Jonah Weiner of "Blender" called it "a weird, gripping triumph". "Rolling Stone" writer Jody Rosen commended its themes and stated "This isn't a mixtape, it's a suite of songs, paced and sequenced for maximum impact." Jon Pareles of "The New York Times" commented that Wayne "has clearly worked to make "Tha Carter III" a statement of its own: one that moves beyond standard hip-hop boasting (though there's plenty of that) to thoughts that can be introspective or gleefully unhinged". "Pitchfork"s Ryan Dombal stated, "he distills the myriad metaphors, convulsing flows, and vein-splitting emotions into a commercially gratifying package". In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau noted that "every track attends to detail" and quipped, "From the start you know this is no mixtape because it's clearer and more forceful." "Uncut" stated that "the prince of hip-hop gets a blessing from the king." Mosi Reeves of "Paste" gave it a favorable review and noted that the album "hearkens to when rap meant "rapp": Isaac Hayes talking for days about some girl he broke with, or Bobby Womack signifying while strumming a blues guitar." Nathan Rabin of "The A.V. Club" called Lil Wayne "the man of the moment, but the disc's best moments strive for timelessness and attain it."