If you’re a fan of hip-hop music, you have probably been hearing about Lil Wayne’s most recent album, Tha Carter V. In fact, you might have been hearing about it for the last six years.

In July of 2012, Lil Wayne said that Tha Carter V would be released in 2013. After nothing was dropped that year, Wayne continued to announce release dates that never materialized: May 5, 2014, Oct. 28, 2014, and Dec. 9, 2015.

Five days before the expected December 2015 release date, Lil Wayne announced that he would not be dropping the album. Since he was signed to the label Cash Money, he was under Birdman’s control, who is the head of the label; Birdman did not let him release his album.

Conflicts continued with his label for years as Lil Wayne dissed Birdman and Cash Money in several songs such as “M$” by A$AP Rock and “No Problems” by Chance the Rapper. The conflict eventually escalated to Lil Wayne suing Cash Money for $51 million.

“I am a prisoner and so is my creativity,” he said on Twitter. “I want off this label and nothing to do with these people but unfortunately it ain’t that easy.” 

It is almost six years later, and fans are finally able to listen to Tha Carter V. The long-awaited album does not disappoint. The album dropped on Sept. 28 at 12:00am, on Lil Wayne’s birthday. Wayne was able to lock down features from many top-shelf artists including Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, and the recently-deceased rapper XXXTENTACION.

The album opens up with “I Love You Dwayne,” which is a monologue from Wayne’s mother, where she talks about how much she loves him and how she is extremely proud of his accomplishments in life.

The music then begins on “Don’t Cry,” where XXXTENTACION’s emotional singing matches with Wayne’s calm flow to create a soothing vibe. Wayne then talks about his large influence on the culture of rap music in “Dedicate,” before rapping on a heavy, Swizz Beatz-produced instrumental in one of the album’s most popular songs, “Uproar.”

Wayne experiments with many different types of flows on this album, as he sings a slow, emotional song with Nicki Minaj on “Dark Side of the Moon” and raps quickly and aggressively on “Used 2.”

Perhaps one of the most notable songs on the album is “Mona Lisa,” where Lil Wayne and Kendrick Lamar are both able to tell stories with their long, lyrical verses over a piano-influenced beat.

The album closes with a slower, inspirational song called “Let It All Work Out,” where Wayne talks about how whatever you are going through in life, it will all work out. He also recounts his past life and how he almost died, but was able to persevere and become successful. He raps over a smooth beat that contains a sample from the singer Sampha.

Totaling at 23 songs, Tha Carter V contains an evolved Lil Wayne who is still able to make hit songs, while also sending messages through his well-crafted lyrics. Each song is unique and contains incredibly clever wordplay. Tha Carter V is a must-listen, and can very well be a contender for one of the best rap albums of 2018.