Absolute garbage. Lil wayne is not close to the top 100 rappers living. I would like to see him battle against nas. Has no talent whatsoever as evident by his lyrics. Yeah, the lollipop beat is good but the lyrics are shit and it ruins the song.

To start off, he doesn't actually rap once during this piece of sh*t album. He talks slowly and auto-tunes his voice so he doesn't sound like a retarded monkey, even though he ends up sounding like one. He should kill his dumbass manager who lets him continue making this music and then kill himself, that way nobody has to hear any of his new music.

I was expecting good from Lil Wayne on this album considering the horrible guest appearences of him on various songs in the months prior to the release. On June 5th, a friend of mine sent me a link where I could download the album. I did, and after hearing 3 Peat and Mr. Carter I was amazed and decided that I would buy it in stores. After I bought it I thorougly listened to it and decided that this is the first album where I didn't have to skip any songs. Some might say the album did not have had a concept or a general idea but trust me it did. The general message was: All of these songs are the new Lil Wayne.… Expand

Lil Wayne is overly overrated and i think its because fans of other genres like him due to his watered down music. The Carter II is a lot better than this; if you ask any core hiphop fan they will tell you that this album is a massive flop. It is a massive dissapointed that people see him as the "best rapper alive". . . I could name 10 albums that are better than this but dont have a higher rating on metacritic (N).… Expand

Lil Wayne has the lyrical ability of a retard.

I wanted to know what the hype was about Lil' wayne and I was disappointed that so many people listen to this garbage. Songs like "lollipop" and "mrs. officer" have great beats, but the lyrics bring the whole song down. What has the world come to to call songs about oral sex great music? I have no clear idea why critics managed to give this album a higher score than Lupe's Cool.

Massive disappointment. If your a genuine fan of "Weezy F Baby" (ie you knew of him before MTV told you to like him) then you should find this album a slap in the face. After the wait from The Carter 2 I expected something with a bit of substance, but what I got was Wayne selling out and trying to win out the 50 Cent crowd with trash like "lollipop". The only track that reminds me of anything that makes Wayne good is "A Millie" but that is decidedly average and not a scratch on "Money on my mind". What disapoints me most is that Waynes mixtapes leading up to this completely transcend the quality contained in this album. "Pray to the Lord" "I feel Like Dying" and the Moby remix "1000 Degrees" are vastly superior to drivel like "Mrs Officer" and "La La". Everything about the album is a departure from the LW of old. No Mannie, no Baby, no production from the runners and no collabos with the collective that he has been spittin bars for these past few years (Rick Ross, Joe Crack etc) Im not surprised there are high critical reviews. Most of these pompous idiots didnt know who Wayne was six months ago so subsequently dont know what they are missing out on. A typical passage to pop territory guarantees Birdman Jr the positive reviews in the 'hip' publications and an entry point into the playlists of many morons' ipods. But for the real fans Wayne has made a mediocre record, and I hope the Drought 4 rectifies this drop in quality.… Expand

Ugh. disgustingly overrated. he's sounds brain dead and the beats are all either similar, annoying, or uninspired. plus horrible lyricism. really find it hard to believe that this garbage album appeared in so many top ten lists. what's next?

This album is straight garbage and Lil Wayne is overrated trash.

This shit sucks monkey ass

Insanely unoriginal. But what would you expect with a guy who has Lil' in his name? He tries that whole robotic vocal thing that everyone and their dog is doing and he's just a sleezy stereotype.

Ok, the album is entertaining, but lyrically it doesnt hold a candle to The Cool, American Gangster, or even Graduation. I'm not saying wayne is bad, he's got a lot of swagger but that doesn't correlate with talent! Both Kanye and Jay-z make wayne sound like an idiot on his own album. Both jay's verse on mr. carter and Kanye's verse on lollipop blow wayne out of the water. They are both just so much more creative and have a much better flow!… Expand

First and foremost the person that said that weezy has proven he is better then biggie is on some mad drugs WEEZY WILL NEVER BE ON THE LEVEL OF BIGGIE, PAC, JAY-Z, NAS, RAKIM, AND ALL THE OTHER GREATS now back on topic this album has some hot songs and some really unnecessary songs the featured artist are amazing in this jay-z rips weezy on his own track good choice of production but the album lacks flare and for the people that say that the cool was can't stick up to this are mentally challenged they do not understand the sophisticated lyrics of lupe so they have to listen to weezy to make themselves feel good.… Expand

I agree with datsun and all the other low scores. technically rap isn't music, so how can you give it a metascore?

