In Brief

*** Lil’ Wayne, “Lights Out,” Cash Money/Universal. Although the New Orleans rapper spends much of his second album discussing his infatuation with the drug culture, it’s the reflective songs that make the collection shine. Wayne pays tribute to his mother’s strength on “Everything” and deals with being a teenage breadwinner on “Grown Man.” Producer Mannie Fresh keeps the album bouncy despite the often grim subject matter.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.