Lil Wayne tour adds more concert dates despite legal woes

Dates for the spring round of Lil Wayne‘s current tour are slowly being confirmed, even as the acclaimed recording artist faces more legal troubles. The next leg of the I Am Music Tour picks up on March 17 at Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI, and has shows booked through April 6 at Qwest Center in Omaha, NE.

A total of 16 concert event listings have appeared for the artist on Ticketmaster and Live Nation in the past weeks. Scheduled shows include a March 20 show at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, MD, a March 23 performance at AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX, a March 30 stand at Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA, and a March 4 concert at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, HI.

Despite his critical and commercial success with his latest album “Tha Carter III,” which was the best selling album of 2008, Lil Wayne is currently facing a number of lawsuits and legal charges. Even as tour dates continue to roll out, an April 20 start-date has been set for a trial on gun possession charges.

According to published reports, Lil Wayne was arrested after a New York City concert in 2007 when a police officer allegedly smelled marijuana and boarded his bus, reportedly discovering the rapper trying to conceal a .40-caliber handgun. A judge recently ruled that a handgun may be used as evidence in the trial despite arguments from Lil Wayne’s lawyer that the officer did not have a sufficient reason to board the bus.

Lil Wayne has pleaded not guilty to one charge of criminal weapons possession and one charge of possession of a loaded weapon, and is free on bail. If convicted, the acclaimed performer could face up to 15 years in prison.

The Grammy Award winner is also facing a $1.3 million lawsuit for cancelling performances on three separate occasions at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY. The suit was filed by promoter Ed Strickland, who was responsible for rescheduling and promoting each concert after various circumstances caused Lil Wayne to cancel the three events.

Lil Wayne itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)