Pitchfork

Hot damn. After untold numbers of mixtapes alluding to its existence, years and years of promises unkept and so many tentative release dates that came and went, Lil' Wayne's Tha Carter III will be released by Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown May 13.

Probably.

Sporting the recently Forkcasted, awfully divisive first single "Lollipop", the sixth LP from Weezy F. Baby is the first full-length studio release from the nevertheless hyperprolific MC since the December 2005 release of Tha Carter II.

What info we've got isn't real long on details-- no proper tracklist, alas-- but Billboard.com recently confirmed that Kanye West, Lil' Mama, Hurricane Chris, Corey Gunz, Jibbs, Shanell, Kidd Kidd and Mack Maine have all recorded guest verses for the album, and producers Swizz Beatz, Alchemist, Cool & Dre, Deezle and Jim Jonsin (who produced "Lollipop") contribute tracks. And if Birdman's not on there even for a second, I will eat my hat.

Wayne, who's not letting his January arrest slow him down one bit, pops up on Bun B's forthcoming II Trill LP, as well as on newcomer Tyga's upcoming album No Introduction, which Wayne will release on his own Young Money Ent. label in conjunction with Pete Wentz's Decaydance label. (Tyga also appears on Tha Carter III.)

He also has a few U.S. tour dates on the way, the next of which goes down over the weekend in Philly.

Wayne:

03-28 Philadelphia, PA - Liacouras Center
04-03 Flint, MI - Perani Arena and Event Center
04-04 Rochester, NY - Blue Cross Arena
04-05 Dayton, OH - Hara Arena
04-06 East Lansing, MI - Breslin Center
04-12 Mobile, AL - Mobile Civic Center Arena
04-20 Youngstown, OH - Chevrolet Center
04-26 Winston-Salem, NC - Joel Coliseum