When the album was released, one of the most prominent criticisms stemmed from a #BARS standpoint.
Now that we are ten years removed from the album’s release, with many more years having passed since Wayne’s much-discussed heyday, we can look at the album in a renewed light. Caramanica goes on to note how the rapper’s prolific mixtape run years earlier set our hopes unusually high, perhaps tainting the way in which we view Tha Carter IV to this very day. After giving a brief summary of Lil Wayne’s then-contemporary antics and the lack of attention he appeared to be giving his rap career, Caramanica reflects: That it’s the least memorable Lil Wayne album in years might not matter - showcasing the crux of the issue. NY Times’ Jon Caramanica addressed this exact issue in his written review of Tha Carter IV at the time. This type of creative pressure was reportedly part of the reason why Tha Carter IV took so long to release in the first place, as Wayne himself feared the expectations he’d set with its predecessor.
#LIL WAYNE THE CARTER 1 ALBUM SONGS SERIES#
Thus, beyond Wayne’s incredible mixtape run and the GRA title, he still had to contend with three previous instalments in Tha Carter series - one of which in particular, Tha Carter III, received classic status rather early on. There’s also the fact that Tha Carter IV, as its name clearly indicates, was part of a larger series. Back in 2011, however, the excitement was a bit more vigorous considering the context- and lest we forget, we’re talking about a time when the genre as a whole wasn’t nearly as saturated, a time that still relied on physical CDs in some form (on top of the chance of digital leaks), and a time that had less 24/7, invasive media coverage. It’s worth noting that somehow, to this day, expectations still remain at an ungodly-high level with every new Wayne release.
Years removed from the point in time where Wayne had been freely calling himself GOAT (as were others), the expectations remained high with Tha Carter IV - as inherently dictated by a “Greatest Rapper Alive” run. Despite announcing Tha Carter IV in 2009, it would only come to fruition two years later, following Wayne’s release from Riker’s Island. This was the period of time right after Wayne’s “Greatest Rapper Alive'' run, which he capped off with Tha Carter III before falling into legal trouble, jail time, and of course, a rock album.