"Believe Me" ft. Drake- Lil Wayne

Depending on who you talk to, Lil Wayne saw his high-water mark come and go at one of at least five points in his 15-year career. There's Tha Carter II camp that argues the '05-effort placed Wayne at his "unequivocal high point." Others take Wayne's claim of "I'm the best rapper alive" on the DJ Drama-mixtape Dedication 2 as gospel. A fervent congregation (that I personally attend) continues to worship at the pill-popping, Harry and the Henderson's watching altar of Da Drought 3. Outfits like Rolling Stone posit that when Wayne was "phoning home" on the commercial smash Tha Carter III he had conquered the rap landscape and it was time for him to head back to Mars. Finally there's a loyal fan base for the decade-ending No Ceilings, which several of my friends hold membership in. Having no idea about Wayne "flying with the fishes," they were firmly convinced the beat-jacking tape was Weezy F. Baby at his most dazzlingly brilliant.

If you notice, none of those supposed pinnacles have occurred in this decade. While the 10's haven't been commercially disappointing for Wayne, they've been critically dismal. As Tha Carter IV broke iTunes download records, writer's like the Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot wrote the LP was held back by "repetitive subject matter." I Am Not A Human Being II was even more divisive; debuting at number 2 on the Billboard charts and receiving the worst Metacritic marks for a Weezy album since the abysmal Rebirth.

Though the eerily minimalist Boi-1da/Vinylz production "Believe Me" doesn't hit any of those previous high points, it's far from the valleys of Rebirth and engenders conversation about Wayne being "back." Mr. Carter and Drake tend to sound terrific together and "Believe Me" isn't any different. Tiptoeing over a beat ostensibly culled from The Conjuring's music box, Drizzy proclaims he's doing "One Direction numbers" and promises to put you "down quick" if you dare step to his big brother. Emboldened by his protégé’s support, Wayne's free to walk away with enough Dead Presidents to "leave a coffin vacant." Free-associating has long been his calling card, but he keeps it surprisingly restrained here. When he speaks of a "cold day in hell" the nightmare continues long after the track’s electronic twinkles die off. "Gone," he announces at the end. If Tha Carter V really is his final release, songs like "Believe Me" will make fans of any-era Wayne miss him all the more.

"Lookin Ass N****"- Nicki Minaj

Bring as many "whoas" as you want to this one, it won't be enough. "Lookin Ass N****" from the forthcoming Young Money comp Rise of an Empire is dynasty-building on its own accord. There's no cornball appearance courtesy of  Lil Wayne or heart-on-the-sleeve confessional from Drake to prop it up. 2 Chainz doesn't show and there's no infectious hook beamed in from outer-space. It's just Nicki Minaj rapping, unspooling from a tight coil one line at a time.

And rap she does. Detail's airy beat which constitutes a hiccuping vocal and trilling guitar gives Minaj plenty of room to stomp through in spiked heels. "Bunch of non-Mogul ass n****s" she chirps over a faded drum sound. No one can avoid her ire on this one. Rocking a borrowed gold chain? You have no game. Spending just to show off? You're gonna leave solo for the night. "Fake dope dealers be warned." If you pretend to be Scarface, when you can't afford a couch, you're going to get found out. Stop and stare at her butt; it'll be the last thing you do. Some of Minaj's "punchlines" here don't even rise above schoolyard taunting. That said they don't have to. They're delivered with such hyper-focus that they hit just as hard. Pretenders to the crown be warned, the queen is back.

"Lookin Ass N****" is slated to appear on the aforementioned Rise of an Empire, the sort of sequel to 2009's We Are Young Money. But it may also be appearing on Minaj's third LP The Pink Print, due out some time in 2014. And if you haven't seen the "male-gaze annihilating" video, right that wrong immediately.