You wanna crown him? Crown him

Before 2004, the biggest contribution Lil' Wayne made to rap music was the phrase "Drop it like it's hot." \nWhile the 25-year-old has been rapping for more than a decade, over the past three years he has acquired a depth in the knowledge and style of his lyrics that is so fresh and innovative, it can fairly be compared to Rakim, Nas or Jay-Z in their primes. To showcase the full breadth of his skills since reaching this level, Wayne has released an incredible amount of mixed tapes. Da Drought 3, his first major mixed tape release since last fall's Lil' Weezyana, collects some of Wayne's best cuts since then and adds several more. This double-disc effort shows Wayne flexing his skills over instrumental versions of some of the most popular songs today, including hits by Rich Boy, Mike Jones, T.I., Mims, Swizz Beatz and even Gnarls Barkley. He takes on all of these beats with consistent ferocity, embarrassing the original owners in the process. \nRapping over "It's Me, Bitchez," Wayne plays with the opening verse of the original and raps "Chillin in the Phantom, listenin' to Opera, gun is my Bodyguard, call it Kevin Costner." He also manages to name-check George Gervin, Buffalo Bill, Emmett Till, Johnny Gill, Jayson Williams, Erik Dampier and Bill Laimbeer in the song without losing focus.\nThe highlight of Drought is "Put Some Keys On That," where he spits intricate verses over the "Throw Some D's" beat, rich with references, metaphors and wordplay. As far as rapping about money goes, "I'm a vegetarian, I only eat beats (beets), wear a lot of carats (carrots), and I smoke the best green" is unparalleled among today's MCs who are complacent just to say they have rims or a fancy chain. \nIf this isn't enough, Wayne is able to rap from a socially aware standpoint as well, frequently discussing life in his hometown, New Orleans, post-Hurricane Katrina and the government's response to the tragedy. In "Ride 4 My Niggas," Wayne proudly asserts "the majority of my city is violent, they tryin' to make a brand new map without us, but the tourists come down and spend too many dollars, and no matter how you change it, it will still be ours." \nThe album spans nearly 30 tracks, and at least five of them fall flat and do not warrant repeat listening. The 10-minute "Outro" is completely pointless except where he tells listeners he hopes they got the album for free. Despite these setbacks, this is some of the wildest, freshest, funniest and toughest rap out today. Lil' Wayne is clearly ready to take the "Greatest Rapper Alive" throne that he already claims ownership over. Any fans of rap who don't listen to this album are doing themselves a disservice, equivalent to being a basketball fan but refusing to watch Jordan in his prime.