Lil Wayne

On the conclusion to Wayne's Carter trilogy, clouds of incoherence give way to the occasional beams of lucidity. For the latter, nonsense transforms into catharsis, and Wayne sounds like a modern-day, word-drunk Screamin' Jay Hawkins, angry and defiant as he stares in the mirror. Other times, Wayne simply sounds drunk, sputtering limp jokes and railing against imaginary haters. The album's highs ("Mr. Carter," "Dr. Carter") are stunning, but they sink beneath generic pop-hop ("Ms. Officer") and mixtape material ("You Ain't Got Nottin'"). It's singular, but that's not always a compliment.