Tha Carter V dropped on Sept. 28, 2018 and promptly sent New Yorkers into spasmodic Harlem Shakes with the Swizz Beatz-produced “Uproar,” took falsetto Kenny near the top of the Hot 100 with “Mona Lisa,” and brought Nivea back on “Dope New Gospel.” Of course, a conversation about Tha Carter V isn’t complete if we’re just talking about the hits. This is a project that suffered four years of delays and dissolved one of hip-hop’s tightest bonds.
Lil Wayne was just 9 years old when he met his surrogate father and label boss Bryan “Birdman” Williams. You’ve probably heard what happened next: Juvenile’s “Cash Money Records taking over for the '99 & the 2000” was a legit prophecy, and the label became one of the most dominant of the 21st century. Lil Wayne became hip-hop’s most prolific superstar of the late aughts, before signing the following decade’s biggest superstars, Drake and Nicki Minaj. Lil Wayne and Birdman’s commercial peak came with 2008’s Tha Carter III, and unless there’s some big unforeseen change in music consumption on the way, that will likely be the last hip-hop album to earn over $1 million in pure album sales in its first week.
That unmatched success and their openly familial bond is what made their very public falling out over the delay of Tha Carter V so disheartening. On Jan. 13, 2015, Lil Wayne announced a $51 million lawsuit against Cash Money. The following three years would include a bus shooting, mid-concert “fuck Cash Money” disses, we’re-cool-but-not-really public hugs, and desperate tweets hinting at retirement.
So when we victoriously Harlem Shake in unison, it’s because it has been a long road. Take a look back at it with this comprehensive timeline of Lil Wayne’s beef with Birdman and his now former label.
Tha Carter V dropped on Sept. 28, 2018 and promptly sent New Yorkers into spasmodic Harlem Shakes with the Swizz Beatz-produced “Uproar,” took falsetto Kenny near the top of the Hot 100 with “Mona Lisa,” and brought Nivea back on “Dope New Gospel.” Of course, a conversation about Tha Carter V isn’t complete if we’re just talking about the hits. This is a project that suffered four years of delays and dissolved one of hip-hop’s tightest bonds.
Lil Wayne was just 9 years old when he met his surrogate father and label boss Bryan “Birdman” Williams. You’ve probably heard what happened next: Juvenile’s “Cash Money Records taking over for the '99 & the 2000” was a legit prophecy, and the label became one of the most dominant of the 21st century. Lil Wayne became hip-hop’s most prolific superstar of the late aughts, before signing the following decade’s biggest superstars, Drake and Nicki Minaj. Lil Wayne and Birdman’s commercial peak came with 2008’s Tha Carter III, and unless there’s some big unforeseen change in music consumption on the way, that will likely be the last hip-hop album to earn over $1 million in pure album sales in its first week.
That unmatched success and their openly familial bond is what made their very public falling out over the delay of Tha Carter V so disheartening. On Jan. 13, 2015, Lil Wayne announced a $51 million lawsuit against Cash Money. The following three years would include a bus shooting, mid-concert “fuck Cash Money” disses, we’re-cool-but-not-really public hugs, and desperate tweets hinting at retirement.
So when we victoriously Harlem Shake in unison, it’s because it has been a long road. Take a look back at it with this comprehensive timeline of Lil Wayne’s beef with Birdman and his now former label.
Dec. 4, 2014: Lil Wayne calls out Birdman over 'Tha Carter V' delay.
The first cracks in the foundation appear after Lil Wayne expresses his frustration with his long-time label Cash Money Records on Twitter. At this point, his album Tha Carter V is slated to drop on Dec. 9, but Wayne claims Birdman has forced him to delay the project again. (It had been delayed previously, as had been the case for other projects in his career.) "I want off this label and nothing to do with these people but unfortunately it ain't that easy," he writes. "I am a prisoner and so is my creativity."
Dec. 5, 2014: Wayne's manager Cortez Bryant claims everything is good between the parties.
Despite the harsh words from Wayne the day prior, his manager Cortez Bryant tells TMZ that everything is good between Birdman and Wayne. "I'm smiling, what are you talking about? I wouldn't be out in the club right now," he says.
Dec. 6, 2014: Lil Wayne tells concert crowd "I'm f***ed up in a bad situation, but I will be out of it soon."
Wayne sounds very unhappy with his label situation at Vice's 20th anniversary party in Brooklyn, where he's one of many musical guests. He tells the crowd that he's "fucked up in a bad situation, but I will be out of it soon."
