Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III

“He’s the self-proclaimed “best rapper alive,” has made more than 40 guest appearances since 1999 and has been the most hyped hip-hop artist in recent time. But with help from A-list guest stars (T-Pain, Robin Thicke) and producers (Kanye West, Swizz Beatz), Lil Wayne backs up the boasts on the oft-delayed “Tha Carter III.” In case you were on the fence, he reminds how “ill” his skills are on “A Milli” (”I’m a venereal disease/like a menstrual I bleed”), and he drafts fellow Carter Jay-Z to dismiss the haters atop piano and horns on “Mr. Carter.” And while tracks like the played-out-themed “Got Money” and the elementary-sounding “La La” fall short of the mark, others like the “E.T.”-inspired “Phone Home” and “Dr. Carter,” on which Wayne literally attempts to resuscitate hip-hop, further secure his spot in said genre’s pantheon.—Mariel Concepcion”