"Tha Carter IV" is finally here!

 After years of anticipation and several delays, Carter IV did not live up to the hype.  Wayne does not show the same intensity he did 5 years ago.  "Tha Carter IV" is not a bad album, and may be more easily digested and supported by those largely unfamiliar with Wayne’s antics and unaware of his previous highs. A few years back, when Lil Wayne was going around calling himself the “best rapper alive,” he really was. The rhymes that came spilling out of his mouth were complex and colorful and wildly charismatic.

Nothing on “Tha Carter IV” comes within miles of ‘6 Foot 7’ Foot’  — and Wayne seems to know it. Wayne sounded fatigued and not as innovative on many tracks.  Many fans speculate that the reason for this is because he is having withdrawals due to his sobriety.  Through his lyrics he expresses his mindset “I stick to the script/I memorize the lines,” he raps, “cause life is a movie that I've seen too many times.” A lot of the tracks sounded redundant like something you would hear on his mixtapes.  After such a long wait and after his release from jail fans had higher expectations, myself being one of them.  After reading many reviews it is evident that Wayne is falling into a repetitive trend.

On a positive note, Wayne’s Carter IV album sold just under one million copies in the first week, the album did still go platinum worldwide by selling over 1.03 million. The 964,000 copies Billboard counted are just sales from the US. The album also topped the United World Chart too, which is another great accomplishment for Wayne. This album marks Wayne‘s second highest first week sales behind Tha Carter III that sold 1.05 million in 2008. 

Although the sales numbers are positive the reviews are not. Its quality versus quantity, and it seems that the quantity is outshining the quality in the current state of music.  Wayne still has loyal fans that support and purchase his material, which makes him a successful artist.