Tha Carter III
by Lil Wayne
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 380 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 274 out of 380
  2. Mixed: 41 out of 380
  3. Negative: 65 out of 380

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  1. clem666
    Jun 5, 2023
    6
    A highly uneven record in my opinion. Where it shines and offers sparks of ingenuity as on 'Comfortable' (which is by definition the hidden gem of the whole record), 'Tie My Hands' or on 'Shoot Me Down' it also miserably fails to evoke anything new, refreshing or even decent material. And on that last point I am referring to 'A Milli' (yes, very unpopular opinion ; if this was listenableA highly uneven record in my opinion. Where it shines and offers sparks of ingenuity as on 'Comfortable' (which is by definition the hidden gem of the whole record), 'Tie My Hands' or on 'Shoot Me Down' it also miserably fails to evoke anything new, refreshing or even decent material. And on that last point I am referring to 'A Milli' (yes, very unpopular opinion ; if this was listenable in 2008 I am wondering how your ears are going right now), 'Phone Home', 'La La' or the worst on **** Monster'. This is by far unappealing, unpleasant, overly disgusting and appalling. And I can't even write about how Weezy copied 'Last Call' for the last track 'DontGetIt'. Come out, this concept was amazing four years before, wake up ! Paying respect to Kanye is the last thing Lil Wayne should have done for his lack of originality on this one.

    I have to underline the diversity on this record, its versatility, especially with the UFO track 'Dr Carter'. This wasn't a highlight to me but it clearly was worth the try. Thanks for that. The featured artists were interesting and do bring some depth the the project without overshadowing the Wayne.    … Expand
  2. Zeke_Chaney
    Jul 29, 2022
    10
    The greatest rap album i’ve listened to, amazing rhymes and wordplay all across the album
  3. tonto
    Jun 17, 2021
    9
    Lil Wayne’s best album to date. A classic, this was most successful album Wayne had up to that point in 2008. Lil Wayne uses clever wordplay to make memorable songs. His flow is at its best, and the production on the album is from some big name producers like Bangladesh, Jim Jonsin, Kanye West, and Cool & Dre among others with Weezy as executive producer. You can listen to the album fromLil Wayne’s best album to date. A classic, this was most successful album Wayne had up to that point in 2008. Lil Wayne uses clever wordplay to make memorable songs. His flow is at its best, and the production on the album is from some big name producers like Bangladesh, Jim Jonsin, Kanye West, and Cool & Dre among others with Weezy as executive producer. You can listen to the album from start to finish without skipping anything, but the best tracks are Got Money, A Milli, Lollipop, Comfortable, and Mrs. Officer.… Expand
  4. TBD101
    Jun 20, 2020
    10
    Lil Wayne is a GOAT, and this album proves it. One of the best albums of all time.
  5. Mbminas
    Feb 4, 2020
    10
    Best rap album ever made in the history, Wayne is the GOAT and this album proved it.
  6. calebcorleone
    Feb 3, 2020
    10
    One of the greatest albums of all time. Changed music as we know it. Leaked a week before release and still sold A MILLI the first week. Absolutely legendary and essential.
  7. Rapuser123
    Jul 30, 2019
    10
    Great album. This album was great. It is a classic without a doubt. My favorite Lil Wayne album
  8. fifi3
    Jul 28, 2019
    8
    Lil Wayne is at his peak lyrical genius here, but with more flavor and eclectic production than his earlier work. The album is a rollercoaster and fun to listen to with it's genius quotables, eclectic production (soulful, alien-like), quick pace and surprisingly solid depth.
  9. WTF_
    Sep 29, 2018
    10
    Tha Carter III was a great album. Honestly some of the "critics" are against rap culture...
  10. SuchiB14
    Aug 31, 2018
    9
    One of Wayne's best works. The main substance of the album tends to be better than the commercial hits like Lollipop, but overall the album is a banger, one of the greats.
  11. OGHipHopCritic
    Jun 9, 2018
    9
    88 which rounds up to a 9/10. I'd say this is the most enjoyable lil wayne album. The album was made of consistently good beats which were way ahead of it's time. The album starts off with 3-peat which is an instant hard hitting song. The lyrical content of this album was full of the greatest punchlines and using those punchlines he was able to send a message. Songs such as Tie My Hands88 which rounds up to a 9/10. I'd say this is the most enjoyable lil wayne album. The album was made of consistently good beats which were way ahead of it's time. The album starts off with 3-peat which is an instant hard hitting song. The lyrical content of this album was full of the greatest punchlines and using those punchlines he was able to send a message. Songs such as Tie My Hands with Robin Thicke are the most relaxing songs and have such a good message about persisting through struggling times. However, the only disappointment of this album is Ms. Carter.… Expand
  12. iCronic
    Aug 6, 2017
    10
    Tha Carter III is one of my favorite Hip Hop Albums in the last ten years. Probably the peak in his career. Still have this as a cd, one of the few i kept.
