The Carter II (by Lil Wayne, Hip-hop)

THE CARTER II manages to be incredibly offensive while also -- amazingly -- reaching a level of tedium that is an awesome accomplishment in itself. Lil' Wayne uses a formula that he feels has worked -- including stunningly sexist, violent, and racist lyrics -- and decided to run with it one more time. Attempts at poetic depth are ridiculous, with lines such as "Eat a catastrophe, swallow the truth, belch reality, how does it taste, how do you face? You a b**ch n***a," as sensitive as Lil' Wayne gets. Instrumental tracks loop the same simplistic themes over and over again, making even the most potty-mouthed lyrics end up sounding boring.

Featuring monotone vocal performances over mind-numbingly repetitive tracks, this CD maintains the artist's usual level of sexist, racist, and self-centered self-promotion. There's no maturity, no perspective, no sense that this young performer is growing into an interesting, multifaceted young man. Some popular rap CDs are so richly written and produced that they're worth the discomfort of wading through offensive language or even sexist, violent, and racist posturing. Once again, Lil' Wayne has not given the world one of those CDs.

Released on: December 6, 2005
Label: Cash Money Records
Genre: Hip-hop
Parental advisory: Yes
Edited version available: Yes