Lil Wayne Reveals the Release Date for ‘Tha Carter VI’

Lil Wayne dropped his special announcement today: Tha Carter VI is coming on June 6. Today he dropped an extended Cetaphil ad entitled, “We’re All a Lil Sensitive,” playing off his disappointment with not being selected as the Super Bowl LIX performer. After speaking with Kendrick Lamar, who was chosen, and clearing the air, it seems like he’s ready to have fun with the moment — and move on with his next album. 

The ad, co-starring noted dermatologist Dr. Muneed Shah, shows a Cetaphil-wielding Wayne humorously coming to aid people in sensitive moments, including someone being left with a hefty bar tab and a dad noticing a condom in the wallet of his daughter’s male friend. There are multiple cues to 6-6-25 in the ad, including on basketball and football jerseys, a basketball scoreboard, and most overtly, a sign on a door that reads, “Do Not Disturb Til’ 06-06-25 CARTER VI.” Many ad viewers speculated that the final scene is an album date reveal, which a Republic Records source confirmed to Rolling Stone, also providing a pre-order link.

The rap icon has said he won’t be in New Orleans on Sunday, but he’ll still be on television in The Boot. The Cetaphil spot will run exclusively in New Orleans on Super Bowl Sunday, in some ways giving him the special connection he sought with his hometown.

“What attracted me to this project was the chance to flip the script,” Wayne says about the ad. “Showing a sensitive side isn’t a weakness—it’s a power. There’s nothing more real than turning those types of moments into a display of strength.” He added, “This campaign made perfect sense to me. The world knew I was disappointed, but what they didn’t know was that it made me determined to deliver something way bigger.” Like Tha Carter VI this June.

This story was updated at 6:05 p.m. ET on Feb. 6, 2024 to include a Republic Records confirmation of Lil Wayne’s new album, Tha Carter VI.

From Rolling Stone US.