  13. GabrielVictor
    May 15, 2016
    8
    " The Carter III " tem tudo aquilo que um bom álbum de Rap precisa para ser consagrado. (B+)
  14. AlbumReviewer
    Apr 17, 2016
    4
    Lil Wayne's new stuff sucks. This is where it all started to suck. I used to love you lil wayne. Tha Carter 1 & 2, Tha Block Is Hot, Lights Out, and my personal favorite album of yours 500 Degreez were all really good. Then I heard Tha Carter 3, and my heart sank. Everything after that sucked balls. Tha Carter 4, I Am Not A Human Being 1 & 2, and the ugliest one of all, Rebirth. And don'tLil Wayne's new stuff sucks. This is where it all started to suck. I used to love you lil wayne. Tha Carter 1 & 2, Tha Block Is Hot, Lights Out, and my personal favorite album of yours 500 Degreez were all really good. Then I heard Tha Carter 3, and my heart sank. Everything after that sucked balls. Tha Carter 4, I Am Not A Human Being 1 & 2, and the ugliest one of all, Rebirth. And don't forget his slew of AWFUL mixtape's released after 2008 as well. Here's where Lil Wayne's quality went down by a lot.

    Now, this album does have it's high's. A Milli, Tie My Hands, Shoot Me Down, Lollipop, La La, and You Ain't Got Nutin to name all of the high's. That's it. The rest of the album consists of awful wordplay, bad vocal performances, uninterested features, and some really trashy instrumentation. The only exception I would make for features is Babyface, Robin Thick (surprisingly enough), T-Pain, and Brisco. The vocal performance part is SO bad on Got Money & Playing with Fire, my ears almost bleed. At least in his older albums he held back for the most part. but here he just let go and did a lot of **** terrible performances. His lyrics can get hard to bare, it's not the lyrics we got from the very witty Carter 2 Lil Wayne. He's not trying to be funny, but I can't help but laugh every time he says something really strange. That's not a good thing. The instrumentals are what ruined some of the songs on here too! Dontgetit was almost COMPLETELY ruined by a really terrible instrumental. Now, when this album has it's highs, believe me, they save the project. They brought what was great about the old Lil Wayne. My favorite song from him is actually on this album. La La is a very impressive track. I can't get it out of my head. A Milli is most likely a close second. So there are highs, but the lows, ARE REALLY LOW. I like a small handful, don't care for a large handful, and hate another handful. Weezy, I hope you kill Tha Carter 5. Cause I dont want to give that a

    4/10

    IT BARELY ESCAPES A 3!    … Expand
  15. ihavevocaloid
    May 17, 2015
    8
    Tha Carter III is undoubtedly one of Lil Wayne's best albums (if not THE best). I don't think it's a classic, but it was probably one of the best albums of 2008. Diverse production is all over Tha Carter III, ranging from Robin Thicke's neo-soul production on "Tie My Hands" to jazz on "Dr. Carter" to Nina Simone sampling on "Dontgetit". In addition to the great production, Lil Wayne showsTha Carter III is undoubtedly one of Lil Wayne's best albums (if not THE best). I don't think it's a classic, but it was probably one of the best albums of 2008. Diverse production is all over Tha Carter III, ranging from Robin Thicke's neo-soul production on "Tie My Hands" to jazz on "Dr. Carter" to Nina Simone sampling on "Dontgetit". In addition to the great production, Lil Wayne shows that he is an entertaining rapper. Sure, his lyricism isn't Nas or Jay-Z but he has some funny lyrics and entertaining punchlines. And he even addresses some serious topics on here ("Tie My Hands", "Dontgetit"). And speaking of "Dontgetit", him talking for the last half didn't bore me at all like Kanye West's "Runaway" did (nothing against "Runaway"). That proves that Tha Carter III never bores at all. It's uplifting and puts you in a good mood with his entertaining lyrics and great production. Grade: B+/A-. Highlights: "3 Peat", "A Milli", "Phone Home" (I seem to be the only one that likes this song), "Dontgetit". Worst song: This was a hard one, but probably "La La" because of those annoying babies singing throughout the whole song.… Expand
  16. BHeat
    Apr 25, 2015
    5
    While Lil Wayne fans call this a masterpiece, it is actually far from it. Does it have some good tracks? Yes and even the most poppy one Lollipop is catchy. But, this album is a pop rap album and was made to appeal to the masses, not give you thought-provoking lyricism and insight. You won't find lyricism here. For those that call themselves Hip Hop heads, this is not a record that's goingWhile Lil Wayne fans call this a masterpiece, it is actually far from it. Does it have some good tracks? Yes and even the most poppy one Lollipop is catchy. But, this album is a pop rap album and was made to appeal to the masses, not give you thought-provoking lyricism and insight. You won't find lyricism here. For those that call themselves Hip Hop heads, this is not a record that's going to do anything for you. Sure it was entertaining at the time, but there's nothing here that is groundbreaking, influential or worth remembering really. This album gets a five purely because of the fact that it was entertaining and had a few moments of Wayne actually saying some decent rhymes.… Expand
  17. Shady313
    Mar 22, 2015
    6
    6/10 .................................................................................................................................................
