Who is Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.? The Rap world knows him better by his stage name Lil Wayne. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included rappers Juvenile, B.G., and Turk. Hot Boys debuted with Get It How U Live! that year. Lil Wayne gained most of his success with the group's major selling album Guerrilla Warfare, released in 1999. Also in 1999, Lil Wayne released his Platinum debut album Tha Block Is Hot, selling over one million copies in the U.S.
Although his next two albums Lights Out (2000) and 500 Degreez (2002) were not as successful (only reaching Gold status), Lil Wayne reached higher popularity in 2004 with Tha Carter, which included the single "Go D.J." Wayne also appeared on the Destiny's Child top ten single "Soldier" that year. In 2005, the sequel to Tha Carter, Tha Carter II, was released. In 2006 and 2007, Lil Wayne released several mixtapes and appeared on several popular rap and R&B singles. His most successful album, Tha Carter III, was released in 2008 which went on to sell over 1 million copies in the U.S. its first week of release. It included the number-one single "Lollipop" and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. Lil Wayne released his debut rock album, Rebirth, in 2010 to primarily negative reception from critics. The album eventually went gold. In March 2010, Lil Wayne began serving an 8 month prison sentence in New York after being convicted of criminal possession of a weapon stemming from an incident in July 2007. While in jail he released another album entitled I Am Not a Human Being in September 2010, featuring Young Money artists such as Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Twist.
Lil Wayne was born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. and grew up in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana.[1] Carter was born when his mother, a chef, was 19 years old. His parents were divorced when he was 2, and his father permanently abandoned the family. Carter enrolled in the gifted program of Lafayette Elementary School and in the drama club of Eleanor McMain Secondary School.[2][3] He wrote his first rap song at age eight.[4] In the summer of 1991, he met Bryan Williams, rapper and owner of Cash Money Records. Carter recorded freestyle raps on Williams's answering machine leading him to mentor the young Carter and include him in Cash Money-distributed songs. He also recorded his first ever collaboration album True Story with rapper B.G.. At the time, Carter was 11, and B.G. was 14, and was billed as "The B.G.'z".[5] When he was 12, he played the part of the Tin Man in his middle school drama club's production of The Wiz.[6] He also accidentally shot himself with a .44 caliber gun at the age of 13, with the bullet missing his heart by two inches.[2] At McMain Magnet School, Carter was an honor student, but he dropped out at the age of 14 to focus on a musical career.[7]
In 1997, Lil Wayne formed the group Hot Boys along with rappers Juvenile, Turk, and B.G.; at age 15, Wayne was the youngest member at that time. Hot Boys' debut album Get It How U Live! was released the same year, followed in 1999 by the group's major-label debut Guerrilla Warfare,[1] which reached #1 on the Billboard magazine Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #5 on the Billboard 200.[7] During their career, the Hot Boys had two charting singles, "We On Fire" from Get It How U Live! and "I Need a Hot Girl" from Guerrilla Warfare.[8] Lil Wayne was also featured on Juvenile's single "Back That Azz Up", which reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.[9] Let 'Em Burn, a compilation album of unreleased tracks recorded during 1999 and 2000, came out in 2003, several years after the group disbanded.[10] It reached #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #14 on the Billboard 200.[7]
L
il Wayne's debut solo album Tha Block Is Hot at age 17 featured significant contributions from the Hot Boys and went double platinum, climbing to #3 on the Billboard album charts.[1] The album earned him a 1999 Source magazine award nomination for "Best New Artist",[11] and also became a Top Ten hit.[1] The lead single was "Tha Block Is Hot". After the release of Tha Block is Hot, Lil Wayne was featured on the single, "Bling Bling", with B.G., Juvenile, Turk, and Big Tymers.