Dec. 12, 2014: Mack Maine claims 'Tha Carter V' is definitely coming out soon.
New Orleans rapper and president of the Cash Money imprint Young Money, Mack Maine sits down with Miami's 99 Jamz to discuss the label drama, saying Tha Carter V will be coming out in the first quarter of 2015. He also gives his thoughts on the fight: "I wouldn't pinpoint anyone personally. That's my uncle and my brother that you're talking about. I got an optimistic, positive vibe about everything. It's just some business that's gon' need to be handled. Once that's handled we're going to keep moving. And it's getting handled as we speak. Everybody has their breaking point. I support Wayne 1,000 percent. I feel like this matter will get resolved. Period. If I'm still around it'll be resolved."
Jan. 13, 2015: Cortez Bryant slams Cash Money, saying Lil Wayne put the label on his back.
With tensions coming to a head, Cortez Bryant posts a lengthy message to Instagram slamming Cash Money and arguing that Wayne had put the label on his back for too long. "Wayne carried Cash Money on his back for over 10 years when he could have left and did this on his own," Bryant writes. "The most loyal person I know on earth! He don’t deserve the shit he’s going through at this point in the game. Lil Wayne built Young Money from his dreams to reality. Launched the careers of Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Tyga not from their talent but from the belief in what he saw."
Jan. 25, 2015: Lil Wayne announces $51 million lawsuit against Cash Money.
Wayne files a $51 million lawsuit against Cash Money. He claims that Birdman is violating the terms of his contract by withholding Tha Carter V. The lawsuit, which Wayne is still pursuing to this day, seeks to end his contract with Cash Money and take all of his Young Money signees with him, most notably Drake and Nicki Minaj.
Feb. 19, 2015: Wayne says he and Birdman are not on speaking terms in 'Rolling Stone' interview.
Although he's reluctant to discuss his legal issues, Wayne tells Rolling Stone that he's not on speaking terms with Birdman. He also gives an update on Tha Carter V, saying "It's super-done. Cake baked, icing on top, name on top, candles lit. I would have released it yesterday if I could. But it's a dead subject right now. It's a jewel in the safe. It's that stash-house money."
March 14, 2015: Lil Wayne disses Birdman in Young Money's "Up Next" cypher.
"Young motherfucking Money/These my motherfucking brothers not my fucking hubbies," he raps. "And sang 'Hit Em Up' to my daddy's bitch ass."
April 2, 2015: Wayne yells "F*** Cash Money" on stage in Jacksonville, Florida.
April 7, 2015: Rumors surface that Wayne is dropping his lawsuit.
Some outlets report that Wayne is dropping his lawsuit against Cash Money, but as it turns out, he's just moved it to New Orleans from its original filing in New York City. "The claims previously asserted by Lil Wayne and Young Money LLC against Cash Money for substantial monies owed and breach of fiduciary duty have not been settled and will be prosecuted in Louisiana as expeditiously as possible," says his representative.
April 26, 2015: Shots fired at Lil Wayne's tour bus in Atlanta.
Lil Wayne's tour bus is shot at as it pulls away from a performance at the Compound nightclub in Atlanta. Wayne and Young Money artists Lil Twist and Hood are on board but no one is injured. Police do not immediately identify a suspect.
May 26, 2015: Wayne disses Cash Money on his verse on A$AP Rocky's "M$."
"I love my BMs/I love my YM/Ain't no more CM/Let's pluck out the stems," he raps, fueling further the perception that he's permanently done with Cash Money.
May 29, 2015: Young Thug affiliate Peewee Roscoe arrested for shooting up Lil Wayne's tour bus.
Atlanta's Jimmy Winfrey, better known to the world as the rapper Peewee Roscoe, is arrested in connection with the shooting of Lil Wayne's tour bus. Wayne and Birdman's beef was concerning at first, but this brings things to another level. Wayne is currently embroiled in an on-again off-again beef with rising Atlanta rapper Young Thug, who is working with Birdman on his Rich Gang project. Thug drew some anger for trying to name his project Carter 6, although he claimed it was simply in homage of his idol Lil Wayne. The Thug-Roscoe connection draws much suspicion, especially considering Roscoe had recently appeared in Thug's "Halftime" video; he's holding an assault rifle. The indictment claims that Roscoe "carried out" Thug's threats of violence.
