Lil Wayne has re-signed with the only label he's ever known, the New Orleans-based Cash Money Records, the groundbreaking company founded by brothers Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Baby" Williams 16 years ago out of the city's New Orleans housing projects.

"We were introduced to him when he was just a little, little kid," recalls Slim. "He told us he wanted to be a rapper. He just called us every day, and at one point, even came to live with us. He just outworked everybody. He had that drive to succeed."

Added Baby: "Working with our son, Lil Wayne, throughout the many years has helped us build Cash Money into the empire it is today. Cash Money is a family and Lil' Wayne has been part of our family since day one."

And now the partnership between Cash Money and Lil Wayne will continue, with a multi-album pact that takes them into the future together.

"Tha Carter III is just the tip of the iceberg with Lil Wayne," continues Slim. "The best is yet to come."

Lil Wayne's rise to super-stardom continues at this year's BET Hip Hop awards were he leads with 12 nominations, beating out Jay Z and Kanye.  He's nominated for Lyricist of the Year, MVP of the Year, Hustler of the Year, CD of the Year, Best Hip Hop Video, Best Live Performer, Best Collaboration, Best Ringtone, Alltel Wireless People's Champ and two consecutive nominations for Track of the Year with his hits "A Milli" and "Lollipop."

Lil Wayne also recently spoke to MTV about his next album and his record label, Young Money.  "Tha Carter IV is nice," he said about his next album, "but you need to be looking for Dedication 3. Me and DJ Drama are going back at it. Gangsta Grillz. I'm showcasing my whole clique — the Young Money family. And three months after that, I got 30 more [songs], and we're gonna give them away for free — as I always do — on my Web site."

"My artists," he explained. "They need to be heard in a proper way. They all could have put out mixtapes, which they all have, but I know what it means when Wayne says, 'I'm gonna put out a mixtape.' I know how people perceive it and how people go for it. That's what it's for." ...

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