After a nearly seven-year wait since "Tha Carter V," Lil Wayne fans finally get to listen to the next installment of the rapper's series with today's release of "Tha Carter VI."

Why it matters: Lil Wayne remains New Orleans' most influential modern musician.

What they're saying: "You got to think like how people study Bach and Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and Shakespeare," rapper Wyclef Jean told Andre Gee for Rolling Stone. "He's going to be regarded as one of the greatest renaissance wordsmith composers of our generation."

Between the lines: It's not like Lil Wayne hasn't been busy.

• In just the past few years, the famously prolific artist has collaborated with fellow New Orleanian Rob49, Doja Cat, Nas, Jack Harlow and alongside 2 Chainz for an entire album.

Zoom in: The collaborations continue on "Tha Carter VI," which is reportedly set to include Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Bono, Wyclef Jean and even Andrea Bocelli, who decided to sign on after hearing about how Wayne accidentally shot himself when he was 12 years old.

• Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, also receives production credit.
• The first single, "The Days," dropped this week as part of ESPN's promo for the NBA finals.

The intrigue: Lil Wayne is touring to support the album, with a string of dates that doesn't include his hometown.

• That fact hasn't escaped gossip blogs' notice, which tie the "snub" to when the NFL overlooked him for the recent Super Bowl Halftime Show.
• But fret not: Lil Wayne's team is already teasing "something special" for the next edition of Lil Weezyana Fest.

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Since Derrick Tabb founded The Roots of Music in the wreckage that Hurricane Katrina made of the city's music education opportunities, the band has played at events and festivals around the world.

Yes, but: They've never played a country music festival, and that changes this weekend.

The latest: The Roots of Music will close out the student marching band performances for CMA Fest outside Nissan Stadium in Nashville, and they'll join Ashley McBryde onstage Sunday.

Catch up quick: After supporting the band for years, the Country Music Association's board made a recent visit to see the students in rehearsal.

• "The visit turned into a party, a parade, that has now paraded all the way to Nashville," Tabb says.

Between the lines: The visit, Tabb says, is another way to underscore how Black musicians are a part of country music history, a fact Beyoncé has been loudly underscoring with her "Cowboy Carter" album and tour.

• "Our kids have an opportunity to experience what's going on and how the music is made and to be around some actual stars," Tabb says. "That intrigued them to know more about country music and what's happening in that genre."

What's next: CMA Fest is this weekend in Nashville, but the performances will also air on June 26 on ABC.

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🧙 Tatlo, the witchy off-Bourbon Street bar from Cristina Quackenbush, is one of the nine best new bars in the country, according to Bon Appetit. Read why and get our take.

⛴️ The RTA is testing out late hours for the Algiers ferry, with final boats scheduled for 12:15am, among other summer route changes. The ferry switch is a pilot program to see if there's enough demand to keep expanded hours. (The Times-Picayune 🔒)

🏖️ Louisiana has beaches — they just aren't in New Orleans. Here are the state's 9 best, according to Travel + Leisure.

• Here's what leaders hope Lincoln Beach will look like.

🚊 Construction delays have pushed the launch date for Amtrak's service between New Orleans and Mobile to July or August. (Fox 10)

As the nation remembers D-Day today, a dwindling number of WWII veterans remain with us.

• About 300 are still living in Louisiana, according to the latest figures from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The big picture: The National WWII Museum has several commemoration events today.

• At 6:30am, there was a gathering to mark the moment the invasion of Normandy began.
• About 25 WWII veterans and Holocaust survivors will open the museum at 8:50am. The main ceremony, which is also free, starts at 11am.
• Full list of events.

Between the lines: It's also the museum's 25th anniversary.

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Good news: The I-10 on-ramp at Carrollton Avenue is expected to reopen Monday, which is much earlier than originally estimated.

Bad news: The Airline Highway exit from I-10 West will remain closed for up to four more months, authorities say.

The big picture: The garbage truck is expected to be fully removed Monday and then DOTD bridge engineers will inspect the structure, DOTD spokesman Daniel Gitlin tells us.

• They had hoped to open it today, he said, but the contractor needed additional equipment.
• DOTD is using shoring towers to support the structure until it is fully repaired, Gitlin said.
• The supports for the Airline Highway exit ramp will need to be reconstructed before the ramp can reopen, he said.

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