There’s been a lot of talk over the last year about just how nice of an emcee that Lil’ Wayne is becoming. It all began in 2005, when he stepped his game up with the release of The Carter 2, and really began to take form with DJ Drama’s Dedication 2 mix CD. With a heavy buzz surrounding the young emcee, what better time to release an album-in-between-albums, with Like Father Like Son? 

    Here, mic duties are split between the young emcee and his father-figure, Baby, and the scale is tipped unevenly, to say the least. Baby maintains his cool, intimidating hustler stature throughout the entire album – and he isn’t intolerable – but Weezy bests him every time. The album’s lead single, “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” is evident of this, as Wayne takes center stage, spitting battle rap braggadocio over TMIX’s ridiculous bounce. TMIX, in fact, handles the majority of the album’s production, lending a unified sound to the album, yet at times it gets a bit monotonous. 

    But despite the over polished and sometimes repetitive sound, the duo’s knack for solid song structure is what keeps this album an interesting listen, such as with the southern twang and bounce of songs like “Know What I’m Doin” (feat. Rick Ross and T-Pain) and “You Ain’t Know” (prod. Scott Storch). So even if back-to-back songs like “Get That Money” and “No More” are produced in the same key, sounding more-or-less interchangeable, whether it’s Weezy’s flow or TMIX’s beats, you still catch yourself hanging off every word, head nodding in perpetual motion.

     Lyrically, The central themes are here – drugs, money, guns – but it’s how Wayne puts it into words that make it dope. In addition, “1st Key” is a tribute to the “Criminal Minded” of southern rap songs, UGK’s “Pocket Full Of Stones”, which innovates by finding both Baby and Wanye building their verses around Pimp C’s classic, sampled vocals. “Ain’t Worried About Shit” packs a sparse beat, tailored made for Weezy’s clever double entendres. But the crown jewel of the album is “Army Gunz”, a solo cut that finds Wayne spitting some of his most ridiculous lyrics yet, flipping word pronunciations with ridiculous style – almost taunting emcees to come test him. “Okay I’m out, yeah / you niggaz done started it / ya ordered it / bullet find a home in ya arteries / pardon me / But them niggaz won’t touch not a part of me / bet on it /  Them niggaz belong in a sorority / ain’t that a bitch  / Burn they bodies up for the authorities / no evidence /  You gon’ stop fuckin’ wit’ them warriors / from New Orleans / And I really think that it’d be better if / I just hit ya block wit that baretta / and hop out and let her rip / Let her bang, let her bust / etcetera etcetera / You niggaz is scared of the southern part of America….” Got. Damn. 

     While this is easily Wayne’s shining moment on the album, truthfully it is filled with this type of wordplay and intricacy, proving that he is easily the nicest emcee in the southern region. But is he better than Jay-Z, as he claimed in Complex Magazine? That remains to be seen. Dedication 2 was a much better example of Weezy showing off his skill and dexterity, over a series of different beats, offering a glimpse of what a Lil’ Wayne solo record can and should sound like (provided if those beats had not already used by other rappers). If he does intend to make the leap onto people’s “top 5 dead or alive” lists, his next solo record will have to venture outside of this record’s TMIX beats, tapping the usual suspects of producers – at least to get the public’s attention. In essence, Like Father Like Son is a misleading title – as the student has definitely surpassed the teacher.