I dare not begin this blog without giving you my take on Lil Wayne's, I Am Not A Human Being. I began listening to the EP with mediocre expectations. I find myself more entertained by Wayne's mixtapes than much of his commercially released music. Simply stated, his mixtapes are the unfiltered version of Wayne and I tend to appreciate him more in that fashion. This EP was particularly entertaining. Lil Wayne, in true Libra style, exposes himself unapologetically. I appreciated the limited track list, as it was filled with quality. There were more songs that I played on repeat than any cd I'v heard in the last six months (Well minus that Chris Brown mixtape In My Zone). This EP is a testament to Wayne's ability to present the good, bad, and the ugly in a way that entertains and captivates the listener.
I read the title of track 1 and the word "Gonorrhea" conjured up images of Kat Stacks and the sewer she crawled out of, followed by images of the ATL group 1st Lady and their song about selling pussy. However, since I am no newbie to hip hop or Lil Wayne, I expected some metaphoric analogy to how he was so "sick" with rhymes or maybe as to how the rap game is infested with lames. As I listened I found that it was probably some of both. His warning to "pussy ass niggas" was certainly felt as he describes their fake-ness as a disease transmittable by contact. The song also features Drake, who is completely overshadowed by Wayne's presentation and wordplay.
In the follow-up track "Hold Up," Wayne takes you to a gunfight. He paints a picture as murky as a Quentin Tarantino film. The track is absolutely sinister. T-streets contributes some substantial lyrics. as well. However, it is the tone and cadence of Wayne's voice that puts this track over the edge!
"With You" is certainly a track I've listened to on repeat. After hearing from Wayne, the callous murderer, in the previous track, it was certainly welcoming to hear from Wayne, the uncertain lover, in this rap ballad. The motown-esque oooh's in the background take you straight to the love zone. Despite Drake's monotone singing voice, Wayne certainly gets his point across. He effortlessly woo's his female fans, all of whom are certainly wondering about the subject of this song.
So, as with any perfectly organized EP about one-third of the way through the track list, the title track hits us. It's perfectly timed after giving us a rest from the harsh imagery. Wayne took us somewhere beautiful and then dropped us into the abyss of his mind. This rock/rap anthem is an animated ode to his talent and confidence. He declares that he is a "Rhyming Oasis" and this EP certainly pleads his case. If there were a 2010 re-make of the movie "Office Space," Peter Gibbons would be listening to this track on the way home. It is the ultimate re-build your self-esteem after being ripped to shreds at work kind of music!
Alright come down off of that high. The next track "I'm Single" is Wayne being the hot, no-good dog that he is, and make no mistake we love him for it. Every girl wants a bad boy and Wayne had no problem presenting himself as that guy.
"What's Wrong With Them" wasn't exactly my favorite track. The hook threw me off. There was some off topic rambling on this one.
After a moment of "What the eff is wrong with this song?" I was spared by "Right Above it" I love this song. It's that right after you win a basketball game, or you've aced a test or gotten a promotion song! It's the song for that moment in life when you look at all you've been through and realize that it's all beneath you now. Wayne's flow and intensity propel you to another level, even if you're slightly resistant by the end of the song you no longer have the restraint to remain grounded.
Yet another version of Wayne the lover emerges on the track "Popular." Here he is the aggressive and manipulative lover. He appeals to every whore's need to have sex with a man to gain status. Wayne's keen understanding of that dynamic makes it appealing on levels that might disgust person with any degree of moral standards.
Then, he wows us again with "That Ain't Me." If Wayne's lyrics (But, I know my Lord, I am God's own) and Jay Sean's melodic voice (You can try to lock me up....) don't lift you from the muck and the mired clay, then you are hopeless, kill yourself now.
"Bill Gates," is Wayne's obvious homage to a financial and ideological mastermind. It's his opportunity to brag and show us that in case you doubted him, he is certainly on another level from you mentally and financially. You can hear elements of the classic hip hop mantra "More money, more problems" in the lyrics of this song.
I can't think of a better place on this track for this song (Well, this could have been the final track for all I care). "YM Salute" is your chance to hear from the team. They give you reason to salute as the whole team presents itself well here. Wayne steps in as commander and chief and takes charge of the song in like fashion. Salute!
Gudda Gudda starts off the song "YM Banger," and is quite possibly the reason this song is not one of my favorites. If you can get past the monotony of his voice, you might be able to appreciate formidable contributions from Nicki Minaj and Tyga.
Conclusively, in light of all of the hype surrounding this EP, I doubt that any of you are sleeping on it. However, in the rare case that you have been cut off by society due to natural disaster or you have been subjected to compulsory isolation, I urge you to check this one out. Check out the LP version as well which includes the song "I Don't Like the Look of It." There may certainly be better rappers than Lil Wayne in the game. The problem is that they aren't giving us anything to listen to. I appreciate Wayne for accepting the challenge and on this EP, he met it.
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