(1982-)

Who Is Lil Wayne?

Lil Wayne worked with hip-hop group the Hot Boys before forging a solo career with albums Tha Carter and its hit follow-ups II, III, IV and V. He won four Grammy Awards in 2009 for singles like “A Milli” and “Lollipop,” and has worked with artists ranging from Robin Thicke to Nicki Minaj. The rapper has also found himself in trouble with the law on numerous occasions, serving time behind bars in 2010 for criminal possession of a weapon.

Early Life

Lil Wayne was born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. on September 27, 1982, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Lil Wayne has been creating music since he was a child in Hollygrove, one of New Orleans’ poorest neighborhoods.

Lil Wayne started rapping at the age of 8. He later met brothers Bryan and Slim Williams, the founders of Cash Money Records, who were impressed enough with his skills to give him one of their business cards. Ambitious, Wayne continued to call them until they took him under their wing and let him hang around the label’s offices.

Aspiring Rapper

‘True Stories’

Lil Wayne’s first recording for Cash Money Records was True Stories (1993), performing with another skilled rapper, B.G., under the name the BGs. Away from the studios, he was living dangerously. He sold crack for a time, and accidentally shot himself in the chest, according to an article in Rolling Stone. “It was my mom’s gun,” Wayne told the magazine in 2008. “It was like a chopper hit me. But the bullet went straight through, and I bounced back in two weeks.” Wayne later revealed in a 2018 interview with Billboard that the shot was actually an attempt at suicide after his mother told him that he was not allowed to rap anymore.

‘Get It How U Live!!’ and ‘Guerilla Warfare’

As part of the Hot Boys, Lil Wayne got his first taste of success. The group was made up of several of Cash Money’s rising stars—B.G., Juvenile, Turk and Wayne. Their debut album, Get It How U Live!! (1997), sold more than 400,000 copies. Their next effort, Guerilla Warfare (1999), did even better, eventually selling more than 1 million copies. At the age of 16, Lil Wayne was on his way to music stardom.

Solo Successes

‘Tha Block Is Hot’

Lil Wayne launched his solo career with Tha Block Is Hot (1999). The title track was a big hit, and the album reached the top of the hip-hop charts. Featuring appearances by members of the Hot Boys as well as the Big Tymers (Brian Williams and Mannie Fresh), the recording went double platinum. Fresh also served as Wayne’s producer on the recording.

‘Lights Out,’ ‘500 Degreez’ and ‘Da Drought’

The rapper’s next two albums, Lights Out (2000) and 500 Degreez (2002), sold modestly compared to his debut. Then, in a career-changing move, Lil Wayne took a break from creating a traditional style album and released his first collection from his underground mixtapes: Da Drought (2003). His mixtape tracks usually feature beats borrowed from other artists with new lyrics that he creates.

‘Tha Carter’ and ‘Tha Carter II’

In 2004, Lil Wayne released Tha Carter, a hugely popular album that helped cement his reputation as one of rap’s leading performers. The single, “Go D.J.” did well on the hip-hop and pop charts. Rolling Stone critic Christian Hoard said that “Wayne’s syrupy drawl sounds more dextrous than ever” on the album.

Quickly following up this latest wave of success, Wayne released Tha Carter II in December 2005. The album debuted at the No. 2 spot on the Billboard pop charts and brought more critical praise for Wayne. A cameo appearance on the Destiny’s Child smash hit “Soldier” only further enhanced Wayne’s popularity.

‘Dedication, Vol. 2’ and ‘Like Father, Like Son’

Over the next few years, Lil Wayne released several more popular mixtape recordings, including the critically adored Dedication, Vol. 2 (2006), which he made with DJ Drama. Around the same time, Wayne teamed up with Cash Money mentor Bryan William (also known as “Baby” and “Birdman”) to create the album Like Father, Like Son (2006), which spawned the hit “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy.”

Grammy Awards for ‘Tha Carter III’

In response to several unreleased tracks being made public over the internet, Lil Wayne released the download-only EP The Leak in 2007. The songs came from his work on his anxiously anticipated next studio album, which was finally released in 2008: Tha Carter III hit the top of the rap, hip-hop and pop charts, selling more than 1 million copies in its first week of release.

Tha Carter III features several successful singles, including the No. 1 hits “A Milli” and “Lollipop,” a track that he recorded with Static Major. Jay-Z appeared on the track “Mr. Carter,” and T-Pain was featured on “Got Money.” Babyface, Robin Thicke, Busta Rhymes and Juelz Santana also made cameos.

