“I know the game is crazy, it’s more crazy than it’s ever been. I’m married to that crazy bitch, call me Kevin Federline.” -Lil Wayne, “I’m Me”
My favorite song on Tha Carter III is “Mr. Carter”—featuring Jay-Z, making good on the fact that both rappers share the same name—because it has Jay finally accepting his status as the hip hop King Lear and handing the torch over to Wayne. Validating, I would think, for a kid who spent all of last year running victory laps in honor of the title he’d awarded himself on the intro of his last mixtape. “I can jump on any nigga’s song and make a part two,” which turns out was the most germane way to become the best rapper alive. Continue…