While the overstuffed project has many low points, the highs are beyond expectations

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Wayne has entered a strange time in a rapper’s career. Artists including Nicki Minaj, Drake and Young Thug have all credited Wayne for their success and inspiring the style and cadence they carry today.

In 2018, heavy hitters that he brought up have begun to outshine him and take the spotlight. It’s time for a crucial comeback that can’t flop.

The self-proclaimed “greatest rap artist alive” must prove his worthiness, not only to himself but to everyone else watching, that he’s still worthy of the title. On September 28, 2018, Lil Wayne released his long-awaited twelfth studio album, “Tha Carter V”.

“Tha Carter V” inflicted anticipation upon the masses for over five years, with many disregarding the project’s existence. Lawsuits between Wayne and his label (Young Money Records) reportedly kept him from releasing the album he wanted to. Many were curious if the album would ever see the light of day.

All this hype led to the album either meeting fans’ expectations or being slightly disappointed. Would the follow up to his comeback attempt be a massive success, or a Weezy F in the eyes of his fans? At the top of 2020, they will finally be able to answer this question.

With his next studio album “Funeral”, Weezy is back and coming to reclaim the title.

The project spans 76 minutes and over 24 tracks with features from seasoned rappers such as 2 Chainz and O.T. Genasis, as well as new artists such as Lil Baby and Takeoff. With hopes of not over-exciting fans and raising expectations, only the release date and album cover were released beforehand.

Features such as Jay Rock on “Bing James” nearly outshine Wayne himself, while others seem to have been lobbed on only for the star power attached to the names (Adam Levine, Big Sean).

Highlights include “Mahogany” and “Mama Mia” that resemble 2008 Weezy with a smooth flow of constant wits over inventive beats. These songs, among others, showcase Tunechi’s primary talent of a rampant flow with puns that dig deeper into the listener’s skull with every listen.

On the other side, many tracks are perceived as depthless with little effort put into them, as if he were rushing to fill a minimum requirement. As we live in the streaming era where many artists have a “quantity over quality” perspective, “Funeral” is a perfect example of aiming for financial success over critical acclaim.

With ambition to spare and aggression to be unmatched, the album still comes across as a collection of tracks thrown together rather than a cohesive album.

Drawn out and 10-12 tracks too long, the songs are hit-or-miss and some become forgettable past the first listen. While there is a significant amount of filler, the album is best played from start to finish with an open mind, allowing the listener to form their own opinion of each song on the divisive LP.

However, Wayne does what he’s always been best at; throwing clever one-liners at a bullet’s speed to prove that he’s still one of the most influential in the rap game.

Review: 2.5/5