ESPN is giving Lil Wayne fans a sneak peek at his The Carter VI album mere hours before it arrives.
Unreleased track “The Days” featuring Bono has been used in a promo ad for game one of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday (June 5).
“I pledge allegiance to what I believe in/ Live to fight another day,” he raps. “I ain’t getting younger, but I’m getting better/ No time to waste that’s another man’s treasure/ They say every dog has hit day.” The U2 frontman then takes the baton to handle chorus duties. “These are the days,” Bono sings.
Without a single ahead of the album, “The Days” snippet is the first taste fans got of C6, and the partnership makes sense with Lil Wayne being an avid hoops fan.
“Basketball’s been in my blood since day one, so to team up with ESPN less than 24 hours before the drop of Tha Carter VI for the NBA Finals is an incredible honor,” Wayne said in a statement. “My music and the NBA are vibin’ on the same frequency because it’s perfect timing for fans to hear Tha Carter VI on the game’s grandest stage.”
ESPN has been using numerous Wayne tracks to soundtrack NBA Playoffs ads this season, including “I Am Not a Human Being,” “Uproar” and the “Glory (Remix).”
“Lil Wayne brings the energy, edge and emotion that define the NBA Finals,” Curtis Friends, vice president of sports marketing at ESPN, said in a statement. “Integrating his music into our NBA Playoffs coverage has been a strategic brand flex — amplifying our storytelling and connecting with fans as we showcase today’s rising stars on the league’s biggest stage.”
Game one of the NBA Finals tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC inside OKC’s Paycom Center as the Pacers and Thunder gear up for a hard-fought series. After the contest, look for Weezy’s Tha Carter VI to hit streaming services at midnight ET on Friday (June 6).
Get a taste of “The Days” with the NBA Finals teaser below.