Life After Death, The Black Album, The Chronic 2001, Wu-Tang Forever, and The Don Killuminanti: The 7 Day Theory (AKA Makaveli). What do they all have in common? Probably the fact that those are a handful of the most anticipated albums in Hip-Hop history, and now Tha Carter III is a part of that illustrious list of classics. But is Dwayne Michael Carter’s third edition to the Carter series a classic as well? That question will most likely echo throughout the remainder of the summer through the winter, and up until he drops another project. For now, all people can do is sit back, analyze, and digest his sixth studio album to date.

It’s no secret that he started to gain momentum as the ‘so-called’ best rapper alive in Tupac fashion by dropping 77 songs last year and that achievement alone catapulted him into the stratosphere of uber-mega-superstardom. Even an aging Jay-Z had to concede a little bit, and acknowledge Lil’ Wayne as an equal, which just added more fuel to an already uncontrollable fire. Nonetheless, he’s back to try and satisfy the tweens, teens, thugs, 20, and 30-somethings that helped to anoint him the king of everything holy when it comes to present day Hip-Hop.

There are two versions of the album available: For the recreational Lil ’ Wayne listener, the average album contains 16 tracks. And for the avid Lil’ Wayne fan, there’s a special edition CD available that includes The Leak EP with an extra five songs on it (if you’re willing to shell-out more cash). Tha Carter III gets underway with an intro song fittingly called ‘3 Peat.’ Lines like, “Swallow my words, taste my thoughts/and if it’s too nasty, spit it back at me” are cool while other lines like, “Abracadabra, I’m up—like Viagra” sounds like something that he could’ve gotten off the children’s show, Sesame Street.

Both Carters (Wayne and Shawn) once again join forces on ‘Mr. Carter.’ Instead of the standard ‘host artist/guest artist/host artist’ format, Wayne grabs the majority of the spotlight by letting off his two verses back-to-back followed by Jay-Z on the end. Once again, Wayne’s material has some faults where it sounds like he’s just saying whatever comes to mind instead of trying to be witty. Lil’ Wayne: “I’m a need a coupe, I won’t need a roof/flyer than Beetlejuice, Bettlejuice, Bettlejuice/I got summer hatin’ on me cause I’m hotter than the sun/I got spring hatin’ on me, cause I ain’t never sprung/winter hatin’ on me, cause I’m colder than y’all/and I will never, I will never, I will never fall.” While Jay-Z bats clean up: “Young Carter go farther, go further, go harder/is that not why we came/and if not, then why bother.”

These days, no album would be complete without the traditional T-Pain cut, and he provides his vocal services on ‘Got Money.’ The song doesn’t sound like anything out of the ordinary, and fails to distance itself from the other stuff that the ‘nappy boy’ has contributed to other artists on their projects in the past. The Kanye West-produced ‘Comfortable’ features legendary producer/crooner Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. The track itself isn’t the best the that Mr. West has in his arsenal, and it has the same elements of Talib Kweli’s ‘I Try’ featuring Mary J. Blige from Kweli’s The Beautiful Struggle album.

Swizz Beatz gives ‘Dr. Carter’ a simplistic jazzy feel, and you probably wouldn’t realize that it’s Swizz behind the boards unless you read the credits because the track doesn’t sound the normal stuff you’re used to hearing from him. Behind the mellow production, Weezy Baby gets into Grey’s Anatomy mode and operates on whack MC’s while his nurse reads off their symptoms as the hook. The Robin Thicke/Lil’ Wayne connection revisits on ‘Tie My Hands.’ Wayne leaves it up to Robin Thicke’s soothing voice to take him home; and the California native delivers just like he did on ‘Shooter’. From one singer to the next, ex Disturbing Tha Peace artist Bobby Valentino adds a ‘Lil’ Wayne’ collaboration to his resume as he’s featured on ‘Mrs. Officer’ (produced by Wyclef Jean).

Kanye West comes back two more times to lend more beat support on ‘Let The Beat Build’ and ‘Shoot Me Down.’  On ‘Let The Beat Build,’ Kanye gets a little more complex and gives Wayne some of his soulful touch, and Wayne repays him with punch lines like, “I told her toolbox, b*tch it’s Hammer time/I am legend, and I Will Smith/now that’s how you let the beat build b*tch.” ‘Shoot Me Down’ contains more serious lines like, “I ain’t kinda hot, I’m sauna/I sweat money, and the bank is my shower/and that pistol is my towel/so stop sweating me coward.” Wayne enlists the help of David Banner for ‘La La’ featuring Busta Rhymes and Brisco. Banner’s nursery-sounding production is backed by lines like, “Four tears in my face, and you ain’t never heard me cry/I’m richer than all of ya’ll, gotta bank full of pride.”

Mr. Young Money invades New York on ‘You Ain’t Got Nuthin’ with Alchemist on production, while Fabolous, and Juelz Santana rap right alongside him. All three rappers are lyrically on point especially “Santana The Great” (believe it or not). The order goes something like this; Fabolous: “I’ll pop up like Xzibit or give it, I’m at your crib-is/not to put no f*ckin’ fish tanks in your Civic/f*ck gettin’ your ride pimped/you’ll get hogtied wimp/have in the trunk curled up like fried shrimp.” Santana: “Tell me boys, tell me boys, who you think you messin’ with/I get money out the ass, that’s some expensive sh*t.” Wayne: “F*ck your city and your town, I state facts/take that/no–better yet like Diddy—take that.”

Will.I.Am uses the same exact voice sample of Nina Simone from ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ that Devo Springsteen used to create ‘Misunderstood’ on Common’s Finding Forever album, and conjures up ‘DontGetIt.’ The song is filled with social issues where Wayne breaks down the plight of African-Americans for almost ten minutes and shares his opinions on the subject while taking puffs of weed and taking shots at Al Sharpton. 

Tha Carter III has its upsides and its downsides just like everything else in life. The only thing that stops it from being a complete album in the true sense of the word is the fact that Lil’ Wayne tends to veer off lyrically at times. Just how a basketball player might have a spectacular dunk, and then next time he comes down on offense; he’ll take a ridiculous shot that hurts his team. Other than that, the album will still be one of the better projects to heat up the summer. As for being the greatest rapper alive, that title is only bestowed to those who show verbal greatness on a regular basis, and Wayne is not consistent enough to claim that elusive crown. Instead, he should be content with being the most improved rapper alive who’s now sitting on top of the world with another solid album to add to his collection.