The production on this shit was the best Wayne has gone over in years too. I know it's kinda corny to sample songs everyone and their dog knows, but he pulled it off. His flow matched the beat perfectly, and the beat was simple but groovy. His lines aren't always the best but at this point, Wayne doesn't have those ear worm lines ALL THE TIME like he did back in the day.Īlso, I'm very aware of the lazy sampling, but my fuck I Feel Good was the best song on here. He was switching flows all over the place, keeping up with the fast beats, and rapping with a sense of urgency and hunger that he hasn't displayed in a long time.
His flows, his rhyme schemes and all that are the best they've been since before he went to jail. Aside from I'm That Nigga and Thinkin Bout You, he just came through. "Rest in Peace to the Cash Money Weezy, gone but not forgotten, no.I'm a Wayne Stan but I loved this shit. If FWA was simply an exercising of demons and styles that Wayne wanted to explore, then maybe he’s gotten the less desirable aspects out of the way to make room for another claim of greatness. Though, one has to wonder- why are we still waiting so anxiously for Tha Carter V? If Free Weezy Album is an indication of Weezy’s trajectory, it will probably be a let down. Die-hard Weezy fans will be able to pick and pluck lines, as well entire songs from FWA to rep proudly, no problem, and even semi-fans should find at least one record worthy of keeping in their iTunes catalogue. However, it seems the hunger that made Lil Wayne a household name is almost altogether absent on FWA, and Wayne does not appear to be "newly-inspired," rather he returns to his old tricks (some of which still work) with an overall heavy-handed approach at records.Īt the end of the day, though, it makes sense that Free Weezy Album is filled with hits and misses. There was hope for a newly-inspired Lil Wayne in the wake of his recent solitude and distancing from Cash Money. There was a true moment of visceral disappointment as I sighed and shook my head listening to "Post Bail Ballin'" for the first time- enjoying the beat tremendously before having it ruined by howling and dissonant auto-tune as it dropped. Although there are some tracks exempt of this, a lot of the songs on Free Weezy Album feel over-produced both vocally and instrumentally to the point of audience alienation. There's a severe lack of Weezy in the cut on this album. Have they truly sent our favorite party rapper into such moody territory? Even when Weezy wants to get the mood turnt, as he does, he falls flat with a clunky ode to James Brown, "I Feel Good." Then there’s tracks like “Psycho” and “He’s Dead.” These are entirely different songs, yet both make you wonder the extent of a possible Weezy transformation taking place in the post-Cash Money era.
Seriously, the only thing missing is an intro stating "this one goes to all the lovers out there." But tracks later, listeners get betrayed in the form of “My Heart Races On”- a factory sealed and overly-produced break up pop-hop song that flirts with flat-out corniness. It sets the stage for the album to be an assurance that, just because it’s released free on TIDAL, and isn’t the next Carter instalment, doesn’t mean that Weezy is going to phone it in. “Glory” winds up being up a bit of a misdirection. Webs of wordplay are woven with the expected expert dexterity, particularly on “White Girl“ ("By the gavel or by the gun, ni*ga/I be creepin’ like the shadow in the sun ni*ga/Be more careful how you pick and choose your words boy/Cus I’ll have you playin’ scrabble with your tongue ni*ga") and on “Glory” ("Holy shit I’m the shit/I’m God’s Manure"), FWA’s opening track. Just like the reliable red white and blue on the American Flag, Weezy delivers on many of his trademarks. Released on Independence Day exclusively on TIDAL (which Wayne has co-ownership in), there are some fireworks on FWA. The results are a mixed bag and so, they make this Weezy fan nervous.