The legacy of Lil' Wayne has undoubtedly been the most polarizing subject in hip-hop over the last few years.
Die-hard fans of Weezy F. Baby feel his claim to being the "Greatest Rapper Alive" is more than a simple hyperbole, while skeptics eagerly point out where he fails to live up to the hype surrounding him.
Wayne's next album, "Tha Carter III," which will be released to the public on Tuesday, won't make anyone on either side of the argument change their views.
This is the same Wayne we've become familiar with over the last few years, and you'll either love him or hate him when it's all said and done.
After the first installment of his "Tha Carter" series established him as a hip-hop icon, Wayne's new album showed how mortal he really is the minute the bass drops on the introductory song "3 Peat."
Although you wouldn't expect such work from the "Greatest Rapper Alive," the opening song does a remarkable job of showcasing Wayne's larger-than-life swagger, reminding naysayers that entertainment in rap is just as important as lyrical prowess.
With that said, Wayne is definitely a rap talent. Not everyone can come up with concepts like the song "Dr. Carter," which finds Weezy assuming the role of a physician weaning hip-hop off life support.
Furthermore, only a rapper of Wayne's caliber can adequately trade bars with certified legends like Jay-Z, something Wayne does effortlessly in the track "Mr. Carter."
"A Milli," which is a little more than a kick and snare accompanied by a vocal repeat of "A Milli," is brought to life by Wayne's eccentric rambling - that and, of course, the signature bassline.
Those examples, along with the Kanye West produced "Let the Beat Build" and surprisingly heartfelt "Tie My Hands Down," prove best that despite falling short of being hip-hop's undisputed champ, Wayne can still put together a solid album.
There's enough at the table for intellect-starved skeptics to digest and not feel like they wasted precious time.
"Tha Carter III" is nowhere near perfect, mind you. Duds like "La La," "Got Money," and "Phone Home" put into perspective that Wayne is as erratic as he is talented - the latter track has the out-of-his-mind Wayne now claiming he is an out-of-this-world Martian.
Although I'm a proponent of the style-over-substance philosophy when successfully executed, some of the tracks only get replay because of how comedically bad Wayne's punch lines are.
The hype surrounding "Tha Carter III" was bound to disappoint - it was too grandiose for Wayne to put out anything less than a consensus classic and break even.
Despite those miscalculations from the "Legion of Wayne," the rest of the skeptics would be surprised at how enjoyable the album really is.
Greatest rapper alive? Definitely not. Ditto for "Tha Carter III" with respect to being a classic.
However, as far as summer blockbusters go, the album achieves the goal of providing quality material Wayne fans and naysayers alike will find in their rotation throughout the year.