June 8, 2015: Wayne signs with global royalties company Kolbalt Neighboring Rights.
Although he makes no public announcement, Lil Wayne signs on with Kolbalt Neighboring Rights. The company helps artists pursue their royalty payments around the globe. "Kobalt’s powerful tracking system compares collection against detailed in-house expectations to ensure all income is correctly accounted," says its website. "Kobalt develops these detailed expectations from 3rd party performance data, Territory expectations from Kobalt’s pre-distribution health check, as well as from the client’s income data. Combining these three data sources allows us to monitor collection and ensures all income is received."
June 14, 2015: Lil Wayne signs streaming deal with Tidal.
Lil Wayne announces onstage that he had signed a deal with his "motherfucking idol" Jay Z. Although rumors gather that he's entered into a label or distribution deal with Jay's Roc Nation, it turns out to be a streaming deal with Tidal for the upcoming Free Weezy album. Wayne also becomes the latest artist-owner of the streaming service, joining the likes of Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Usher, Alicia Keys, and more.
June 22, 2015: Wayne tries to oust Birdman from Young Money, saying he's fearful Drake and Nicki Minaj will leave.
New legal documents surface that indicate Lil Wayne is trying to oust Birdman from any involvement in Young Money. Wayne claims Birdman has constantly stiffed his artists on their royalties, so much so that he is fearful that his biggest stars—Drake and Nicki Minaj—will walk away from the label altogether, when their contracts allow them. Birdman's Cash Money owns 51% of Young Money. The rest is held by Lil Wayne.
July 4, 2015: Lil Wayne releases his 'Free Weezy' album via Tidal.
Originally announced back in February 2015 and referenced heavily by Lil Wayne since, his Free Weezy album becomes available on Tidal. The 15-track album features appearances from Wiz Khalifa, Young Jeezy, Cory Gunz, and more. “Rest in peace to the Cash Money Weezy, gone but not forgotten," he declares on "He's Dead." The album receives mixed critical reviews, but racks up over 10 million streams in its first week of availability.
July 12, 2015: Birdman throws a drink on Lil Wayne during a Miami club performance.
Lil Wayne is pelted with drinks and water bottles from the VIP section during his performance at Club LIV in Miami. Reports claim that the drinks came from Birdman and his entourage.
July 15, 2015: Indictment claims Birdman and Young Thug conspired to kill Lil Wayne in tour bus shooting.
In perhaps the craziest moment of the beef thus far, an indictment from Cobb County, Georgia claims that Birdman and Young Thug conspired with Peewee Roscoe to kill Lil Wayne in his April tour bus shooting. Although neither are formally charged, the indictment highlights a connection between Roscoe, Thug, and Birdman, including Roscoe's appearance in Young Thug's "Halftime" video. Roscoe's phone records show that he was in contact with Birdman and Young Thug directly before and after the shooting.
July 16, 2015: Birdman sues Jay Z and Tidal for $50 million for streaming 'Free Weezy.'
Just one day after the explosive indictment connecting him to the attempted murder of Lil Wayne, Birdman brings a $50 million lawsuit against Jay Z and Tidal for streaming Wayne's Free Weezy album exclusively. He claims Cash Money still holds exclusive rights to all of Lil Wayne's music and that the Tidal stream is illegal. The lawsuit points to a portion of Wayne's disputed Cash Money contract which stipulates that he has no right to license his music.
July 28, 2015: Birdman denies being involved in tour bus shooting, says Lil Wayne means the world to him.
Veteran hip-hop journalist and radio personality Angie Martinez sits down with Birdman for a wide-ranging interview—his first since the drama with Lil Wayne began—and he speaks openly about the love he has for Wayne. "Wayne is my son no matter what. That ain't never gonna change," Birdman says. He vehemently denies having anything to do with Peewee Roscoe shooting up Wayne's tour bus, saying "that's the craziest shit I ever heard in my life."
The interview turns out to be fairly confusing, as he sidesteps a number of questions about Wayne's contract dispute and denies being involved in his own lawsuit against Tidal. Outside of Wayne, Birdman also claims that Drake and Nicki Minaj are very happy with their current contracts and would stay with the label even if Wayne left. Martinez does her best to coax answers out of him, but Birdman repeatedly insists that Wayne is free to leave the label at any time and that he's not standing in the way.
Aug. 6, 2015: Peewee Roscoe blames Birdman for the tour bus shooting.
