NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Universal Motown Records) - Cash Money/Universal Motown superstar
Lil Wayne is Grammy's man of the year, drawing a total of eight nominations - more than any other artist - for his blockbuster multi-platinum album Tha Carter III, and for his featured performance on 'Swagga Like Us' by T.I. featuring Kanye West,
Jay-Z and Lil Wayne. The nominations itself are unbelievable, I'm going to continue doing what I've been doing, but I'm going to do it better, say Lil Wayne.
Tha Carter III is nominated in the prestigious Album of the Year category as well as for Best Rap Album, and all of its first four smash singles drew individual recognition: 'Lollipop' featuring Static Major is nominated for Best Rap Song; 'Got Money' featuring T-Pain for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration; 'A Milli' for Best Solo Rap Performance; and 'Mr. Carter,' featuring Jay-Z for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. These are the New Orleans native's first Grammy nominations for his own album. For his collaborations on other projects, 'Swagga Like Us' is nominated in the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Rap Song. The 51st Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, and broadcast on CBS.
'We've worked with Lil Wayne since he was a teenager, signing him as part of the legendary hip-hop group the Hot Boys with Juvenile, B.G. and Turk. We have had the pleasure to see him grow and mature, both artistically and personally, into a multi-platinum superstar. The success of Tha Carter III was the result of Wayne's tireless work ethic and incredible creative ability, and on behalf of his New Orleans hometown, and my brother, Birdman, we are honored to salute him as the artist with the most nominations at this year's Grammy Awards,' says Cash Money Co-CEO Ronald 'Slim' Williams on Lil Wayne's Grammy Nominations.
"What is so rewarding about Wayne's Grammy nominations is that they are not merely a reflection of commercial success, but of real artistry, achievement, and influence. He delivered a brilliant, original album that defines the state-of-the-art in hip-hop, and it was not only embraced by his fans but by his peers in the industry. Receiving an amazing eight nominations is a wonderful recognition and validation of his creative accomplishments. All of us at Universal Motown congratulate Lil Wayne and his team at Cash Money Records for this landmark career moment," states Universal Motown Records President Sylvia Rhone.
Tha Carter III sold over 1 million units in its debut week and is the best-selling album release of 2008, having sold well over 2.7 million copies domestically since its release in June. Lil Wayne was the first artist since 2005 to sell 1 million albums in the first week of release. The album held the No. 1 position on the Billboard's Top 200 for three weeks and 'Lollipop' topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for five weeks. In August, Lil Wayne set a record for charting 13 tracks as a lead or featured artist on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart simultaneously, including the No. 1s 'Lollipop' and 'A Milli.'
The music awards season has already acknowledged the amazing banner year of Lil Wayne. He won the artist-voted MTV Europe Music Awards Artist's Choice Award, and won seven BET Hip-Hop Awards out of twelve nominations in October. Lil Wayne was also received three American Music Award nominations and one People's Choice Award nomination, and has won MTV's Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video, as well as BET's Viewer's Choice Award.
In a victory lap that extends into the New Year, Lil Wayne headlines the all-star 'I Am Music' tour, kicking off Dec. 14 in Miami, FL and wrapping Jan. 19 in Worcester, MA. He'll be sharing the stage with T-Pain, Keyshia Cole, Gym Class Heroes and Keri Hilson, making a January stop in his hometown of New Orleans.
"I AM MUSIC" TOUR DATES:
December 14th - Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena
December 18th - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
December 19th - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
December 21st - Los Angeles, CA - Gibson Amphitheater
December 22nd - Los Angeles, CA - Gibson Amphitheater
December 23rd - Oakland, CA - Arena
December 26th - Detroit, MI - Joe Louis Arena
December 27th - Chicago, IL - United Center
December 28th - Philadelphia, PA - Susquehanna Bank Center
December 29th - Greensboro, NC - Coliseum
December 30th - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
December 31st - Atlanta, GA - Phillips Arena
January 2nd - Charlotte, NC - Bobcat Arena
January 3rd - Hampton, VA - Hampton Coliseum
January 4th - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
January 8th - St Louis MO - Chafeitz Center
January 9th - Kansas City MO - Sprint Center
January 11th - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
January 14th - Montreal, CAN - Bell Center
January 15th - Toronto CAN - Air Canada Center
January 16th - New York (LI) - Nassau Coliseum
January 17th - Hartford, CONN - New England Dodge Music Ctr
January 18th - Atlantic City, NJ - Boardwalk Hall
January 19th - Worcester, MA - DCU Center
