Super UNPOPULAR OPINION: Carter II is not a classic

[King Harlem]

I actually agree. The Carter 2 is my favorite Lil Wayne album but I don't think its a classic. I think Carter 3 is a classic, even though Carter 2 is a better album but I consider impact to be a large factor in whether an album is a classic or not.

 

[TL15]

I don’t always think “Classic” as “Critically Acclaimed”

You can make an argument that the music isn’t his best, but you don’t in your OP. It’s a classic for me. Here’s why:

To me: Tha Mobb, Fly In, Fireman, Money on My Mind, Fireman, Mo Fire, and Best Rapper Alive is a HELL of a way to start an album

Lock and Load is cool

Oh No is A Milli before A Milli

Hustler Musik is a personal fav


Receipt, Feel Me, Get Over and Fly Out is a good run to end the album. Cultural impact plus launchpad of a staple artist, and a great overall listen = classic to me.


As far as your argument, you literally give no reason why it’s not a classic. Your leg to stand on is that your friend said no song on it is a top 20 Wayne song:

“The biggest thing for me is while speaking to a friend of mine that is by far the biggest wayne fan, I asks him what are your top 2-3 songs from the album. He names a few songs and then I ask him would you put those songs in your top 20 wayne songs ever. He never answered of course but thats the answer I was looking for.”

So just because your friend likes Lil Wayne and couldn’t answer that question, the album isn’t a classic

And, you question whether people actually like it or if they just like it based on the timing/ what it did for his career:


“The main thing that I want people to ask themselves is, is this a classic musically or is this q classic because of the time that it came in and because it launched a new era for Wayne.

The more and more I dive into it the more I cant help but think this is a piece that people have an affinity for but in hindsight, I feel as if people were open to questioning their belief that they would maybe feel different about it.”

There’s literally nothing above that says it should NOT be a classic.


You provide (in your OP) no actual critique of the album, you give no details why the music isn’t a classic. Your whole opinion is that maybe you overplayed it when you were younger and that you can’t grasp why other people like it. Off those reasons alone I can’t agree with you that it’s not a classic because you provide no actual reason that it’s categorized incorrectly.

 

[Justin Nitsuj]

I really don't see how OP can say that Tha Carter 2 isn't a classic. Wayne really stepped up his lyrical abilities on that album.

 

[King Harlem]

I really don't see how OP can say that Tha Carter 2 isn't a classic. Wayne really stepped up his lyrical abilities on that album.

But does that make it a classic.

 

[CourtesyFlush]

It's all opinion man. I think it's an absolute classic, and I'm not even really a big fan of lil Wayne. The album just slaps. And has aged great.

 

[letti cook]

I wrote an album review for this as an assignment in college and I shytted all over this album off the first few listens...got an A for the review

in hindsight....its an ok album...doesn't suck but doesn't make my top 5 Wayne albums...only songs i revisit are Best Rapper Alive, Tha Mobb, and Get Over

to me, its an album where everybody was playing catch up so they cysed it....I grew up on Block Is Hot, Lights Out and the first Carter, in addition to all CMR shyt so it wasnt Wayne's coming out party like it seemed to be for most fans

 

[Ashtrey]

I agree with The Source. 3.5 mics.

 

[Sad Bunny]

Of course Im going to get cooked because this is like saying MJ was trash or pulp fiction is a snooze fest. Theres some things you just dont say. I would like every one to be as open minded as possible for this discussion and would like to speak on facts as much as possible rather than feelings or memories. Before commenting, I would like everybody to revisit the album first. Personally, I have been having this growing sentiment for a short while but was never bold enough to say it.

Having a hip hop debate on facebook with friends and things get heated even though i never planned to ever tell a soul about how I truly felt inside, I ended up having to speak on this. Sent my whole facebook in a frenzy got called every name under the sun, its okay I can accept it.

The main thing that I want people to ask themselves is, is this a classic musically or is this q classic because of the time that it came in and because it launched a new era for Wayne.

The more and more I dive into it the more I cant help but think this is a piece that people have an affinity for but in hindsight, I feel as if people were open to questioning their belief that they would maybe feel different about it.

The biggest thing for me is while speaking to a friend of mine that is by far the biggest wayne fan, I asks him what are your top 2-3 songs from the album. He names a few songs and then I ask him would you put those songs in your top 20 wayne songs ever. He never answered of course but thats the answer I was looking for.

Of course you could say well, that was the start of a new chapter and he ended putting out a lot of quality material after. Understood, but wouldnt it be at least one song that’d be in people top 20 wayne songs at least? I mean, this is considered by a ton of people to be his best body of work. I have a hard time believing that I could ask people their top 20 Jay-Z or Nas songs without them listing at least one song from illmatic, stillmatic, it was written or reasonable doubt, blueprint, black album.


Would you put this album next to the other classics that came before?


Maybe its the fact that I played it entirely too much as a kid but listening back to it as a 30 year old, musically and musically only I would have a hard time putting this album next to the other classics

Hustler Musik is a top 20 Wayne song.

Tha Mobb is a top 20 Wayne song.

Money on My Mind might be top 20 too.

Everyone calls C2 a classic.

 

[King Poetic]

Wayne has no classic albums

Great songs but no albums

 

[Yehuda]

Agreed. Got Carter I and III over this one.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

Huztler Muzik was a great Wayne single and the album was pretty entertaining

 

[Long Live The Kane]

I just did Tha Mobb at a NYE karaoke party …for sure a top 20 Wayne song for me personally, and one of the best intro tracks as well …I have it as Wayne’s best album and a classic in that same class of albums from the mid aughts like Trap Muzik, TM:101 and The Cool…shyt brings me back to my undergrad days …College Days Swiftly Pass…

But the only inarguable classics IMO are “impact” classics, everything else is just personal preference…like GRODT is a project I don’t really care too much for, but having lived through that era I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a classic…the impact cannot be denied….C2 isn’t one of those type of albums, so if someone doesn’t think it’s classic I can’t really do anything but …C3 on the other hand, is an impact classic

 

[FreshAIG]

My unpopular opinion is Carter 1 is my favorite of the series

 

[How Sway?]

I'll even take it a step further and say that the carter 3 is not a classic album either.

And you couldn't tell me lil wayne was not the best rapper alive back in 07-09( sans lupe)

and at the time i thought it was damn near illmatic status. But looking back as an adult, the album was good, but not a classic.

Even in hiphop circles, it's hardly every mentioned these days despite how huge of an impact it had at the time.

 

[Mystic]

but nope