In the summer of 2004, Wayne released Tha Carter. Often cited as a highlight of his career, Tha Carter marked a significant development in Wayne's flow and delivery, as the young rapper began to employ more original diction and syntax, while occasionally experimenting with his voice and inflection. In addition, the album's cover art featured the debut of Wayne's now-signature dreadlocks.[3] Tha Carter gained Wayne significant recognition, selling over 1 million copies in the United States.
December 6, 2005 brought the second installment of Tha Carter series, Tha Carter II. The album marked yet another shift in Wayne's career, as it was his first major release to lack the beats of longtime Cash Money Records producer Mannie Fresh, who had since left the label. As a result, Tha Carter II contained a more diverse range of production style than had previously been present on Wayne's recordings.
In 2008, he released the first single from his upcoming Tha Carter III album, entitled "Lollipop", which would bring him a level of commercial success he had never before seen: going on to become his first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. Later, his song "A Millie" was re-released without the verses by Corey Grillz.
Tha Carter III was release on June 10, 2008. Initially planned to be released in 2007, Tha Carter III's largest delay came after the majority of the tracks were leaked and distributed on mixtapes, such as "The Drought Is Over Pt. 2" and "The Drought Is Over Pt. 4". Wayne initially decided to use the leaked tracks, plus four new tracks, to make a separate album, titled Tha Carter III: The Leak.