Lil Wayne hasn’t stood center stage since Tha Carter IV dropped. Furthermore, he hasn’t released a mixtape since Sorry For The Wait. So when Dedication 4 was announced the excitement went into a fever pitch. Now after an array of delays Wayne and Drama have unleashed the latest chapter on the world. Similar to the volumes before, number four is a collection of beats, both new and old, that Weezy and company go in on. For many this is the proper prescription indulged in until overdose. For others this is just fuel for the fire, gasoline soaked garbage they’ll burn publicly.
For many this tape will probably be played long after this review goes up. Perhaps it’s the intensity with which Wayne embodies on every track. Lord knows the high-octane beats backing his bravado are endless. Right off the bat he goes ham on Meek’s “So Sophisticated.” He does the same on “I Don’t Like” and a plethora of others. That said his lyrical content on all of the above will definitely be criticized by the opposition. “Too much Trukfit and carpet munching,” they’ll say, but these are same salty types who long for the return of Tha Carter II; which in a lot of ways is exactly what this is.
Take “Get Smoked” for example. The subject matter includes Piru pride and gun-toting antics, or “Burn” which testifies that he’s back on that lean and puffing that piff. From his metaphors to his outright arrogance it all sounds like Da Drought era Weezy which the haters (by way of being betrayed) miss so much.
The lovers love it all though. Pop shove-its and pussy popping, as long as he is putting words together they’re smiling. “Green Ranger” is an excellent example as to why. Teamed up with J. Cole the duo go, go power rangers on G Dep’s “Special Delivery.” Or there’s “Wish You Would” wherein his wit works well, “Young Money on another level; I like her pussy tighter than my fuckin’ schedule… I smoke all these nigga’s. Call it, ‘Niggateen.’” Smirks swipe across the faces of fans everywhere, as gangsta grilled and guttural they’re leader is back to yappin steady with his chopper heavy.
For those who feel otherwise, this is an uphill battle. Certainly Wayne hasn’t done anything exceptional with this mix. The beats aren’t his and the flows are nothing new. All in all it’s similar toevery other free-for-download record he’s been putting out for over a decade. Same old, same old, they’re pleasantly surprised to find it so. They’re one side of the dichotomy, and no other rapper has drawn a more drastic one than Wayne, and until Tha Carter V, The Dedication 4 has done its job making the war machine work overtime.