Obviously the reviewer from Spin is the only smart one.

Mediocre... nothing new here, listen to it at least twice, then send it straight to the recycle bin.

There are a couple good songs on the album, but most of this is filler. The themes are also weak too often focusing on money and sex as if Wayne is incapable of living a deeper life.

This by far a good album. With mediocre beats and stupid analogies. Whoever thinks Lil Wayne is the best rapper alive needs to listen to the track on this album feat. Jay-Z and listen to Jay-Z murder him.

Now I ain't never been a chicken but my fitty cocked Say I ain't never been a chicken but my semi cocked um yea. lyrically dogpoop rap music is for kids and criminals.

This album is alright but used to really like lil wayne during his earlier albums, IE Pre "Tha Carter" and some Carter songs. To someone who hasn't really heard weezy before this album and before he became really mainstream this is a good album but to fans of his it really isn't.

this album sucks lil wayne is inded the worst rapper alive he does not know how to rap he is one seriously one lousy lazy musician he is a waste of life lil wayne claim's he is the best rapper alive when he truly is not the best rapper he is and always will be the worst rapper alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really don't understand how this guy gets so much props for this garbage (oh yeah, it's all opinion). In my opinion with all the auto-tune and (stupid) ridiculous rhymes, this album adds up to one stinky turd that'll be forgotten a couple years from now (see 50 Cent).

This is a pretty awesome album the reason is is because if this album wasnt aound lil wayne wouldnt be half as popular as he is now because rebirth and im not a human being failed everyone hated carter 4 this album had great songs some songs like lollipop were just stupid but a milli and got money were great

1 A milli
2 got money
3 let the beat build
4 3 peat
5 Dr carter

This Album Sucks. Tha Carter III Is Relying Too Much On Autotune And Beats. His Lyrics Needs A Huge Improvement. But Other Than That, The Other Albums Released In 2008 Is WAY Better Than This. I Did Not Enjoy Any Tracks On This Album Whatso Ever. Jay-Z Murdered Him On Mr. Carter.

Guess what ? It's an amazing album. It's crazy controversial because it's audaciously and crazily good, and different, and it scares those who can't deal with something that is actually progressive quality music developing out of the mainstream rap they were already becoming way out of touch with. When all the reviews of an album are mostly very positive, praising its uniqueness, or reviews that give it a 0 saying "OMG THIS IS HORRENDOUS TRASH I AM PERSONALLY OFFENDED", you KNOW that there is something good going on there. every innovative artist faces the same narrow-sighted critics.… Expand

Not bad, but Lil Wayne is no lupe! The album is entertaining but it lacks provocative lyrics and interesting concepts. But there are some awesome beats and songs on this album!

Very good album. Wayne has shown growth with concept tracks and introspective lyrics. With an all round very good album with tracks for everybody. Wayne can do better basically cuz he gets better every year but this album shows his growth.

One of the best rap albums in years.

Solid mix of lyrical swag and though provoking lyrics. Wayne delivers and with incredible sales has put Hip Hop back on top.

This is what hip-hop needs: Creativity. I would love to see Wayne pick some new topics to tackle, but even when he says the same thing as every other rapper, he does it in a completely new way. He is way out there, and I like that.

Good, but not great. Wayne seems to force a lot of his raps....too many references to pop culture to be considered as creative, and when you recite a rap from another song, that's just filler. Producing is flawless, but the content is less than spectacular. Kanye and Lupe are the best rappers alive, not he.

From an artist claiming to be the greatest alive this album severly disappoints. Lack of original tracks really makes this album average. While there are songs such as Dr. Carter, where he really shows his skills, there are others on the album in which you feel like you have heard from most other artist out. Flow from Wayne is also somthing holding him back heavily, no pronunciation or empahsis really makes it worse.… Expand

I got the hype for Carter II, but everything after that, including this...the hype is somewhat mind-boggling to me as he's never able to live up to it. He picks great producers, but I can't help but get the feeling he just wasn't trying with his flow anymore. People are like "oh, that's what makes it interesting and awesome!" I say...no, he recorded this all drunk and high in one take. For real. Not to mention for every nice punchline he makes there are also really stupid ones: "my back, my neck / isn't it weird how that song isn't old yet?" And to the person below that said hip-hop isn't music: grow the hell up. Seriously.… Expand

The best album I have ever heard in my life! People hate Wayne because he uses the auto-tune but he only uses it on Lollipop, Got Money and the hook of You Ain't Got Nuthin. If you REALLY listen to it, he is hands down the greatest MC to ever live, and how he took his time to come out with the album proves it. I love it.