Court documents reveal that Peewee Roscoe claims the shooting of Lil Wayne's tour bus was the result of Wayne and Birdman's financial dispute. Roscoe insists that Birdman should be held partially responsible for the incident and was directly a party to the crime.
Nov. 20, 2015: Peewee Roscoe gets slapped with a 10-year prison sentence.
Despite trying to shift the blame onto Birdman and Young Thug, an Atlanta judge hits Peewee Roscoe with a 10-year prison sentence, followed by 10 years of probation. Roscoe pled guilty to 6 of the 27 counts against him, all of which were gang related. The previous indictment implication Birdman and Lil Wayne in the crime claimed that all the rappers were known members of the Bloods. Neither Birdman nor Young Thug are formally charged with a crime in the case.
Jan. 1, 2016: Birdman and Lil Wayne reunite at Drake's New Year's Eve party.
In the first signs of a potential reconciliation since the beef began over a year prior, both Wayne and Birdman are seen on Drake's Instagram at his New Year's Eve party. Later, reports emerge claiming that Mack Maine brokered a peace agreement between the two by setting up a two-hour phone call prior to Drake's party. Although Lil Wayne is not yet ready to drop his lawsuit, reports suggest that the two are finally willing to work together to squash the beef.
Jan. 18, 2016: Birdman and Lil Wayne appear onstage together in Miami.
Just a few months after his entourage threw drinks on Wayne at Miami's Club LIV, Birdman gives a speech onstage at the very same venue and says that he and Lil Wayne have squashed their beef. "Family never die," he says. "This my motherfucking son, and I'ma die for him, I'ma live for him, and I'll motherfucking kill for him. That ain't never changed. YMCMB for life."
Jan. 20, 2016: Birdman and Wayne hit the studio together.
It seems too good to be true, but it's starting to look like the beef is finally over. Birdman posts an Instagram of he and Wayne in the studio alongside Yo Gotti. Although Wayne still hasn't dropped the lawsuit, it seems like the two might reconcile their legal drama any day now.
March 28, 2016: Wayne files a $40 million lawsuit against Universal Music Group.
But maybe not. Lil Wayne files a $40 million lawsuit against Universal Music Group. Although the lawsuit is separate from his suit against Cash Money, UMG is Cash Money's parent company, and the lawsuit is seeking to reclaim some of the profits from the success of Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Tyga. Universal reportedly used most of Wayne's portion of the funds to pay down the debt Birdman had accrued giving out huge advances at Cash Money. Although Young Money is a subsidiary of Cash Money, Lil Wayne owns 49% of it directly, and this lawsuit is an attempt to reclaim that portion of the profits.
May 12, 2016: Wayne raps about Cash Money on 'Coloring Book.'
Chance the Rapper releases his third mixtape Coloring Book as an Apple Music exclusive on a Thursday evening in May. Lil Wayne delivers the last verse on the second song "No Problem," one of many on the tape that addresses label drama broadly and the importance of an artist's independence. Wayne raps, "Lord, free the Carter, niggas need the Carter." He doesn't mention Birdman or Cash Money explicitly, but finishes his verse with the following: "I just popped five Percocets and only caught a buzz/And if that label try to stop me/There gon' be some crazy Weezy fans waitin' in the lobby/Mula, baby."
May 23, 2016: Lil Wayne yells "F*** Cash Money" again during a show.
A full year-and-a-half after the beginning of their beef, Wayne is back to cursing out Cash Money during a performance. "Fuck the bullshit and fuck Cash Money," Wayne yells at Denver's 420 Rally. Reports surface afterwards claiming he and Birdman are still fighting over Tha Carter V, and that their attempt at reconciling the lawsuit has hit an impasse. All previous settlement talks have apparently been taken off the table, and as such, the entire thing is basically back where it started. At this point, it's anyone's guess whether or not the two parties will ever be able to overcome their differences and reach an agreeable settlement.
June 29, 2016: Birdman hints towards reconciliation during an interview with Big Boy.
During a Real 92.3 interview, Birdman talks about the root of the issues with Wayne and said although they're just not seeing eye-to-eye at the moment it's not like they're enemies. Birdman also mentions that he hasn't talked to Wayne in a month, but when stuff first popped off between them, they didn't speak for a whole year.
September 3, 2016: Lil Wayne hints at retirement in a series of tweets.