The project netted the Grammy Award for best rap album, and Lil Wayne picked up three more Grammys at the February 2009 awards ceremony, winning best rap song for “Lollipop,” best rap solo performance for “A Milli” and sharing the award for best rap performance by a duo or group with Jay-Z, T.I. and Kanye West, for “Swagga Like Us.”

During the summer of 2009, Lil Wayne spent much of his time on the road with the Young Money Presents: America’s Most Wanted Music Festival, which also featured Young Jeezy, Soulja Boy and Drake. In August 2009, Wayne signed rapper Bow Wow to his label. That same year, the rapper performed with Jay Sean on his hit song “Down,” from Sean’s 2009 album All of Nothing.

More Albums

‘Rebirth’ and ‘I Am Not a Human Being’

Lil Wayne released his seventh studio album, the rock-influenced Rebirth, in February 2010. His eighth studio project, I Am Not a Human Being, was released that same year. Both projects were well received.

‘Tha Carter IV’ and ‘I Am Not a Human Being II’

In August 2011, Wayne released Tha Carter IV, which quickly met with success. During its first four days online, the album saw 300,000 song downloads on iTunes, setting a new record. Hits from the album include “Mirror,” featuring the smooth vocals of Bruno Mars, and “It’s Good,” featuring fellow rappers Drake and Jadakiss. Not one to rest on his laurels, in March 2013, Lil Wayne put out his 10th studio album, I Am Not a Human Being II, to great acclaim. The recording sold 217,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

‘Free Weezy Album’ and ‘Tha Carter V’

While Wayne was expected to follow up with Tha Carter V, he delayed the release of the album over disputes with the Cash Money label, instead dropping the mixtape Sorry 4 the Wait 2 and his Free Weezy Album in 2015. After the rapper finally extracted himself from his Cash Money contract in June 2018, the long-awaited Tha Carter V debuted at the Billboard top spot in September.

Arrests and Controversy

Known to be fond of smoking marijuana, Lil Wayne has found himself in trouble with the law on several occasions. He was arrested in Georgia for drug possession in 2006, and again in Arizona on drug-related charges in January 2008.

Another drug-related arrest, in New York City in 2007, led to criminal charges for possession of a weapon, and Wayne spent eight months behind bars at the city’s notorious Rikers Island complex in 2010. He later published a memoir of the experience, Gone Til’ November: A Journal of Rikers Island, in 2016.

After making a deal with PepsiCo to promote its Moutain Dew soda brand, Lil Wayne was dropped by the company in May 2013 after releasing a song containing derogatory lyrics referencing civil rights icon Emmett Till.

Carter was arrested in December 2019 for transporting a loaded handgun on his private jet. He pled guilty a year later and in January 2021, President Donald Trump pardoned the rapper.

Personal Life

The rapper established a charitable organization to help urban youth, the One Family Foundation, through which he worked to rebuild the athletic fields at his old school, Eleanor McMain Secondary School, after they were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Wayne was previously married to a high school girlfriend, with whom he has a daughter. He also has three other children through various relationships.

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QUICK FACTS

• Name: Lil Wayne
• Birth Year: 1982
• Birth date: September 27, 1982
• Birth State: Louisiana
• Birth City: New Orleans
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Lil Wayne is a Grammy Award-winning rapper known for his hit albums, mixtapes and singles, including “A Milli” and “Lollipop.”
• Astrological Sign: Libra
• Schools
• Lafayette Elementary School in New Orleans
• Eleanor McMain Secondary School in New Orleans

Fact Check

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Lil Wayne Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/lil-wayne
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: January 20, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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QUOTES

• It was my mom’s gun. It was like a chopper hit me. But the bullet went straight through, and I bounced back in two weeks.
• Hip-hop is an expression. And fashion is an expression. And the two go together hand in hand perfectly.
• I think that most people who come out of [prison] just want to make the most of life afterwards. Honestly it was just one big humbling experience.
• Titles are titles, and names are names. As long as people remember me forever, that will be enough for me.
• I starting rapping when I was 8 years old ….Nobody in the world could have told me I wasn’t gonna be a rapper. So, yeah, I always knew I was gonna be one.
• The most bizarre thing I’ve ever read about myself is that I was dead. That was kind of weird to read that I’m dead—mostly because I was reading it.
• Put it this way, I don’t write anything that I don’t expect to hear in a stadium.
• Tattoos are just a way of expressing myself. Me being me. I just went crazy.
• I don’t think life is about a pace, living slow or fast. I think you just live, y’know what I mean? You’re either living or you’re dead.
• I’ve never listened to any other music but my own.