The Top 10 Hip Hop Albums Of The Decade. #5 Tha Carter III (2008) - Lil Wayne

For some Lil Wayne is the second coming. For others his madcap rhymes are nothing more than a garbled mess, cleverly packaged as new millennial avant-garde hip hop. For Me “Tha Carter III” was validation of something I already knew but didn’t want to admit. Wayne was a thrilling emcee whose talents could no longer be denied or contained.

“Tha Carter III” was the culmination of a five year run that saw Wayne transform from also-ran Hot Boy to pop music icon. The statement was bold, fearless and indelible. “Lollipop” was the album’s fire starter, a jittery, Auto-Tuned, fantastic voyage of a record that found its way into every crevice of our collective existence. Then came the succession of world-beating singles that set the summer of ‘08 ablaze. There was “Get Money” for the clubs, “A Milli” for the streets, “Mrs. Officer” for the radio and “Mr. Carter” for the non-believers. Wayne was everywhere. At the height of his ubiquity he seemed to be the only MC available for hire. You might still be a skeptic, but you’ve got to respect the fact that for one moment in time, Wayne and his daring imagination stood above all.