Whilst Drake and Nicki Minaj have released enough Young Money material to blanket the Hip Hop world until 2014, a void still remains which neither could cover. Leader of the Young Money revolution Lil’ Wayne has had his dominance at the top cut short due to a recent prison spell. But even incarceration hasn’t been successful in putting a halt to the man’s work rate as New Orleans’ favourite son drops his latest EP-turned-album, I’m Not A Human Being.
A title fitting to an artist whose material output could only be described as out of this world, Lil Wayne’s next venture hopes to keep him abreast of the rest of Hip Hop’s all star lineup, even with a brief hiatus.
There are no surprises on deck as the opener “Gonorrhea” is intoxicated with spacey beats and Weezy’s signature styling with Drake‘s breathless flow there to even out the warped offerings.”Hold Up” follows suit with more android vibes, but it’s when the album reaches its title track that it eventually shakes off the space theme and dives straight into some hard hitting riffs and retro beats.
Akin to classic Beastie Boys, Wayne destroys the track with a standout performance resulting in a future anthem for live events. In addition to Drake’s numerous appearances, Wayne also grabs help from Drizzy’s long time producer 40 for zoned out, mellow cut, “I’m Single”.
Nicki Minaj handles hook duties on “What’s Wrong With Them” – which is somewhat disappointing considering her recent demolition of tracks she’s featured on this year; a quick 16 could have done more for the aforementioned track. But the Harajuku Barbie manages to drop a few lines on the first of two Young Money posse cuts; “YM Salute” is another guitar led scorcher, whilst “YM Banger” returns to the alien-esque theme of earlier.
Finishing up with “That Ain’t Me”, featuring Jay Sean, and the harder “Bill Gates,” Weezy F Baby makes a welcome return with an appealing album. Whilst it still feels more like an EP (which was its original intention), the ten tracks [not including bonuses] of I Am Not A Human Being are diverse enough to hold the attention of anyone other than Wayne fanatics.
Lil Wayne’s rhymes remain tight and production strikes a fair balance between trademark southern sounds and deformed, galactic offerings. With a more specific theme than expected of his widely anticipated The Carter IV album, I’m Not A Human Being nevertheless maintains the rapper’s appeal, explores his musical creativity and ushers him back amongst today’s elite stars.
–Henry Yanney
I’m Not A Human Being is out now via Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown.
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