This is the best rap album from 2008. Nearly no filler and on an album with this many tracks, its a feat. How can anyone not like his flows? On 'Dr. Carter', he flows like a poet. Its impressive without beats and with them, he's knocked it out of the park!

The beat production is eclectic, and Lil' Wayne adapts to all of them like a chameleon. His lyrics from this album get stuck in my head all the time!

It lived up to the hype instant classic I can't stop listening to it since I heard the leak 2 weeks before the actual release

One of the greatest rappers of this generation! Weezy did it big with this album; he definitely deserves it. Favorite: Mr. Carter Least Favorite: Mrs. Officer

In tha family, weezy done it again!!! He delivered this album with power, and has changed a lot, but for the best. Keep it up weezy!!!

There's absolutely no reason that Lollipop should be on this cd. It had already been played out by the time III dropped because of the leaks, so Wayne should've just relegated it to mixtape material. There are some solid songs, but like a friend of mine said, "it just doesn't sound inspired."

So overrated its unreal. A handful of nice tight beats. His rhymes are smart, but miles below the underground scene. His flow is okay, but too many disjointed jams. NOT the best of the year. NOT the best rapper alive. Not even close.

This is by far one of waynes best performances widely spreading his abilities to be more than just a hardcore gangster rapper but a laid back different mellow lyricist who speaks for the people. Lil Wayne gets mad respect from me and I believe he is the best rapper out right now and this cd better go diamond.

All-around HOT album, he could have kept the phone home song. Other than that he has stepped his game up and is all alone at the top.

What is wrong with the user's giving bad reviews on this. Wayne is in his prime , and carter 3 is an essential. The record is so broad and wayne touches on everything, every on alt. rock which Lupe failed miserable on the cool with the collab with UNKLE. Lupe completely ruined UNKLE's song and it was a mess. Wayne comes out on top when comparing carter with the cool. Cool had horrible beats and lupe was all over the place and shitty production even production from fall out boy ( wtf?). Carter 3 is legit as it gets.… Expand

My favorites are the weird tracks: Phone Home, Dr. Carter, and Mrs. Officer in particular. Sorta reminds me of Dr. Octagon at points. The single-ready songs are solid as well, but the album is particularly good because of the tracks that twist things up.

A must have...it has sold well over a million, that should tell you something. The hip hop world will be taken to another plateau with this album. Lil wayne was featured in The New Yorker last year and even they agreed, he's the "best rapper alive".

Not quite a classic, but definitely one of the better rap albums to come out in a long time. It's unfortunate that so much material leaked prior to C III's release. Could have been one of the all time great albums. The weak bonus tracks actually weigh the album down. Nonetheless, Weezy F. Baby is a great talent and if it wasn't for him, Ghostface and Bun B...hip hop would be dead.

It has alot of good tracks: "tie my hands", "shoot me down", 'mr.carter" ......but also some not so good ones: 'lala', 'misunderstood', and some average ones.....the creativity is very good, but some of the punchlines dont make sense...... The album is good but it is kinda dumb that this site gave Carter 3 a 83 and Eminem Show a 75.......The eminem show >> The Carter 3 ......but wayne did a good job, the best song was 'tie my hands'.… Expand

"rap isn't music," says a anonymous coward who calls him/herself 'A Normal Person.' He/She should retreat back to the hipster hole from whence he/she came, turn death cab for cutie back on, and cry him/herself to sleep. On another note, this album is great, but by no means the best in years. There are some incredible songs on the album (3 peat, mr. carter, dr. carter, shoot me down...etc.), but there's also some commercial bullshit (lollipop, got money, a milli). Overall, a great album. Lil Wayne does things with his voice that no other commercial rapper would ever dare. Lastly, "Normal Person," before you spout your hip-as-fuck wisdom again, listen to Aesop Rock's "Labor Days", or "None Shall Pass," and if you can create something more musical and groundbreaking, then and only then do you have the right you deny rap the hip-hop a classification under "music." by the way, death cab sucks.… Expand

Unbeliveable the best album of the year!!!!!!!!! Some club banngers but listen to the lyrics they have meaning. Guess how many albums he sold the first week...... A Milli A Milli A Milli.$$$

The Spin score needs to be changed. They placed this album #2 on their AOTY list. That being said, this is an inconsistent, but occasionally brilliant, album that's certainly better than what usually finds mainstream success.

