Maps of Music

Tha Carter V (2018)

Where the lyrics of Tha Carter V take you, and where it was really made.

Planned for 2014, the album was held back for years by label disputes and finally came out on Lil Wayne's 36th birthday, 27 September 2018.

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Album story

Overview

• Tha Carter V: twelfth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne
• Released 27 September 2018 by Young Money Entertainment and Universal Music Distribution
• The release date coincided with Wayne's 36th birthday
• Features include Swizz Beatz, Kendrick Lamar, Sosamann, Reginae Carter, Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, Ashanti, Mack Maine, Travis Scott, Nivea, and the late XXXTentacion
• Deluxe edition released 25 September 2020 to mark the album's second anniversary, made of songs that did not make the original album

Background

• Originally planned for release in 2014
• Delays came from contract disputes between Wayne and Cash Money Records, plus his personal disputes with label head Birdman
• Wayne was confirmed released from his Cash Money contract in June 2018
• Release was announced in September 2018
• In November 2012 Wayne said this would be his final album and that he had planned to retire at 35
• In April 2014 he said it would be his final solo album and the final Carter album
• In May 2014 he described the album as being about growth
• On 13 September 2019, many songs from the original version leaked online, including many tracks not on the official release

Recording

• Mannie Fresh reunited with Wayne on the album, their first work together since 2004
• Soulja Boy, Mike Will Made It, DVLP, DJ Mustard, and Myles William were also linked to production
• 'Mona Lisa' with Kendrick Lamar was recorded in 2014 for the originally planned release
• 'What About Me' was first recorded in 2015 with Drake; Post Malone was set to join but was not on the initial release, and Sosamann appeared on the song instead
• Mastering by Colin Leonard at SING Mastering; mixing by Fabian Marasciullo
• Recording engineer Manny Galvez said 'Dedicate' took no longer than 15 or 20 minutes to record

Cover

• On 14 August 2014, Wayne unveiled the cover art on ESPN's First Take, and it features his mother

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

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

• Critics gave the album generally positive reviews, with many calling it his best since Tha Carter III but faulting its length
• Metacritic, which converts reviews from mainstream publications to a 100-point scale, gave it an average of 72 from fourteen reviews
• Variety: A.D. Amorosi gave a very positive review, noting the Southern trap crunch and rap-rock sounds that Wayne helped start
• Pitchfork: Evan Rytlewski praised Wayne's openhearted, word-drunk delivery and said the album shows there is still more to learn about him
• Entertainment Weekly: Hanif Abdurraqib called Wayne an exciting rapper, but said his flow was not varied enough to work as well as before
• HotNewHipHop: Mitch Findlay said the album felt insightful enough for listeners seeking something new while staying familiar
• Rolling Stone: Mosi Reeves called it full of poignant bars and passion, and said it does not compare to the first three and a half Carter albums but does not need to
• Highsnobiety: Thomas Hobbs said it may not be the best in the series but may be the most important, pointing to a new chapter for Wayne as a rap elder statesman
• Exclaim!: Erin Hannon said relationships with women are at the forefront and that the album still has its expected bangers
• AllMusic: Andy Kellman said the album was pieced together from material recorded over years and that Wayne sounds upswinging, lucid, and invigorated, though a large part is sluggish
• NME: Jordan Bassett gave a more mixed review, saying the album could have been an emotional swansong but that Wayne cheapens himself on it
• The New York Times: Jon Sorentino Caramanica said the album drags, with long stretches between moments of invention

Reappraisal

• Critics pointed to 'Uproar' and 'Mona Lisa' as standout tracks, and to 'Took His Time' as weak

Records

• Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 480,000 album-equivalent units, including 140,000 pure album sales
• Second-largest streaming week for an album, with 433 million streams
• First artist to debut two songs in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 upon release
• Fourth US number-one album for Wayne
• Third Canadian Albums Chart number one, opening with 24,000 consumption units
• Sold one million album-equivalent units in the United States as of 18 November 2018
• Debuted at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart, Wayne's highest-charting UK album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The 'Uproar' dance challenge went viral soon after release, with Diddy, Swizz Beatz, Shiggy, and Reginae Carter taking part
• On 10 November 2018, Wayne performed 'Can't Be Broken' with Halsey and 'Uproar' with Swizz Beatz on Saturday Night Live
• On 13 December 2018, Wayne performed 'Don't Cry' on Late Show with Stephen Colbert and paid homage to XXXTentacion
• 'I Love You Dwayne' features vocals by Wayne's mother, Jacida Carter
• Wayne appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and played 'Dedicate'
• Post Malone's version of 'What About Me' was later placed in the album's bonus tracks

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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