Everything must come to an end and all things must conclude. Lil Wayne’s popular mixtape series, The Drought, is no exception to that. The fifth and final mixtape in the series “The Drought Is Over (Grand Closing)” however doesn’t end the series on a bang, but more of a soft whimper.
The main suspects make their entrances here. The radio / strip club friendly “Lollipop” still maintains its hedonistic feel. Wayne also delivers another club single titled “Milli” with an intro. The booming bass should do well behind a powerful sound system.
The mixtape cuts are a mix of interesting to mediocre. The jumping “I” showcases Wayne verbally running over production based on a Temptations’ classic. The rather short “I’m Cool” featuring Bun B, flosses a bottom heavy sound that makes it feel custom made for the car system. The posse cut “I’m Certified” with Akon, Glasses Malone, Bun B is backed by big synthesizers with Akon Crooning over the hook.
The rest of the tracks are pretty much average Wayne, and depending on your perspective that may be for better or worse. The same hustle first, shoot second, and ask questions later mantra still wraps itself around most of the songs across the tape. Also, the ending, Wale’s “Nike Boots” makes an appearance here with Wayne’s verse, but oddly enough, it appears in its radio edited form, which is a bit of a head scratcher.
Not horribly done, but one could think that The Empire could finish the job with more of a crash. With so much material of Wayne being available for public consumption The Empire, with their experience of putting together mixtapes may have been able to do a better job of making fans anticipate The Carter III that much more. However, for Wayne heads who need just that much more of a fix until the main entrée arrives, this will do.
Lil Wayne
“We Hustle”
Lil Wayne
“I”