The rapper takes to Twitter with a series of tweets indicating that he’s feeling defeated and hinting that he was going to retire. Soon after, Rick Ross quotes a tweet about trying to get Weezy onto MMG. "Get Birdman on the phone," Ross wrote.
September 13, 2016: Wayne opens up about retirement tweets.
September 14, 2016: Lil Wayne refuses to let Birdman release ‘Tha Carter V.’
September 18, 2016: Lil Wayne accuses Birdman of taking over half of the $100 Million Young Money advance.
September 26, 2016: Judge sides with Lil Wayne on his accusation of Birdman.
A TMZ report claims the judge in Wayne and Birdman's lawsuit ordered Birdman to detail how exactly the $100 million advance was spent.
November 21, 2016: Birdman calls off negotiations with Lil Wayne.
Reports circulate that lawyers for each party were close to reaching an agreement, but Birdman allegedly called off the negotiations to settle their $51 million lawsuit after hearing about Weezy shouting out Roc-A-Fella instead of Cash Money during a Camp Flog Gnaw performance of "I'm Me.”
February 3, 2017: Birdman claims he's going to share 500 unreleased Cash Money songs for next 5 years.
Birdman takes to Twitter to share a photo featuring old tapes and containers purportedly filled with old Cash Money music. The tweets reads: "Wen I'm my VAULT today found thousand s of OLD CASHMONEY MUSIC I'm release 500 songs a year for next 5yrs Cashmoney collection legendary (sic).”
July 5, 2017: Lil Wayne accuses Cash Money and Universal of preventing him from getting money off Drake.
August 19, 2017: Lil Wayne Says He Can Release 'Tha Carter V' Whenever He Wants.
Despite his legal battle with Cash Money Records, Lil Wayne insists he has the power to release Tha Carter V whenever he feels like it. During a phone interview with Wild Wayne on New Orleans’s Q93 radio station, Wayne says about the project: “Of course you’re going to see Tha Carter V. I just don’t want to put it out the wrong way. Honestly, I can do what I want at any time. The fans deserve it to be right and that’s how it’s gonna be. I’m gonna make sure it’s right. I can drop whatever I want to drop. That’s why I keep dropping whatever I want to drop. But I’m not gonna give them Tha Carter V the wrong way.”
October 11, 2017: Birdman sends out an open threat to people saying he should pay Lil Wayne.
Birdman airs out his feelings on Instagram Live about opinions that he and Cash Money owes Wayne restitution. He says, “I be hearing all you n****s talking about this Lil Wayne shit. Lil Wayne this, Lil Wayne that. Bitch, Lil Wayne my son. I raised him. He ain’t have nothing. I brought him to be something and got something. Bitch, you don’t think I’m gonna make sure he straight? Suck a n***a dick, bitch. I'ma show all you pussy ass niggas that ever got in my business.”
Feb. 22, 2018: Birdman says ‘Tha Carter V’ will be out by the end of the year.
It’s been nearly four years of waiting and fussing, but Birdman promises Weezy’s long-delayed project will see the light of day soon. “Without a doubt. You will get [the album] this year,” he tells Rap-Up. “It’s gonna be well worth the wait.” He also promises that Tha Carter V will be “the biggest album of 2018.” That pits it up against a pretty stacked year, from Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy, Drake’s Scorpion, Nicki Minaj’s Queen, and Post Malone’s Beerbongs & Bentley just to name a few.
March 5, 2018: Lil Wayne maybe disses Birdman again on “Vizine.”
Birdman had reportedly been struggling financially by the end of last year. The Blast reported that Birdman could lose his mansion over a $12 million unpaid loan. Rival boss Rick Ross dissed him about it on Snapchat, and allegedly, Lil Wayne alluded to it through song. "No one man should have all that power if he can't afford to pay the light bills," he raps on “Vizine,” a single off lifestyle brand Ethika’s RGB mixtape.
March 12, 2018: Lil Wayne and Birdman hug it out.
The two former collaborators appear to reconcile at their beloved Club LIV. The welcomed sight inspires cautious optimism: throughout the beef, they’ve appeared friendly in public only to once more become hostile.
March 26, 2018: Birdman’s Instagram shows he’s on good terms with Weezy.
Birdman shares a photo of him hanging out with his former mentee. “Me and my SON,” the caption reads. Birdman doesn’t mention a Carter V release date.
March 28, 2018: Lil Wayne and Birdman’s negotiations reportedly get heated once more.