I bought the hype and was disappointed with it at first but after listening to it a couple times I cannot stop Lil Wayne destroys so many lines.

The album is very strong with some tracks like "Mr.Carter", "Comfortable", "Tie my hands", "Dr.Carter", "Let the Beat Build" and "I'm Me" are all more or less instant 5 star classics, in my opinion. But overall the album does not live up to the enourmous hype and awards it receives. I would've been much more willing to give the Grammy to either Jay, Lupe or Nas (although my personal all time favourite is, of course, Mr.West and his inspired 808's...). Don't get me wrong, in some sense Weezy deserves the most plaudits he receives, the album is very good and highly original, but not a classic by any means. It lacks a concept first of all, and sorry but I really do not get his obsession with constant use of a words like "Pussy" in every second verse he uses.… Expand

The only song on "Tha Carter III" which should have been the bestselling track on the album is, "Shoot Me Down." The song has a bittersweet melody and so does most of the album.

Best rap album ever. this is my favorite number 1 rap album. lil wayne is the best rapper alive.

The album was brilliant and is still a favorite listen a year after it's release. Be warned that you have to look past the radio singles of "millionare" and "lollipop" and listen to the meat of the album which lies in brilliant songs like "comfortable," "tie my hands," "Missunderstood," and "Shoot Me Down" brilliant tracks and for an age in hip hop where content has been lost, this album has plenty once you peel the layers past the songs meant to garner radio airplay.… Expand

The dyanamics are great.And btw Lil wayne is hot as it gets yo i luv it yo His voice so hot.

This album is much better than all u people r saying how can u give this less than a 8 do u people actually listen to the albums or just hate it because of all the good reviews damn listen to this first!

A solid album...but definitely overrated compared to the hype it receives. The production is very well I will admit, however lyrically Lil Wayne falters. Songs like "Phone Home", "Mrs. Officer", "Lolipop", "Comfortable", "Got Money" are just commercial songs. Another rapper has once again, "Sell out". Best Songs + A Milli + Shoot Me Down + Tie My Hands Worst - Lolipop - Got Money - Mrs. Officer - Phone Home.… Expand

Im basically saying the same thing as Bryan T. The Spin rating isn't a 0, they basically said it's unratable because it's so subjective. you either like it or you dont. The review is actually pretty positive.

Instant Classic. Tracks such as A Millie and Dr. Carter really show off his lyricism and skill on the mic.

This is a great album, just wish I wouldn't have heard half the songs a month before it dropped. Much better than anything on the radio right now.

A lot of his best material is missing from this album in favour of songs that have yet to leak. NOT A CLASSIC. but it is good for the most part.

Not entirely consistent; nevertheless, it stands up to (and improves upon) multiple listenings.

A very good hip hop albums. but he still hasnt prooved to me that he is better than the notorious b.i.g.

A good record, but really repetitive after a couple plays. Weezy's delivery, while clever and tight, doesn't leave much to discover with repeated listens. How many scatalogical jokes does a rap album really need?

Very good album. Takes some time to get used to. Its just so much more creative than the other crap coming out now. "Stage on fire", "milli", "let the beat build" and "shoot me down" all great songs others pretty good. If you cut out the songs with robin thicke, bobby v, and busta this would be an all time great. Too bad their on there but anyway good job wayne keep doin it.

My score of 7 was generous only because you cant give half ratings .. this was ok .. compared to efforts by artists like Madviilain, Lupe Fiasco and Common i am confused as to all the 'buzz' surrounding him .. I agree with other voters that some of punchlines/bars dont make sense and that at times seem very forced and illogical .. I also feel like someone told him he was the best rapper alive before he made this as it is ripe and oozes with arrogance and a sense of entitlement .. the fact that he is on every other song/mixtape/remix contributes to his overexposure and in fact may burn out too quickly .. while he is superb as making club/radio friendly songs, this is nothing memorable.… Expand

I have not actually listened to this album at all, I just thought i would comment on how Metacritic screwed up on the rating that Spin magazine gave the album. If one actually reads Spin's review it would seem more like a 60 or 70, not a zero.

