Maps of Music
Tha Carter II (2005)
Where the lyrics of Tha Carter II take you, and where it was really made.
The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 in 2005, but the RIAA did not certify it double platinum until September 2020, fifteen years later.
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Overview
- Tha Carter II: fifth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne
- Released 6 December 2005 by Cash Money Records, Young Money Entertainment and Universal Records
- Sequel to his fourth album Tha Carter (2004)
- Supported by three singles: "Fireman", "Hustler Musik" and "Shooter"
- Produced by Birdman, the Runners, the Heatmakerz, among others
Background
- In 2005 Carter was named president of Cash Money Records, but later received his own label
- He founded Young Money Entertainment as a brand of Cash Money and Universal Music Group
- Mannie Fresh was not involved in the production because he had left the label earlier over financial problems
- Guest appearances include veterans Birdman and Kurupt and Young Money members Curren$y and Nikki
Recording
- Recording sessions took place from 2004 to 2005
- Lead single "Fireman" was produced by DVLP and Filthy, who were then known as the Doe Boys duo
- "Shooter" features Robin Thicke, who also produced that track
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org
Tracklist
| 1 | Tha Mobb | 5:21 |
| 2 | Fly In | 2:23 |
| 3 | Money on My Mind | 4:32 |
| 4 | Fireman | 4:24 |
| 5 | Mo’ Fire | 3:24 |
| 6 | On tha Block #1 (skit) | 0:39 |
| 7 | Best Rapper Alive | 4:54 |
| 8 | Lock and Load | 4:47 |
| 9 | Oh No | 3:12 |
| 10 | Grown Man | 4:06 |
| 11 | On tha Block #2 (skit) | 0:26 |
| 12 | Hit ’Em Up | 4:07 |
| 13 | Carter II | 2:24 |
| 14 | Hustler Musik | 5:04 |
| 15 | Receipt | 3:48 |
| 16 | Shooter | 4:35 |
| 17 | Weezy Baby | 4:19 |
| 18 | On tha Block #3 (skit) | 0:14 |
| 19 | I’m a D‐Boy | 4:01 |
| 20 | Feel Me | 3:49 |
| 21 | Get Over | 4:43 |
| 22 | Fly Out | 2:24 |
Sources: musicbrainz.org
Artist
Career
- Born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. on September 27, 1982, in New Orleans; signed to Cash Money Records at age 11 after being discovered by Birdman in 1993.
- Early career as B.G.'z and then Hot Boys (formed 1997) with Juvenile, B.G. and Turk; the group reached mainstream success with Guerrilla Warfare (1999).
- Solo breakthrough with Tha Block Is Hot (1999), certified platinum within a month of release.
- Tha Carter III (2008) sold over 1 million copies in its first week and won the Grammy for Best Rap Album; its single "Lollipop" topped the Billboard Hot 100.
- Founded Young Money Entertainment in 2005; the label signed Drake, Tyga and Nicki Minaj.
- Has sold over 120 million records worldwide and won five Grammy Awards.
- Released Tha Carter VI in 2025 and was named the first male artist to surpass Elvis Presley in Hot 100 entries.
Legacy
- Often described as one of the most influential artists of the 21st century.
- His style and use of Auto-Tune influenced modern hip-hop, especially the development of trap.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reception
At release
- Upon release the album received widespread acclaim from music critics
- Several critics praised the lyricism and artistic growth Wayne showed on the album
- AllMusic's David Jeffries praised the balance of hookless, freestyle-ish tracks and slicker club singles
- Entertainment Weekly's Ryan Dombal wrote that the album transcends Wayne's inflated ego and complimented its sturdy funk-blues tracks
- David Drake of Stylus Magazine called it one of the year's best releases
- IGN's Jim During gave it eight out of ten and called it a strong next step for a relatively young career
- Pitchfork's Nick Sylvester wrote that the album contains jaw-droppers aplenty, while noting that Wayne's verses needed a good polish
- PopMatters' Matt Cibula found the production mostly good but not spectacular, and praised Wayne's words
Reappraisal
- Rolling Stone ranked the album number 370 on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020
- The album ranks highly in retrospectives of Lil Wayne's best work
Records
- Debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 240,000 copies in its first week
- Debuted at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, Wayne's third number-one album on that chart
- Wayne's fourth US top-ten debut
- As of March 2008, sold 1.3 million copies in the US
- Certified double platinum by the RIAA on 25 September 2020 for over two million units in the US
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- "Fireman" was released as the lead single on 25 October 2005.
- The music video for "Hustler Musik" was directed by Benny Boom.
- "Shooter" was later included on Robin Thicke's album The Evolution of Robin Thicke (2006).
- "Best Rapper Alive" samples "Fear of the Dark" by Iron Maiden.
- Rolling Stone ranked the album number 370 on its 2020 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org