His 2000 follow-up album Lights Out failed to attain the level of success achieved by his debut[1] but was certified gold by RIAA.[12] Critics pointed to the lack of coherent narratives in his verses as evidence that he had yet to mature to the level of his fellow Hot Boys.[13] The lead single was "Get Off The Corner" which was noticed for an improvement in lyrical content and style, it also received a music video. The second single which received less attention was "Shine" featuring The Hot Boys. Near the release of Lights Out, Lil Wayne was featured on the single, "1# Stunna" with 
Big Tymers and 
Juvenile, which rose to 24th place on the Hot Rap Tracks charts.
1997–99: The Hot Boys
In 1997, Lil Wayne formed the group Hot Boys along with rappers Juvenile, Turk, and B.G.; at age 15, Wayne was the youngest member at that time. Hot Boys' debut album Get It How U Live! was released the same year, followed in 1999 by the group's major-label debut Guerrilla Warfare,[1] which reached #1 on the Billboard magazine Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #5 on the Billboard 200.[7] During their career, the Hot Boys had two charting singles, "We On Fire" from Get It How U Live! and "I Need a Hot Girl" from Guerrilla Warfare.[8] Lil Wayne was also featured on Juvenile's single "Back That Azz Up", which reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.[9] Let 'Em Burn, a compilation album of unreleased tracks recorded during 1999 and 2000, came out in 2003, several years after the group disbanded.[10] It reached #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #14 on the Billboard 200.[7]L
il Wayne's debut solo album Tha Block Is Hot at age 17 featured significant contributions from the Hot Boys and went double platinum, climbing to #3 on the Billboard album charts.[1] The album earned him a 1999 Source magazine award nomination for "Best New Artist",[11] and also became a Top Ten hit.[1] The lead single was "Tha Block Is Hot". After the release of Tha Block is Hot, Lil Wayne was featured on the single, "Bling Bling", with B.G., Juvenile, Turk, and Big Tymers.2000–02: Lights Out and 500 Degreez
His 2000 follow-up album Lights Out failed to attain the level of success achieved by his debut[1] but was certified gold by RIAA.[12] Critics pointed to the lack of coherent narratives in his verses as evidence that he had yet to mature to the level of his fellow Hot Boys.[13] The lead single was "Get Off The Corner" which was noticed for an improvement in lyrical content and style, it also received a music video. The second single which received less attention was "Shine" featuring The Hot Boys. Near the release of Lights Out, Lil Wayne was featured on the single, "1# Stunna" with 
Big Tymers and 
Juvenile, which rose to 24th place on the Hot Rap Tracks charts. Lil Wayne's third album
500 Degreez, released in 2002, followed the format of his previous two, with significant contributions from the 
Hot Boys and
Mannie Fresh. While certified Gold like its predecessor,[12] it too failed to match the success of his debut.[1] The title was a reference to the recently estranged Hot Boys member Juvenile's recording,
400 Degreez.[14] The lead single was "Way Of Life" which like the album failed to match the success of his previous singles. After the release of 500 Degreez, he was featured in the single "Neva Get Enuf" by 3LW.[15]2004–07: Tha Carter, Tha Carter II and collaborations
In the summer of 2004, Wayne's album Tha Carter came out, marking what critics considered advancement in his rapping style and lyrical themes.[16] In addition, the album's cover art featured the debut of Wayne's now-signature dreadlocks.[1] Tha Carter gained Wayne significant recognition, selling over 1 million copies in the United States, while the single "Go DJ" became a Top 5 Hit.[17] After the release of Tha Carter, Lil Wayne was featured in Destiny's Child's single "Soldier" with T.I., which peaked at #3 on the U.S. Hot 100 and the U.S. R&B Charts.[18] The song Get Something (featuring Mannie Fresh) was supposed to appear on the album but failed to make the cut, however the music video was released.[19] 
Tha Carter II, the follow-up to the original Tha Carter album, was released in December 2005, this time without production by longtime Cash Money Records producer 