  18. comebackkid12
    Dec 8, 2014
    8
    The entire time throughout "Tha Carter III," you can just tell Wayne is having way too much making the record; what would it hurt to maybe revel in the excitement and enjoy the moment with him? From beginning to end, Mr. Carter is constantly on his game, throwing many different themes at you all at once, yet keeping the whole album balanced like it was his odd, confused, wild child (whichThe entire time throughout "Tha Carter III," you can just tell Wayne is having way too much making the record; what would it hurt to maybe revel in the excitement and enjoy the moment with him? From beginning to end, Mr. Carter is constantly on his game, throwing many different themes at you all at once, yet keeping the whole album balanced like it was his odd, confused, wild child (which is important because, as a group of singles, it would sound disheveled). Sleek production coats the entire project, and Wayne's wordplay is something glorious to behold, as it begs for other emcees to one-up him. A fantastic job, and one of his best (probably his best) work yet.… Expand
  19. axs126330
    Oct 17, 2014
    9
    This album isn't the Blueprint, Get Rich or Die Trying, or The Eminem Show, but it is a step below which is good enough to have an ninety rating. The album is a little bit of both the mix-tape Lil Wayne, like A Milli and the friendlier Lil Wayne, like Got Money.
  20. JamieVic
    Oct 4, 2014
    4
    I had high expectations for Tha Carter III as it was universally praised. To be honest, I must have overestimated the album as most of the tracks were boring and the production wasn't the best. I noticed he mentions Kanye West a few times in separate tracks, and speaking of him this album kind of sounds like Lil Wayne's version of College Dropout in a way. Lil Wayne lays down some creativeI had high expectations for Tha Carter III as it was universally praised. To be honest, I must have overestimated the album as most of the tracks were boring and the production wasn't the best. I noticed he mentions Kanye West a few times in separate tracks, and speaking of him this album kind of sounds like Lil Wayne's version of College Dropout in a way. Lil Wayne lays down some creative wordplay like usual and shows some direction but not enough to make it a great album.… Expand
  21. Luckyluke93
    Aug 13, 2014
    10
    Absolutely the best Wayne's album ever: 16 awesome songs (Playing with Fire original) and eccellent Weezy.. Only one bad song: La La is terrible, but Tie My Hands and Dontgetit are just amazing. If you don't like this album you probably don't like hip hop music.
  22. BubblyBear
    Mar 19, 2014
    10
    The single greates album released all time in the history of rap music or any genre ever. Lollipop changed rap forever. Lil Wayne is the greatest of all time
  23. yeezus_crust
    Mar 1, 2014
    9
    This album's strong point is easily the beat selection, along with Wayne's outlandish metaphors ("We are not the same, I am a Martian" he explains in the ET-inspired track "Phone Home") which make for an enjoyable album. As an avid hip hop listener the songs that I didn't find as appealing were the radio hits such as "Got Money", "Mrs. Officer" and "Lollipop" which, despite being poppyThis album's strong point is easily the beat selection, along with Wayne's outlandish metaphors ("We are not the same, I am a Martian" he explains in the ET-inspired track "Phone Home") which make for an enjoyable album. As an avid hip hop listener the songs that I didn't find as appealing were the radio hits such as "Got Money", "Mrs. Officer" and "Lollipop" which, despite being poppy and dumbed down, are by no means unenjoyable.… Expand
  24. Fierce_Deity
    Dec 6, 2013
    10
    Amazing album. Those users giving him Negatives and 0-5, really? This album shook up Hip Hop and is one of the most significant mainstream albums out there. This album is a great mainstream crossover, and features one of the greatest songs in the whole Hip Hop genre, "Dr. Carter". Those hating on this album need to remember, he's a legend and your reviews won't tarnish his legacyAmazing album. Those users giving him Negatives and 0-5, really? This album shook up Hip Hop and is one of the most significant mainstream albums out there. This album is a great mainstream crossover, and features one of the greatest songs in the whole Hip Hop genre, "Dr. Carter". Those hating on this album need to remember, he's a legend and your reviews won't tarnish his legacy whatsoever. Great job, Wayne. Hoping Carter 5 could be another classic.… Expand
  25. TChustz3
    Nov 11, 2013
    6
