
Comfortable (featuring Babyface)
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Kanye West ∙ Kenneth Edmonds
Comfortable is a song that is lyrically speaking to the rapper telling someone who he is dealing with to not get too comfortable because she is not irreplaceable at all. The song is a collaboration with the iconic and legendary songwriter and producer Babyface was produced by Kanye West.
***Comfortable contains samples of You Don’t Know My Name by Alicia Keys & OutKast’s Player’s Ball (Extended Remix) and contains interpolations of Irreplaceable by Beyoncé & Khia’s My Neck, My Back (Lick It)
Dr. Carter
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Kasseem Dean ∙ David Axelrod
Dr. Carter is one of those classic hip hop records that’ll go down for having one of the sickest flows of all time. From a lyrical perspective, the song is sonically about the rapper saving hip hop. Being the lyricist that called himself the greatest rapper alive, he definitely lived up to the name for sure. I think the song is pure genius because the title of the song serves as a metaphor for Wayne resuscitating the hip hop game, especially when people at the time thought hip hop was dead.
****Dr. Carter contains a sample of Holy Thursday by David Axelrod and contains an interpolation of Kanye West’s Can’t Tell Me Nothing.
Phone Home
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Eddie Montilla ∙ Andre Lyon ∙ Marcello Valenzano
From a lyrical perspective, Phone Home is a song that has Wayne explaining how he’s different from other people and rappers in particular!
Tie My Hands (featuring Robin Thicke)
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Robin Thicke ∙ Kanye West
Tie My Hands is a song that features Robin Thicke and has a powerful message behind it. Lyrically, the song is a response to Wayne’s feelings and criticism towards President George Bush and the oppression the people of New Orleans went through after Hurricane Katrina. A flawless track!
Mrs. Officer (featuring Bobby Valentino and Kidd Kidd)
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Darius Harrison ∙ Bobby Wilson
Mrs. Officer was MYYYYY SONG Y’ALL!!!! Featuring Bobby Valentino and Kidd Kidd, the song is lyrically about the tension between criminal suspects and police offices by portraying a relationship between Lil Wayne and a police officer who’s a woman.
Let the Beat Build
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Kanye West ∙ Darius Harrison ∙ Edward Kendrick
Let the Beat Build is one of my favorite Kanye produced songs. I love everything about it! The Eddie Kendricks sample gets me!!!
***Let the Beat Build contains a sample of Eddie Kendricks’ Day by Day
Shoot Me Down (featuring D. Smith)
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Dreshan Smith
Shoot Me Down is lyrically about the rapper asking his enemies to not knock him down from his throne in the world of hip hop while stating that he has no competition and couldn’t touched him if you tried.
Lollipop (featuring Static Major)
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Darius Harrison ∙ Stephen Garrett ∙ James Scheffer
Lollipop is such a nostalgic masterpiece, and is definitely one of my favorite Wayne songs of all time. I was in my second semester of freshman year of high school when the single dropped and I was blown away by the production alone. Like wow! The electropop record was released as the lead single and is considered to be his breakout single.
The song featured posthumous vocals from the late and great Static Major, which makes me sad because it is the duo’s most successful single to date. Lollipop spent five non-consecutive weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the song was certified Diamond by the RIAA.
***Lollipop contains an interpolation of Back That Azz Up by Juvenile featuring Lil Wayne & Mannie Fresh, sampled by Drake for In My Feelings, Mona Lisa by Lil Wayne featuring Kendrick Lamar, Shawty Say by David Banner featuring Lil Wayne and was interpolated by Drake for From Florida With Love & Love in this Club Part II by Usher featuring Beyoncé & Lil Wayne.
La La (featuring Brisco & Busta Rhymes )
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Lavell Crump ∙ British Mitchell ∙ Trevor Smith, Jr.
La La is an album cut!!!
Playing with Fire (featuring Betty Wright)
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Nicholas Warner ∙ Jason Desrouleaux ∙ Betty Wright
They say, “You’re nobody ’til somebody kills you.” Well, where I’m from, you’re nobody ’til you kill somebody.
Lil Wayne, Playing With Fire, 2008
Playing With Fire is my MF FAVORITE WAYNE SONG OF ALL TIME. Featuring Betty Wright, the song is truly the definition of the masterpiece. The song unfortunately was removed from later pressings of the album due to a copyright lawsuit.
***Playing With Fire contains a sample of Play With Fire by The Rolling Stones and interpolates Fuck You Tonight by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring R. Kelly.
Pussy Monster
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ David Banner
Pussy Monster was the replacement track after Playing with Fire was removed from the album. Lyrically, it’s self explanatory, lol.
You Ain’t Got Nuthin’ (featuring Juelz Santana & Fabolous)
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Darius Harrison ∙ Alan Maman ∙ John Jackson ∙ LaRon James
You Ain’t Got Nuthin was a fire collaboration from Wayne, Juelz Santana & Fabolous.
***You Ain’t Got Nuthin contains a sample of I’m Lucky by Joan Armatrading.
Dontgetit
Written by Dwayne Carter ∙ Gloria Caldwell ∙ Sol Marcus ∙ Rodnae Young ∙ Benne Benjamin ∙ Eunice Waymon ∙ Mousa
DontGetIt closes out Tha Carter III, and is an amazing record that is about life and various topics like drug laws, mass incarceration and more.
***DontGetIt contains samples Fromm Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood by Nina Simone
Lil Wayne is a true GOAT. I appreciate his artistry because a lot of rappers don’t put any thought into their albums. Tha Carter III will always go down as one of the best albums of all time, and rightfully so. -MW.
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