The 500 - #437 - Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 437

Album Title: Tha Carter III
Artist: Lil' Wayne
Genre: Hip Hop, Pop Rap
Recorded: 2006-08
Released: June, 2008
My age at release: 42
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Let the Beat Build

The original version of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time was published by Rolling Stone magazine in 2005. It was updated seven years later and 38 albums replaced some of the earlier entries. Tha Carter III by Lil' Wayne is the first contemporary record to appear. 

Tha Carter III was the sixth record by New Orleans native, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., professionally known by his stage name Lil' Wayne. Born to an impoverished family, his mother is only 19 years his senior. His father abandoned the family when he was two years old. Bright and artistic, Carter was enrolled in the gifted program at Lafayette Elementary school and later thrived in the drama department of Eleanor McMain Secondary School as a teen. At 13, he began rapping with the Hot Boys.

It was my grade seven & eight who brought Lil' Wayne to my attention. Many were fans of rap, and a cluster, mainly boys, embraced the gangsta hip-hop culture of the mid-2000s. Their fashion included:

• Oversized pants or jorts (baggy, calf-length jeans) that hung low to show their boxer shorts.
• Flat brimmed baseball hats or visors, turned sideways on their heads.
• Their upper-torso typically featured basketball jerseys or Hoodies or Sweatshirts distributed by Rocawear, Sean John, ECKO or G-Unit. 
• Timberland boots or Air Force Ones by Nike were the preferred footwear.
• Puffy jackets were all the rage and were worn regardless of the weather.

Most troubling were the blue bandanas. Obsessed with gang culture, many claimed affiliation to the Crips, one of the largest and most violent gangs in the United States. A few, very few thankfully, were actually involved in criminal activity and were part of local gang culture. Fortunately, this fad was slowly being overtaken by the likes of Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. Sure, it was a tad sugary, but at least we could play the music in class.

The social media platforms, My Space and Facebook, were gaining popularity at this time and rumours circulated that some students were posting pictures of themselves smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol or posing with authentic-looking replica guns.

It was a turbulent time. My obligation was to help them navigate this phase. However, I didn't want to over-react. Who wants to be the old guy complaining about "kids these days". Over-reacting seemed a poor option, after all society had survived the fascination of youth in... 

• Elvis' gyrating hips 
• The Beatles' "long" hair 
• The vulgarity of The Sex Pistols 
• The bloody theatrics of KISS
• Dungeons & Dragons and Heavy Metal music's connection to the occult.

In the end, I engaged them in conversations about the importance of positive life choices and the potential impact of their activities on social media. I'd also remind them that their favourite movie, Scarface, is intended to be a tragedy.

When I encounter students from those years, I find that most have turned out just fine. It was, as I hoped, just a phase. 

I approached this Lil' Wayne album with no expectations. It has a few catchy hooks and some of the rhymes are clever. It is also funny and that is what I didn't understand at the time.  Much like Elvis, The Beatles, The Sex Pistols, Kiss and Heavy Metal, it's theatrical. Lil' Wayne was not always taking himself seriously. He's having fun, like kids do.