Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is a well-known American hip hop music artist who has won a number of awards, including the Grammy Award. Wayne began his career as a professional at the age of nine with ‘Cash Money Records,’ and went on to form the American teen hip-hop duo ‘The B.G.’z,’ with rapper Lil’ Doogie. He joined the American hip hop trio ‘Hot Boys’ alongside Young Turk, Juvenile, and Lil’ Doogie, who is now known as B.G., after a few years. With the hit ‘Bling Bling’ and the platinum-selling album ‘Guerrilla Warfare,’ the group’s fame soared. During that period, he released his solo debut album, ‘Tha Block Is Hot,’ which was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This was followed by a string of subsequent hit and famous albums by the hip hop superstar, which not only confirmed his place among the notable international hip hop musicians, but also cemented his international popularity. With over 100 million recordings sold worldwide, he became one of the best-selling musicians of all time. ‘Tha Carter III,’ his most notable and successful album, sold more than one million copies in its first week in the United States, earning him the ‘Grammy Award’ for ‘Best Rap Album.’ Young Money Entertainment is Lil Wayne’s own record label.
Childhood and Adolescence
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., better known as Lil Wayne, was born on September 27, 1982, in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Wayne’s parents divorced when he was two years old, and he moved in with his mother, a cook. He grew up in Hollygrove, one of New Orleans’ poorest neighborhoods.
He had a tight relationship with his stepfather Rabbit, who was assassinated. In honor of Rabbit, Wayne has a tattoo.
In a CBS interview, Wayne explained why he omitted the ‘D’ from his name: “I dropped the D because I’m a junior and my father is living and he’s not in my life and he’s never been in my life.” So, instead of being Dwayne, I’d rather be Wayne.”
He began creating rap songs at the age of eight and met Bryan Williams, best known by his stage names Birdman and Baby, an American rapper, record producer, and co-founder of Cash Money Records, in 1991.
The later became Wayne’s mentor and incorporated him in ‘Cash Money Records’ after being impressed by the talent of eight-year-old Wayne, who recorded freestyle raps on Birdman’s answering machines. Birdman began to refer to Wayne as his son, and the two developed a father–son attachment.
He joined the American adolescent hip-hop duo ‘The B.G.’z,’ and co-wrote the group’s debut album, ‘True Story,’ with rapper Lil’ Doogie, which was released on July 29, 1995, by ‘Cash Money Records,’ and also served as his first collaboration album.
At the age of 12, he was involved in an unfortunate event when he inadvertently shot himself with a 9mm handgun and was transported to the hospital by Robert Hoobler, an off-duty police officer.
He went to ‘Eleanor McMain Secondary School’ for a few years before transferring to ‘Marion Abramson Senior High School,’ where he dropped out at the age of 14 to focus on his musical endeavors.
Career of Lil Wayne
In 1996, he became a member of the hip hop group ‘Hot Boys.’ ‘Guerrilla Warfare,’ the group’s second studio album, was released on July 27, 1999, and it topped the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums list and reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200, establishing the group’s basic notoriety.
Wayne released his debut solo album, ‘Tha Block Is Hot,’ on November 2, 1999, through Cash Money Records. The album that became a Top Ten smash and reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 was given platinum certification by RIAA.
Despite receiving gold certification from the RIAA, his next two albums, ‘Lights Out’ (2000) and ‘500 Degreez’ (2002), failed to match the success of ‘Tha Block Is Hot.’
On June 29, 2004, his fourth album, ‘Tha Carter,’ was released by ‘Cash Money Records’ and ‘Universal Records,’ and debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, selling 116,000 copies in its first week. The RIAA awarded it gold certification as well.
In 2005, he was named president of Cash Money Records and launched the record label ‘Young Money Entertainment,’ which is a subsidiary of Cash Money Records. However, in late 2007, he indicated leaving both labels’ managing positions.
The sequel to ‘Tha Carter,’ named ‘Tha Carter II,’ was released on December 6, 2005 by ‘Cash Money Records’ and ‘Universal Distribution,’ marking his fifth studio album. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart and sold over 238,000 copies in its first week, outselling its predecessor.
On January 18, 2006, the RIAA awarded ‘Tha Carter II’ gold certification, and on March 23, it got platinum certification.
Moving on, this virtuoso created ‘Tha Carter III,’ which was released on June 10, 2008, and is considered to be his most astounding and successful album to date. On February 12, 2009, the album was certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
In 2009, his album ‘Tha Carter III’ won him the prestigious ‘Grammy Awards’ for ‘Best Rap Album.’ He also won three more Grammy Awards that year, including ‘Best Rap Solo Performance’ for ‘A Milli,’ ‘Best Rap Song’ for ‘Lollipop,’ and ‘Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group’ for ‘Swagga Like Us,’ which he co-wrote with T.I., Jay-Z, and Kanye West.
‘Rebirth’ (2010), ‘Tha Carter IV’ (2011), and ‘Free Weezy Album’ (2015) are among Wayne’s other important albums. He’s worked with a variety of artists and been on a number of other vocalists’ singles over the years.
His mixtapes ‘Dedication 2’ (2006) and ‘Da Drought 3’ (2007) got praise as well (2007). He also dabbled in acting, appearing in films such as ‘Baller Blockin’ (2000) and ‘Hurricane Season’ (2009), as well as television shows such as ‘Saturday Night Live’ (2004, 2008, 2010), ‘Wild ‘n Out’ (2005), and ‘The Boondocks’ (2007).
Personal History and Legacy
Wayne has four children: Reginae, his high school sweetheart, with whom he was married from 2004 to 2006; Dwayne III, his son with radio presenter Sarah Vivan; Cameron, his son from actress Lauren London; and Neal, his son from singer Nivea.
He was also romantically linked to Trina, a rapper, and Christina Milian, a singer.
Following his GED, he began attending the ‘University of Houston’ in January 2005, but dropped out later. Later, he majored in psychology and completed online courses from the ‘University of Phoenix.’
Wayne has had his fair share of legal troubles, including being convicted and sentenced to one year in jail for unlawful possession of a weapon and marijuana on March 8, 2010. On November 4, 2010, he was freed from ‘Rikers Island Jail’ after serving his eight-month sentence.
On October 11, 2016, he published his memoir ‘Gone Til’ November,’ in which he detailed his time on Riker’s Island.
Estimated Net Worth
Lil Wayne has a net worth of $170 million and is an American rapper, producer, and music executive. Over the course of his career, Birdman Jr., Young Tune, Dr. Carter, Weezyana, Tunechi, and a slew of other identities have sprung up, including Birdman Jr., Young Tune, Dr. Carter, Weezyana, Tunechi, and a slew of others. Whatever you choose to name him, one thing is certain: he’s a huge success. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide, received countless honors, and even eclipsed Elvis Presley in terms of Billboard Top 100 entries. His status as one of the best-selling musical artists in history provided him with the experience he needed to launch Young Money Entertainment, his own record company.