The guy claims to be the best rapper alive right? So why am I not feeling he lived up to it. The production is by far the best part of the album and that's why it got a 6. Lil Wayne mumbles half of the album, forces punchlines, make shit rhyme just for it to rhyme and just plain make shit up until it sounds good. I'm surprised people haven't seen this yet. Overall, okay album. Nothing special and this is as disappointing as it comes from a self-proclaimed best rapper alive… Expand

The best album of 2008. Lil Wayne shows his rap skills and out-does his singing skills. Even though with autotune, the effect has a unique way with him. Album of the year... No Doubt!

Guilty pleasure pop/rap album. It's very fun and the final respectable Lil' Wayne album. Mr. Carter is Maybe his best song ever (but he still thinks he's better than he is)

This album gets an 8 mostly because of the relative strength of a few tracks towards the beginning of the album. It's difficult to tell if the other tracks - which are of the elite tier of production value as rap can get - are actually just slightly above average tracks or whether the heavy hitters at the beginning just make the rest of the tracks seem dull only in comparison.

Standing far above the other top-tier tracks on this album is "A Milli", a no-holds barred surreal flow of apocryphal lil wayne non sequitors, laced with as phrases as clever and nonchalantly vulgar as it is required for Weezy to explain to us in such brilliant creative ways why he is the best. All this is set against a surprisingly palatable (assumedly hefty) dude just saying "A Milli" over and over again.

A Milli seems to be the most revered track on the biggest studio album - 1,000,000 copies in a week, and the #1 best-selling album of 2008 - the pop-mega rap star has so far released. Known for achieving success simultaneously, if not primarily, because of underground, non-radioplay mixtape releases, the song stands on its own as a stalwart in rap's history books.

3 Peat is a formidable beginning to any album, a firm, bold roar of the arrival of Wayne, obviously not only as the beginning of this album, but as a dominating figure in the spotlight of rap.

With the crescendo of 3-Peat coming near the end, as soon as it brings you back from Wayne's planet to Earth, you turn right over into Mr. Carter, a relaxed track with a solid kick and a chantable chorus held up by a high-pitched Kanye-like sample. Lil Wayne's birth name being Dwayne Carter, the song speaks for his fans and friends, asking where he has been recently, while he reveals the new heights his life has reached, and through a barrel's worth of clever phrases, explains that he's been traveling all around the world being a superstar rapper. His point is capped off when another Mr. Carter, Shawn Carter, aka Jay-Z pops in to say, yes, I am a legend and, yes, we few superstar rappers are too hard to catch, a true jet setter. Keep 'em searchin.

In full disclosure, the author of this article has as a surname Carter, so feels a certain affinity for this track. Hopefully this wasn't evident.

If you haven't heard Lollipop and are an American and under 35, I'm guessing you have never been social in a public place. That American part might be irrelevant. Lollipop was a genuine radioplay megahit, indeed the best selling digital single of 2008, and is one of the reasons Wayne remains interesting to critics - and labels - alike: he can please intellectual Pitchfork critics while blowing up the pockets of the radio conglomerates. The other tracks on this album suffers from common-rap album syndrome. At times, listening from beginning to end, it feels too disjointed due to the sheer quantity of producers submitting different types of tracks to what's supposed to be a like-minded compilation. That said, the all-star producers who composed Tha Carter iii - from Swizz Beatz to David Banner to Kanye - definitely do their job individually.

Yet still, the themes of this album are scatterbrained, despite, obviously all being loosely based around the fact that Lil Wayne, is in fact, "Ill, not sick," an expert rapper and lyrically genius. Of course, this isn't actually far from the truth, but this album ends up being much more a bunch of interesting tracks featuring a five-star rapper and a few of his peers and forefathers, than a classic album.… Expand

I think Lil 'Wayne proves that you can make good rap music and at the same time cover broader musical genres. This is an album that contains the best rap mixtapes of 2007 and a good production that is pleasant to listen in any radio station.

Lil 'Wayne made ​​a radical shift in what we were used to seeing in previous rap albums that were talking about the same issues and the same beats ats and productions. Looking backwards, it is clear that since this album was released rappers began to make good use of auto-tune until a few years ago.

The best album of 2008 and the best of Lil 'Wayne.… Expand

This album is terrible the white girl that just wrote the review is mad because yall rating this stupidly he isnt the best and this album certaintly isnt either