Lights Out [PA]

Performer: Lil Wayne
Artist: Hot Boys; B.G.; Big Tymers; Unplugged; Big Tymers & Unplugged
Engineer: Mannie Fresh; Ray Seay
Producer: Mannie Fresh
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Lil' Wayne (rap vocals); Juvenile, B.G., Turk, Big Tymers, Unplugged, Hot Boys (rap vocals); Mannie Fresh (keyboards); Rick "The Man" (bass). Personnel includes: Lil' Wayne (rap vocals); Mannie Fresh (keyboards); Rick "The Man" (bass); Juvenile, B.G., Turk, Big Tymers, Unplugged. Lil Wayne may still be a youngster on his second album, Lights Out, but he shows substantial growth, dropping serious lyrics over some of Mannie Fresh's wildest production to date. More than anything, the serious tone and the wild beats come as somewhat of a surprise. Up until this point, the Cash Money camp had churned out a staggering number of releases during the late '90s. These releases were anything but serious or wild, instead prototypically Dirty South with their big, bass-heavy bounce beats and brash, bling-bling boastful banter. Lights Out retains plenty of this but is notably ambitious. Wayne is out to prove himself as more than a teen phenomenon, showcasing a socially conscious side largely absent on his debut, and Fresh is out to prove himself as a versatile producer, crafting a sonically adventurous sound denser than his past work. This ambition is somewhat fascinating, particularly for anyone who has followed Cash Money's evolution to here; however, it's also a bit overreaching. Wayne is deep on heartfelt songs like "Everything" and "Grown Man," and he is street-smart on insightful songs like "Lil One" and "Get off the Corner." He's much more effective, though, when he lightens up his lyrics and has fun, as on "Shine," "Let's Go," and "Hit U Up," three album highlights. Similarly, Mannie Fresh misfires here and there on Lights Out, like on the oddly bluesy "Fuck Wit Me Now" but, for the most part, has never been more creative. His stuttering beats on "Tha Blues" are breathtaking, as are the Eastern-style ones on "Hit U Up," and the album-opener, "Get off the Corner," sounds absolutely massive. The only problem with all of these is that you have to find them among the whopping 19 songs on Lights Out, making it somewhat of a frustrating album despite its several highlights. ~ Jason Birchmeier

Rolling Stone (2/01/01, pp.54,56) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...Mannie Fresh is at the board...and the beats here are staccato and jittery, suited to Wayne's precariously controlled persona. The rapper spits propulsive high-speed rhymes..." Vibe (2/01, p.135) - 3.5 discs out of 5 - "...Its N.W.A meets Mannie Fresh style wins, and Wayne emerges as the most active street hustler riding in the iced-out CMR machine..."

Along with fellow Cash Money Click labelmate Juvenile, Lil Wayne is one of the most important MCs in the unfairly overlooked early 21st-century New Orleans rap scene. Blunt ghetto narratives about the hustler's life and woozy nearly psychedelic free associations fill Wayne's albums, but it's his allegiance to his home town that makes him a unique and forceful presence in hip-hop, and an important reminder that there is more to the Big Easy than Fats Domino and Dr. John.

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