Tha Carter III is the sixth
studio album by American rapper
Lil Wayne, released on June 10, 2008, by
Cash Money and
Universal Motown. It follows a long string of mixtape releases and guest appearances on other hip hop and R&B artists records, helping to increase his exposure in the mainstream. The album's cover art features a baby picture of Wayne and is similar to covers of hip hop albums such as
Nas's
Illmatic (1994) and
Notorious B.I.G.'s
Ready to Die (1994). Amid release delays and
leaks,
Tha Carter III became one of the most anticipated releases of 2008.