    Another Hip Hop album in which the singles almost ruin the album. Singles like "Got Money," "Lollipop," "Mrs. Officer," and "A Milli" disgrace, what would be, a solid Rap album. This album was Wayne's transition from Hip Hop to Pop which is evident in songs like "Lollipop" and "Prostitute 2." Other than that, Lil Wayne displays creativity, and some not-so-often seen raw emotion. AlthoughAnother Hip Hop album in which the singles almost ruin the album. Singles like "Got Money," "Lollipop," "Mrs. Officer," and "A Milli" disgrace, what would be, a solid Rap album. This album was Wayne's transition from Hip Hop to Pop which is evident in songs like "Lollipop" and "Prostitute 2." Other than that, Lil Wayne displays creativity, and some not-so-often seen raw emotion. Although the album is flawed, Lil Wayne shows his strengths through songs like "Mr. Carter," "Dr. Carter," "Tie My Hands," and "Let the Beat Build."… Expand
  26. Magazine
    Sep 29, 2013
    0
    Music for uneducated youth. Filled with auto-tuned "vocals", over-produced annoying beats, and meaningless lyrical themes. How anyone can call Lil Wayne talented is beyond me. It's disgusting that music publications can take this rubbish seriously, because any serious hip-hop fan wouldn't.
  27. anggy12002
    Sep 26, 2013
    7
    The best Wayne album ever. That's not saying a lot, though. The main issue with this album is that there are way too many track and not enough substance too those tracks. After the track La La I found myself saying hey this sounds just like this track from earlier. The stand out awesome tracks are Mr. Carter, A Milli, Dr. Carter, Phone Home, Tie My Hands, and Lollipop. If you are a fan ofThe best Wayne album ever. That's not saying a lot, though. The main issue with this album is that there are way too many track and not enough substance too those tracks. After the track La La I found myself saying hey this sounds just like this track from earlier. The stand out awesome tracks are Mr. Carter, A Milli, Dr. Carter, Phone Home, Tie My Hands, and Lollipop. If you are a fan of Tha Carter 2, or any of his later work, you'll love this, but if you are a Tha Block Is Hot or Lights Out type of guy, you may be disappointed.… Expand
  28. samir634
    Aug 4, 2013
    10
    All these people with negative reviews are simply hating on the album for the sake of hating on it. This album is a masterpiece, Lil Wayne's Magnum Opus, an album that will put Lil Wayne with the greats. The song has a great mix of emotion with songs like Shoot Me Down, and bangers like A Milli, and Pop masterpieces like Lollipop, there is something mesmerizing about the way Lil WayneAll these people with negative reviews are simply hating on the album for the sake of hating on it. This album is a masterpiece, Lil Wayne's Magnum Opus, an album that will put Lil Wayne with the greats. The song has a great mix of emotion with songs like Shoot Me Down, and bangers like A Milli, and Pop masterpieces like Lollipop, there is something mesmerizing about the way Lil Wayne flows so easily over his tracks. "Swallow my words, taste my thoughts, And if it's too nasty, spit it back at me" raps Lil Wayne on the intro, "3 Peat." This I feel is the definition of Lil Wayne's music, sharp edged words that sting and strike deep, and extreme sexual perversion to the point where it almost gets disgusting on a song like Monster." To the people that hate this album, give it an objective listen instead of judging it because it is a Lil Wayne album, this is a masterpiece.… Expand
  29. sei15
    May 13, 2013
    0
    This album was, is, and forever will be next level garbage. Its basically an album filled with him describing eating women out, and drugs. The 84 this got is pretty much the strongest case for critics reviews meaning nothing. Go listen to RAP Music by killer mike.
  30. MarkMusic
    May 1, 2013
    1
    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
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Awards & Rankings

25
#25 Best Album of 2008
16
#16 Most Discussed Album of 2008
5
#5 Most Shared Album of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. AllMusic
    80
    Filled with bold, entertaining wordplay and plenty of well-executed, left-field ideas, Tha Carter III should be considered as a wild, somewhat difficult child of Weezy's magnum opus in motion, one that allows the listener an exhilarating and unapologetic taste of artistic freedom.
    Read full review
  2. Boston Globe
    80
    That said, it's not an instant classic, but it is the best rap album since Kanye West dropped "Graduation" last year.
    Read full review
  3. Hartford Courant
    80
    We should have known. If his raspy, cartoonish voice didn't mark him as different, his quick wit, offhanded wordplay and quirky subject matter should have in a genre populated largely by grim-faced imitators.
    Read full review
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