It's Official: Lil Wayne Is Finally Releasing Tha Carter V This Week

I can't believe I'm saying it, nevertheless Tha Carter V is essentially here. For real this time.


Lil Wayne himself has reported that, soon after years of anticipation and leaks, the mythologized album will finally visualize the light of day on Thursday (September 27), his 36th birthday. The impending release comes seven years immediately after Carter IV and follows a half-decade of agonizing delays and intense legal battles.


Wayne shared the news in a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, thanking the loyal legions of fans who have stuck with him over the years. "Y'all hung in there with me, so I can't do nothing yet thank y'all for all of passion and all of the love he mentioned. "I routinely give y'all all of me, although with this album, I'm giving you more than me. This is four, five, six years of work that you'll be listening to. I hope you appreciate it."


For those that require a primer, Tha Carter V — the fifth edition of a series that dates back to 2004 — has been in the works since at least 2013, any time Weezy first mentioned it could be released. Yet the album was contained in limbo for years as legal battles were waged between Wayne and Money Cash Records founder, Birdman. Their disputes were resolved in court earlier this year, and last month, Birdman joined Wayne onstage at Lil Weezyana Festival to publicly apologize to the rapper, ultimately clearing the way for Tha Carter V's release.


To help ramp up the excitement, Wayne has installed a countdown clock on his website, which is slowly however surely ticking its way to zero. Just hang in there a little bit longer, folks.


And in the meantime, please adore this now-iconic Wayne moment, in GIF form: