Lil Wayne hasn't released new music lately - through little fault of his own - but he is still responsible for one of the most important rap albums of the century. "Tha Carter 3" - more commonly stylized as "The Carter III" with Roman numerals - broke all sorts of sales records and critical acclaim marks back in 2008. Since then, it has stood the test of time. It has come under occasional fire, though, which brings us to what DJ Akademiks had to say on Twitter this Saturday morning.
Trashing Lil Wayne's masterpiece
One of the main issues people have had with "Tha Carter 3" relates to the infamous leaks.
Over a year before the release, most of the album was leaked online in one of the most notable musical leaks of all-time. This forced Lil Wayne to release another album, appropriately called "The Leak," ahead of the full album's intended release. "The Leak" was popular, which ultimately served to diminish the final product in the eyes of many, including DJ Akademiks.
I cant call Carter 3 no classic when songs that got LEAKED or left Off the album were better than songs that ended up making the album. FOH
— DJ Akademiks (@IamAkademiks) September 9, 2017
DJ Akademiks arguably has a point. "I'm Me," for example, could have been a legendary inclusion for "Tha Carter 3." But he's taking a short-sighted view of what the album actually was.
"The Leak" EP was only five songs, pocket change in comparison to what the studio album would grow to become. Additionally, the fact that the 2008 version drew universal acclaim despite the absence of at least a few planned songs displays the greatness of what Lil Wayne was crafting in the studio.
Greatness of the album
Regardless of DJ Akademiks' controversial opinion, it's clear to most rap fans that "Tha Carter 3" stands alone in its greatness.
It went triple platinum in the United States, finishing third on the year-end Billboard 200 chart, behind an Alicia Keys album and a Josh Groban Christmas record. It wound up winning Lil Wayne a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, sandwiched between Kanye West's "Graduation" and Eminem's "Relapse."
Music critics gave universally high marks to "Tha Carter 3," which spawned hit records including "Lollipop," "Got Money," "A Milli," and the criminally underrated "Mr.
Carter" collaboration with Jay-Z. It's widely considered the greatest album Lil Wayne has ever made. It popularized his franchise of albums that resulted in "Tha Carter 4" and a much-publicized fight over the still-unreleased "Tha Carter 5." The rapper's legacy in the music business will always be tied to his 2008 hit studio album.