The reconciliatory period doesn’t last too long. The Blast reports that talks between the Cash Money mates again get heated as the court orders the label to hand over documents regarding the $51 million lawsuit. Sources say that after the suit is over, "There will be no connection, no ties, and no business relationship." The end of YMCMB is here.
April 2, 2018: Birdman says lawsuit is “affecting our kids.”
At this point, Birdman has mostly parried questions about his strained relationship with Wayne during interviews. His talk with Beats 1’s Ebro offers a bit more transparency.
"We got to get this shit together, because it's affecting our kids. That's not cool with me, at all. His daughter is my godchild, I love her to death," Birdman says of his damaged relationship with Weezy. "But guess what: they all talk. He talk to my children all the time, it's just a weird relationship."
June 7, 2018: Lil Wayne and Birdman finally reach a settlement.
After three years, the $51 million lawsuit is finally over. The parties involved are tight-lipped about the specifics (The Blast reported Lil Wayne walked away with $10 million, a figure Karen Civil has disputed), but Wayne’s attorney Ron Sweeney says in a statement that, “[Lil Wayne] is his own man, a man that owns his assets, his music and himself. At some point, Wayne will let his fans know what’s going to happen next.” In other words, it appears he’s finally in control of his destiny.
June 29, 2018: Conviction overturned for Lil Wayne’s bus shooting.
The Georgia Supreme Court rules that Judge Mary Staley Clark “overstepped her bounds” in the case of the bus shooting. Earlier in February, Peewee Roscoe filed an appeal alleging that the judge told him he’d be receiving a harsher sentence unless he accepted a plea deal. The conviction gets overturned, but Peewee is still held in custody as the case goes back to court.
Aug. 19, 2018: Cash Money sues Cortez Bryant for allegedly siphoning Drake’s profits.
Although the main legal battle is over, Lil Wayne’s manager Cortez Bryant finds himself in a fight with his former label. Bryant and Aspire Music Group sued Cash Money and University Music Group for one-third of Drake’s royalties in 2017, arguing that they discovered Drake and were entitled to royalties from his six albums. Cash Money countersues about a year later in August, calling AMG a shell company used to grab more of Drake’s profits. Though the suit says Lil Wayne himself is involved in the scheme, he isn’t officially listed in the suit.
Aug. 26, 2018: Birdman apologizes to Lil Wayne.
The Lil’ Weezyana Fest ends with a welcomed surprise: Birdman pops up to apologize to his boy on-stage. “It feels amazing to be home fucking with my son, I love that nigga to death,” he says to the New Orleans audience. “I don’t know what y’all know, but I know what the fuck I know and I know how I feel about what I know. I knew this day was gon’ come, but I ain’t know when it was gon’ come.” Pals again, the two perform Big Tymers’ classic “Still Fly.”
With a lawsuit behind him and an album to drop, Lil Wayne speaks with Billboard about the aftermath of fighting Birdman in the biggest battle of his career. It turns out things have been pretty chill between them: The story says they’re back to talking every day, “usually about the Red Sox.”
Sept. 8, 2018: ‘Tha Carter V’ gets a rumored release date.
The hype train has a false start thanks, in part, to a Floyd Mayweather tweet. Rap-Up reports that the boxer Instagrammed a photo with the signature red “V” and the caption “#21,” which made some folks believe that he was hinting at a Sept. 21 release date for C5. There’s no confirmation from Lil Wayne himself, but there also isn’t an outright denial, so fans run with it.
Sept. 25, 2018: Lil Wayne announces ‘Tha Carter V’ will drop on his birthday.
After the rumored release date is proven false, Lil Wayne reveals Tha Carter V will finally drop on his birthday. And if you don’t know when his birthday is, he instructs you to “Wiki me bish.” (It’s Sept. 28.)
Sept. 28, 2018: It finally arrives.
Tha Carter V finally arrives with a couple of years-old tracks, and an Ashanti feature. It’s Lil Wayne’s first album not to be released under the Cash Money label.
It’s also a hit. Tha Carter V pushes 480,000 equivalent album units its first week and earns the second-largest streaming week for an album. Twenty-two tracks debut on the Hot 100 and four—”Uproar,” “Mona Lisa” featuring Kendrick Lamar, "Don't Cry" with XXXTentacion, and “Let It Fly” starring Travis Scott—simultaneously hit the top 10, the most for an artist since Drake. Weezy season has arrived.