LIVING UP TO THE HYPE

Moons ago, when everyone was kvelling up and down about Lil Wayne being the greatest MC on the planet, I was reluctant. Because, let's face it, it's either complete genius or complete stupidity that leads a rapper to the following:

"When I was five, my favorite movie was The Gremlins... Ain't got shit to do with this, but I thought that I should mention."

As it turns out, it's the former and his lyrics and music have managed to actually get better with time -- a feat I thought was impossible for a rapper.

On his latest album, Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne manages to show versatility by assembling the motliest assortment of collaborators since the last Timbaland album. He's got the expected hitters (T-Pain, Robin Thicke, Bobby Valentino), because let's be real, who's album AREN'T those people on?! But he's also managed to bring in some unexpected guests like Babyface and Betty Wright, whose last collaboration (ignoring her guru'ship over Danity Kane) - I'm pretty sure - was with Angie Stone. Talk about transition. What's not surprising about these latter duos is that they're the far better tracks off the new album. So, whether or not he stepped his game up to impress some of the greatest minds and voices of R&B (music, in general, really) or it's just happenstance, I think this could only be the beginning of some of "Weezy"s best work to come. (You think he's got Gladys Knight's digits??)

"Playing With Fire" (Lil Wayne feat. Betty Wright)