Review of The Carter (2009) by Greg R — 21 Nov 2009

Whatever your preconceived notions of rap superstar Lil Wayne are, viewers of Adam Bhala Lough's documentary "The Carter" are bound to be shocked. Being an avid listener of the work of Lil Wayne, it was a treat to watch him record in his hotel rooms while smoking weed and drinking the infamous "sizzurp," a cough syrup with codeine. This was an artist at work; however, as the documentary moves on, the you start to perceive that drinking "the syrup" is not a fun hobby that is beneficial to Waynes' creative flow. It is simply an addiction that parallels heroin and completely detrimental to many aspects of his life. His childhood friend and manager, Cortez Bryant, can no longer ride on the tour bus because he can't stand seeing Wayne destroy himself with the syrup.

I must admit to being disappointed by this documentary, because it is more of a public service announcement than it is a delving into the life of a rap icon. The first ten minutes of the film (which were released on youtube as a promo) gave the impression that the method of dissecting the life of Mr. Dwayne Carter would be through interviews that correlate to his lyrics. An especially effective scene is the use of lil Waynes' song LaLa to describe his tough early life on the streets of Hollygrove, New Orleans. However, director Adam Bhala Lough seems to abandon this method as the film progresses. Switching to a darker style that makes Lil Wayne appear to be almost inhuman at times, hopelessly trapped in his drug use.

It must be noted that Wayne does not support the release of the film. He appears a man who will never cry for help himself, but this documentary seems to be doing it on his behalf. Although his lifestyle appears reckless, this is a biased film, only highlighting the most extreme parts of his world. Instead of seeing a Dwayne Carter who is a lyrical genius and self proclaimed voice of a generation, we see a miserable, mumbling, drug addict. If this is truly the case, and lil Wayne is actually this decimated by his choices, than maybe it is time for some rehab. The carter is worth seeing if you are an avid fan or even curious about lil Wayne. The actually quality of the documentary however, is poor at times, and the bias is unhidden.