A Hip Hop icon, Lil Wayne, releases a new album, and his flow is still ever-present, but what is going on behind the scenes makes him seem out of touch. Released on May 6, 2025, through Young Money and Republic Records, Tha Carter VI is a new drop of music from the man who proclaims he forgets his songs because he has so many verses. In all fairness, Lil Wayne has released a substantial amount of music since his start and has an even larger library of unreleased music and samples available through the underground music scene. It is impressive what he has been able to do with his distinctly free-flow and eclectic yet simple sampling.
Speaking of sampling, Tha Carter VI has a considerable quantity of recognizable samples. This genre of Rap music commonly takes inspiration from Pop culture or other music as its base. The songs are composed out of different songs, and then a signature style is applied to them. While this is accurate for the tracks in The Carter VI, it does not mean that they are all successful. A few moments are unique and create a sonic atmosphere that feels like a new form of trap, but a large part of these samples feel like unnecessary remixes. Whoever told Lil Wayne that he needed to make an Electronic Rap remix of Weezer’s “Island in the Sun” in 2025 they were sorely mistaken in their advice.
There are a lot of songs that feel like this on the album. It could be a result of Wayne reaching a wall in his creative expression, or a genuine need of his to feature Jennifer Nettles in a song with a Trap beat about 2 Chainz. It feels that way because the first two songs and the last song feel like the shell of an autobiography album. Not surprisingly, given the title of the album and Lil Wayne’s release history, the interior of the album is closer to a variety bag. Switching between trap beats, electronic heavy beats, and country music. The sense of Lil Wayne’s culture is not present in every single song. “Hip-Hop” and “Peanuts 2 N Elephant” have the energy needed to accomplish what Wayne is going for. They are advertising the Carter lifestyle as the album intends to do.
Then we get to the weird crossroads of “Sharks.” Jelly Roll does not really belong on an electric beat with autotune, even if the bassline has a Country twang to it. Additionally, Wayne’s verse lacks the carefree flow that made him famous. Similar to his own “A Milli,” or the flow of Lil Uzi Vert in “XO Tour Life,” the understated and irreverent flow of these rambling rappers is what sells their persona. Big Sean has the best verse on this song, but he stands out as a surprise, much faster than the slow, almost nursery rhyme-like song.
Back to storytelling, this album begins with a spoken-word intro stating that Wayne is the king, detailing his rise to fame, which segues nicely into the second track, “Welcome to Tha Carter,” which feels like an introduction to a victory lap album. Common in the Rap industry, where lifestyle and hustle are showcased in both lyrics and media releases. For a rapper around at the start of the crunk era, who hung with 2 Chainz and started Yung Money Clan, there is no limit to the swag and flexing that Lil Wayne can do. There’s nothing wrong with that, especially because it is authentically his style, but of course, the variety that is supposed to help sell this new album is sadly not up to par. The way Wayne is separating himself from the others is not enough.
He is experimenting with Rock a lot in Tha Carter VI, but could be playing it too safe. Some of these songs, especially the one featuring Bono, sound like outro credit songs for a children’s movie, with beats that mirror Chris Tomlin instead of something with a bit of rawer energy.
This is a mid-level release from Lil Wayne. It is another collection of official music to add to the heap of Rap records released since 1999. Wayne is a crucial part of the Hip Hop scene and thus, American culture. Tha Carter VI will garner some public attention, especially with its plethora of features, but it is not as artistically sound as it could be. It is what a fan would expect from Wayne, who is releasing this as the sixth in the Tha Carter album series. As a result, Cryptic Rock gives Tha Carter VI 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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