Tha Carter IV

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Lore & Background

The development of Tha Carter IV was a turbulent journey beginning in late 2008. After releasing Tha Carter III to strong sales and acclaim, Wayne claimed he did not want to follow it quickly with another release. By October 2009, Birdman announced plans for three albums on December 15, 2009, but this shifted as Rebirth and We Are Young Money were released separately, pushing Tha Carter IV to 2011. Initial hopes for a May or June release were postponed by Mack Maine to ensure perfection, eventually settling on August 29, 2011. The timeline was further complicated when Wayne served time at Rikers Island; unable to record new material, he released I Am Not a Human Being with unreleased tracks from the original sessions. Following his freedom, the album underwent a complete re-recording process.

In Their Own Story

The path to Tha Carter IV involved significant shifts in direction and personnel. In early October 2008, recording began but was halted shortly after due to Wayne's hesitation to rush a sequel. The project stalled until Wayne's incarceration at Rikers Island forced the use of existing material for I Am Not a Human Being in 2010. Once released from prison, Wayne returned to the studio to re-record the album from scratch. Sessions took place at various locations with producers including Kanye West, Noah "40" Shebib, T-Minus, Bangladesh, Detail, and Jim Jonsin. The tone shifted toward introspective subject matter, often exploring morbid lyrical content and downtempo production. Features included André 3000, Nas, Busta Rhymes, Drake, Rick Ross, John Legend, and Bruno Mars. Tracks like "Dear Anne (Stan Part 2)" were removed because Wayne felt the verses were too old, while others like "Nightmares of the Bottom" were confirmed via MTV's Unplugged.

Reader's Guide

Tha Carter IV was released digitally at midnight on August 28, 2011, following Wayne's performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, with physical copies arriving the next day. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 964,000 copies sold in its first week. Five singles were officially promoted: "6 Foot 7 Foot" (featuring Cory Gunz), which peaked at number nine on the Hot 100 and featured a video inspired by Inception; "John" (featuring Rick Ross); "How to Love," which became the best-performing single peaking at number five; "She Will" (featuring Drake); and "It's Good" (featuring Jadakiss and Drake). A sixth single, "Mirror" featuring Bruno Mars from the deluxe edition, was released later. The album received generally mixed reviews, with critics divided on its production and Wayne's performance, though it earned a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards.

Did You Know?

• The album was re-recorded from scratch after Lil Wayne's release from Rikers Island prison, as he could not record new material during his sentence.
• "How to Love" became the best-performing single from the album, peaking at number six on the US Hot 100.
• The song "Dear Anne (Stan Part 2)" was removed because Lil Wayne felt the verses were too old and originally intended for Tha Carter III.
• Tha Carter IV sold 964,000 copies in its first week, marking Lil Wayne's third number-one debut on the Billboard 200.
• The music video for "6 Foot 7 Foot" was inspired by the film Inception and directed by Hype Williams.

A Turbulent Roadmap from Conception to Release

Tha Carter IV emerged as a project defined by significant delays following the success of Tha Carter III. Recording began in late 2008 but was paused when Wayne claimed he did not want to follow an album he held in high regard so quickly with a potentially inferior release. The timeline shifted again when Wayne served a prison sentence at Rikers Island for illegal weapon possession, preventing new recordings and leading to the 2010 releases of Rebirth and I Am Not a Human Being from unreleased material. Upon his release, the album was re-recorded from scratch with producers like Kanye West and Noah "40" Shebib. After multiple postponements in 2011 to perfect the sound, it finally released on August 29, 2011.

Artistic Shifts and Collaborative Depth

The album largely contains more introspective subject matter compared to predecessors, exploring morbid lyrical content and downtempo production. It features appearances from a diverse roster including Cory Gunz, Drake, T-Pain, Tech N9ne, André 3000, Rick Ross, John Legend, Bruno Mars, Birdman, Kevin Rudolf, Jadakiss, Bun B, Nas, Shyne, and Busta Rhymes. The lead single "6 Foot 7 Foot" featured Cory Gunz and peaked at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100, with a video directed by Hype Williams inspired by Inception. "John," featuring Rick Ross, debuted at twenty-two on the Hot 100. "How to Love" became the best-performing single, peaking at number five.

Commercial Triumph Amidst Critical Division

Following a heavily delayed release, Tha Carter IV was released digitally on August 28, 2011, and physically on August 29. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 964,000 copies, becoming Lil Wayne's third album to debut at number one. Despite these impressive numbers, the album received generally mixed reviews from music critics. They were divided on the production and Wayne's performances, often finding it a disappointment compared to his previous work. Robert Christgau noted its stunted sense of play, while others called it a "bad rap album." However, Rob Sheffield praised Wayne's unhinged delivery, and David Jeffries called it a solid, above-average hip-hop album. It received a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards.

Production Evolution and Unreleased Material

Recording sessions resumed at various locations involving producers such as Bangladesh, Detail, T-Minus, Noah "40" Shebib, Polow da Don, Jim Jonsin, Tha Bizness, Kane Beatz, Boi-1da, Willy Will, Streetrunner, Cool & Dre, Young Ladd, The Smeezingtons, and Kanye West. Several tracks were considered but removed or reworked; "Dear Anne (Stan Part 2)" was excluded because Wayne felt the verses were too old and originally planned for Tha Carter III. Swizz Beatz later released a new version on his Monster Mondays program. Prior to release, videos of Wayne recording "She Will" with Drake appeared online in August 2011, and T-Pain confirmed his song "How to Hate" was included.