I can't believe I'm saying it, but Tha Carter V is almost here. For real this time.

Lil Wayne himself has announced that, after years of anticipation and leaks, the mythologized album will finally see the light of day on Thursday (September 27), his 36th birthday. The impending release comes seven years after Carter IV and follows a half-decade of agonizing delays and intense legal battles.

Wayne shared the news in a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, thanking the loyal legions of fans who have stuck with him over the years. "Y'all hung in there with me, so I can't do nothing but thank y'all for all the love and all the passion," he said. "I always give y'all all of me, but with this album, I'm giving you more than me. This is four, five, six years of work that you'll be listening to. I hope you enjoy it."

For those that need a primer, Tha Carter V — the fifth edition of a series that dates back to 2004 — has been in the works since at least 2013, when Weezy first said it would be released. But the album was held in limbo for years as legal battles were waged between Wayne and Cash Money Records founder, Birdman. Their disputes were resolved in court earlier this year, and last month, Birdman joined Wayne onstage at Lil Weezyana Festival to publicly apologize to the rapper, ultimately clearing the way for Tha Carter V's release.

To help ramp up the excitement, Wayne has installed a countdown clock on his website, which is slowly but surely ticking its way to zero. Just hang in there a little longer, folks.

And in the meantime, please enjoy this now-iconic Wayne moment, in GIF form: