Lil Wayne

Dedication 3
Gangsta Grillz
ESSENTIAL "Stuntin' "

Five months after the huge success of his album "Tha Carter III," rapper Lil Wayne has just released a new mixtape, available for free online (Google it). There are 24 songs on this album, with scattershot appearances from fellow Young Money label mates Tyga, Jae Millz, et al. Wayne's mostly here for decoration and credibility; otherwise, he could care less. He's rich, which he spends a lot of time talking about along with campaigning for Young Money, apologizing to mixtape DJs now that he's back on the mixtape circuit, and explaining why he's different from you (mostly because you love him and he hates you). He cobbles together dull verses and overdoses on the voice-altering Auto-Tune, and the only moment that manages to pique any interest is hearing him get outrapped by Aubrey Graham, the kid from the Nickelodeon show "Degrassi: The Next Generation." His rap name is Drake, and on "Stuntin' " (over the beat from David Banner's "Get Like Me"), it's amazing how much he sounds like Wayne back when Wayne was actually good. It's just sad that on an album where the title is supposed to say everything, its star couldn't seem more uninspired. (Out now) JULIAN BENBOW