The Wait Is Over
When the clock struck 12 the wait was officially over. A generation of rap fans got to stop holding their breath in anticipation of one of the most important projects from the self proclaimed best rapper alive. Lil Wayne has officially dropped Tha Carter V, the fifth installment of the New Orleans rapper’s Carter series.
The album includes features from industry staples such as Snoop Dogg,Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and Nicki Minaj. Some unexpected features came from Wayne’s oldest child Reginae Carter, late rapper XXX and the mother of Lil Wayne’s youngest son early 2000’s R&B singer Nivea who recently released a mini documentary on BET.
The highly anticipated album has been six years in the making! Unfortunately those six years consisted of intense drama between Lil Wayne and his long time mentor and Cash Money label owner Brian Matthews (Birdman).‘Tha Carter V’ was first announced after the release of Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Carter IV’ album back in 2011. 3 years later Wayne and his prodigy Drake would release Believe Me as the lead single for Wayne’s Tha Carter V. Shortly after the single was released Wayne let fans know that his label Cash Money would not allow him to release the album.
Lil Wayne went on to sue Cash Money for $51 Million dollars and the rights to end his deal with Cash Money according to Rolling Stone. After years of Legal disputes and public outcry for Birdman to let Lil Wayne out of his deal, Cash Money and Lil Wayne recently reached a settlement that would allow Tha Carter V to be released. The settlement included an undisclosed amount and Wayne’s ownership of Young Money a previous subsidiary of Cash Money Records, according to Billboard.
As for now the drama is over and rap fans get to enjoy the fruits of Lil Wayne’s labor. If you’ve been anxiously watching Apple music all week in hopes of an early release, you probably already have a few favorite tracks. Checkout some of my favorite tracks so far; Let It All Work Out, Can’t Be Broken, and Dedicate. Tha Carter V can currently be found on all major streaming platforms!