I Am Not A Human Being II

**_I Am Not A Human Being II_ marks Lil Wayne’s tenth offering to the music world, his last being in 2011, although since then he has featured on more tracks than those you can count on Nicki Minaj’s head (that’s a wig reference, by the way). Although he is still a force to be reckoned with (with his last two studio albums passing the one-million mark in first-week sales in the US), his latest offering isn’t too pleasing.**

Whilst listening to the album, I wondered what it would take for a somebody like **Lil Wayne** to be eventually seen as a ‘rent-a-rapper’: those who labels throw cash at for a mere one-minute-and-two-seconds rap verse. Surely **Lil Wayne**’s own material is better than the stuff he records for a quick dollar? Take his verse from **Jennifer Lopez**’s ‘I’m Into You’. Or ‘Motivation’ by **Kelly Rowland**. Or **Birdman**’s ‘Tapout’. The references are the same; the delivery is uncanny. We know you like women’s private areas, Wayne. No need to keep on mentioning it.

At this point in his career, it is almost illusory to expect **Lil Wayne** to rap about anything other than sex, drugs and violence. Pretty much every verse he spits is littered with the n-word, lazy wordplay, expletives beyond one’s imagination, and – of course – his penchant for ladybits. The majority of his runs on this album are weak and overused, which is a disappointment because the production on some of the tracks could have been put to better use, such as the sharp and synthy ‘Beat The Shit’ or ‘God Bless Amerika’, which nuances the kind of retro-inspired music which **Lana Del Rey** would be expected to croon over.

In contrast to his previous effort, _Tha Carter IV_, the standout pieces are hidden away as bonus tracks on the deluxe edition. ‘Lay It Down’ features our flavour-of-the-moment **Nicki Minaj**, with a domineering, staccato delivery and a stripped-back, electronic-driven instrumental. ‘Hot Revolver’ is a cute ditty of young love which features elements of pop rock: certainly a refreshing cut from the album as it sees **Lil Wayne** breaking out of the chains of auto-tune and overused rapping deliveries. Meanwhile, ‘My Homies Still’ offers a cut-throat production and an inventive collaboration with **Big Sean**.

He may not be a human being, but his music is far from alien: the sparkles in the album are few and far between, but it is littered with overused euphemisms, poor production and in some cases, pointless collaborations. It’s no wonder that his protégés and employees have far better material. It is clear that **Lil Wayne** is not the lyrical genius he once was, and perhaps he should stick to his witty phoned-in four-liners on other people’s songs.

**Similar To:** Rick Ross, Birdman

**MP3:** ‘Hot Revolver’, ‘Rich As Fuck’