Poll: Is Lil Wayne the greatest rapper alive?
Rapper Lil Wayne, who performed at Chaifetz Arena Thursday. Photo by New York Times
Rapper Lil Wayne, who had the biggest-selling CD of 2008, returns to Chaifetz Arena Thursday four months after his last appearance there, to further lay claim to being the greatest rapper alive.
Lil Wayne is one of a kind, that’s for sure, and he’s never been hotter. But the greatest rapper alive? What would Kanye West say?
Loading …Tickets for the 7 p.m. Thursday show at Chaifetz Arena are $37.75-$77.75 at MetroTix outlets.
Here are some recent reviews from Lil Wayne’s I Am Music tour, which also features T-Pain, Keyshia Cole, Gym Class Heroes, and Keri Hilson.
New York Times
“Everything was equally well organized, or perhaps equally disorganized: the song order, the song choice, when dancers appeared, what they would wear, what Wayne himself would wear, which songs would receive priority and which ones would be sped through, or skipped altogether…Lil Wayne’s main error was in mistaking his blockbuster for a masterpiece.”
Oakland Tribune
” ‘I am Music’ is, by far, the year’s most attractive hip-hop/R&B package tour. What is a little more startling is that, given all the talent on the bill, the show isn’t more enjoyable…Lil Wayne almost saved the show. First and foremost, he had a really cool stage design, perhaps the most innovative we’ve seen in 2008…(He) sounded pretty strong at times. Yet, his set list was questionable. He spent too much on his mixtape material and not enough time, especially in the middle of the concert, on his radio hits.”
Cleveland.com
“(Lil Wayne) did something few hip-hop artists have been able to pull off: namely, thoroughly entertain an entire arena…To his credit, Lil Wayne didn’t skimp on razzle-dazzle. His elaborate production included a light show to rival that of any rock concert. Platforms were raised and lowered to bring various combinations of backing musicians into the mix. The extravaganza also could’ve given the Trans-Siberian Orchestra a run for its money in the pyrotechnics department. The verbal fireworks were impressive, too.”
Hollywood Reporter
“While not possessed of the most mellifluous rap, (Lil Wayne) makes up for it with a charismatic and straightforward stage presence…If there is a weakness in Wayne’s arsenal, it is his vocal limitation, but it was masked by his immense lyrical capabilities. He reached deep on some notes, then easily soared into a rasp that would have made Tom Waits proud.”
Dallas Morning News
“Lil Wayne deftly demonstrated his ability to shift moods simply by altering the inflection of his unique, vivid voice. Alternately smooth as satin, syrupy and stoned or rougher than Tom Waits with bronchitis, Lil Wayne can spin out astonishing narratives, laced with profanity, bravado and plenty of theatricality and never failing to electrify a packed arena.”
Kevin C. Johnson has covered the St. Louis' music and nightlife scene for the past decade. 
How about Scarface or Devin the Dude. That’s talent.