He got through that prison sentence “like a subject and a predicate,’’ he rapped.
But it’s not convincing, and when you listen to “Tha Carter IV,’’ his eagerly awaited new album released today, it’s evident he’s not the same person, let alone the same rapper.
“Tha Carter III’’ and the endless stream of mixtapes that helped Wayne bend the corner from rap star to rock star were great because they were unpredictable, reckless, and urgent. He’s neutered now, though. He’s running a sober tour - no drugs, no alcohol. Before he went in, he quit drinking codeine syrup, which was like Popeye cutting back on the spinach.
“C3’’ was great because despite the unbeatable hype that went into it, Wayne managed to live up to it. Its follow-up doesn’t deserve the brand name. It’s not good or bad; it’s bland and aimless, which is worse.
With “Tha Carter IV,’’ there are only traces of the playful wit that made Wayne so interesting to begin with. On “Nightmares of the Bottom,’’ he raps, “If I would have known I was going to jail/ I would have [slept with] my attorney.’’ Beyond that, though, he has reduced himself to puns, thinking it’s clever when it’s not.
“I’m all about I/ Give the rest of the vowels back.’’
“They say choose wisely/ That’s why I was chosen.’’
“When it Waynes/ It pours.’’
It’s like Dr. Seuss woke up thinking he was Confucius.
Wayne makes no attempt to be inventive. “Megaman’’ sounds like “Ransom,’’ a three-year-old throwaway that was used more to introduce the world to Drake than anything else. Drake, by the way, offers up a ridiculous hook for “She Will,’’ but the song sounds like it was split at birth with T.I.’s “Poppin Bottles.’’ “Abortion’’ has one of the album’s best hooks, which sounded just as good when Wayne previously used it for “I Know Your Name,’’ featuring the Alchemist and Travis McCoy.
