Who would have thought back in the Hot Boys' early days that it'd be Lil Wayne who not simply survived his older peers like Juvenile, but ended up thriving by the time he reached Tha Carter, vol. 2, Weezy’s fourth album. He sounds more confident as an MC--but more importantly, he wields a genuinely impressive array of different styles (as opposed to countless one-note rappers), from the chattering, thuggish "Fireman" and the languid style of "Oh No" to the emotional, introspective "Feel Me." In some ways, he actually bears a resemblance to rap's other major "Carter" (Jay-Z), not just in his increasingly effortless flow but in his assertiveness as a leader. In other words, he's matured in all the right ways as an artist. His album is still longer than it needs to be--22 tracks, 77 minutes--but even the filler is listenable while the best songs, like "Receipt," "Shooter," and "Hustler Musik" help establish this as one of 2005's last great albums.

amazingly talented artist. great songs that are very heartfelt and beautifully paces music. people of all ages with 100% love this cd as it is a timeless record to add to your collection. definatley reccomend forking out some money for this one because its totally a keeper! get ur groove on!

I don't listen to that much southern hip-hip. It's not that I'm hatin', it's just a matter of preference. Hell, I'm the first to admit that the South has the rap-game on undisputed lockdown. I copped this Lil' Wayne album out of curiosity due to all of the high praises on this website. I must admit that I'm shocked at how tight this platter is - not only from a lyrical perspective, but the conceptual totality of the package. Weezy may have to replace "Lil" with "Big" because he has pushed his game to top-tier status. This is the type of album that takes a rapper to the next level. This is a clout album, a statement album, a mess with me now album. With this disc I put Weezy in the top-five category of active MC`s. There are numerous standout cuts on this disc, with a considerable amount of stylistic variance. Aside from a couple of skip-tracks, my only real beef is that there are a couple of cuts when Wayne sounds a bit like Jay-Z and Kanye, and style-biting is never-ever acceptable. In Wayne's case it's unneeded because his individual talent and style can stand alone. However, I offer him one bit of career advice - cut your hair, put on your shirt, and make real music money.

this is pretty cool. i was given this as a gift having never heard it before. its got some real great tracks on it and i was totally impressed. its a great one to blast really loud at parties. guaranteed to get everyone on their feet and in party mood! makes for a great time, especially if you get familiar with the lyrics.

In a time when Southern Hip-Hop is criticized for its lack of lyrical talent, Lil' Wayne proves that the South can indeed rap. While most of The Carter II is consumed with braggadocios rhymes - all of which are dope - Weezy still has room to grow and offer more variety and conceptual material. But that's not to put a damper on his latest effort, which exceeds all expectations. It's still amazing to see Wayne progress as an emcee the past two years. If he stays on this track, who knows what the future holds? Maybe his visions of grandeur as, "The best rapper alive, since the best rapper retired," will come to fruition.