Lil Wayne tour teams with T-Pain, Keyshia Cole, Gym Class Heroes

Rapper Lil Wayne has been in the spotlight this summer with the release of the critically acclaimed “Tha Carter III.” Now the rising star of hip-hop has confirmed the release of his latest official mixtape and a major tour with fellow rapper T-Pain, as well as recording artists Keyshia Cole and Gym Class Heroes.

Only a few dates for the U.S. trek have been confirmed so far, but the jaunt is expected to stretch over eight weeks. The first known date so far is for a December 6 concert at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY, with other shows currently booked through December 30 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC.

Prior to the tour’s kick-off, Lil Wayne looks forward to the release of his most recent official mixtape with DJ Drama, titled “Dedication 3.” According to a statement from Drama earlier in the week, production on the mix was only recently completed. A track listing was confirmed for the effort, but the release was only tentatively slated for sometime today (Thursday, November 13).

“People have their opinions or their comments, but Wayne putting out a mixtape shows he’s still in the game,” DJ Drama said in an interview with MTV. “[This mixtape] isn’t for the money or the fame, it’s for the people. It’s for the game. You can hate on Drama or Wayne all you want, but we’re doing this for the game.”

Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter Jr., released his sixth studio album in June. Following its release, the album spent three weeks in the No. 1 slot on the Billboard 200, and has already been certified double-Platinum.

Lil Wayne itinerary:
(Dates subject to change.)