Mannie Fresh, who had since left the label. Tha Carter II sold more than 238,000 copies in its first week of release, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart, and went on to sell 2,000,000 copies world wide. The lead single, "Fireman," became a hit in the US, peaking at 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Other singles included "Grown Man", "Hustler Muzik", and "Shooter" (featuring R&B singer 
Robin Thicke). Lil Wayne also appeared on a remix of 
Bobby Valentino's "Tell Me", which rose to #13 on the U.S. R&B Charts. In 2005, Lil Wayne was named president of Cash Money, and in the same year he founded Young Money Entertainment as an imprint of Cash Money.[20] However, as of late 2007, Lil Wayne reported that he has stepped down from the management of both labels and has handed management of Young Money over to Cortez Bryant.[21]
In 2006, Lil Wayne collaborated with rapper Birdman for the album Like Father, Like Son, whose first single "Stuntin' Like My Daddy", reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Instead of a follow-up solo album, Lil Wayne reached his audience through a plethora of mixtapes and guest appearances on a variety of pop and hip-hop singles.[1] Of his many mixtapes, Dedication 2 and Da Drought 3 received the most media exposure and critical review. Dedication 2, released in 2006, paired Lil Wayne with DJ Drama and contained the acclaimed socially conscious track "Georgia Bush," in which Lil Wayne critiqued former US president
George W. Bush's response to the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans. Da Drought 3 was released the following year and was available for free legal download. It contained Lil Wayne rapping over a variety of beats from recent hits by other musicians. Numerous of features in prominent hip-hop magazines such as XXL[22] and Vibe[23] covered the mixtape. Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone magazine considered the mixtapes Da Drought 3 and The Drought Is Over 2 "among the best albums of 2007."[24]Despite no album release for two years, Lil Wayne appeared in numerous singles as a featured performer, including "Gimme That" by
Chris Brown, "Make It Rain" by Fat Joe, "You" by 
Lloyd, and "We Takin Over" by DJ Khaled (also featuring Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, and Birdman), "Duffle Bag Boy" by 
Playaz Circle, "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" by 
Wyclef Jean (also featuring Akon), and the remix to "I'm So Hood" by DJ Khaled (also featuring 
T-Pain, 
Young Jeezy, 
Ludacris, 
Busta Rhymes, 
Big Boi, 
Fat Joe, 
Birdman, and 
Rick Ross). All these singles charted within the top 20 spots on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Rap Tracks, and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. On Birdman's 2007 album 5 * Stunna, Lil Wayne appeared on the singles "100 Million" and "I Run This" among several other tracks. Wayne also appeared on tracks from albums Getback by Little Brother, American Gangster by Jay-Z, and Graduation by Kanye West. "Make it Rain", a 
Scott Storch production that peaked at #13 on the Hot 100 and #2 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart,[25] was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for 2008.[26]
Vibe magazine ranked a list of 77 of Lil Wayne's songs from 2007 and ranked his verse in DJ Khaled's "We Takin Over" as his best of 2007, with "Dough Is What I Got" (a freestyle over the beat of Jay-Z's "Show Me What You Got") from Da Drought 3 the second song.[23] At the end of 2007, an MTV poll selected Lil Wayne as "Hottest MC in the Game",[27] The New Yorker magazine ranked him "Rapper of the Year",[5] and GQ magazine named him "Workaholic of the Year".[28] In 2008 he was named "Best Rock Star Alive" by Blender magazine[2] and "Best MC" by Rolling Stone.[3]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". Lil Wayne initially decided to use the leaked tracks, plus four new tracks, to make a separate album, titled The Leak. The Leak was to be released December 18, 2007, with the actual album being delayed until March 18, 2008,[29] The release of The Leak in this format never came to fruition, but an official EP titled The Leak and containing five tracks was released digitally on December 25, 2007.
Tha Carter III was released on June 10, 2008, selling more than a million copies in its first week of release, the first to do so since 
50 Cent's The Massacre in 2005.[30] The first single "Lollipop", featuring Static became the rapper's most commercially successful song at that point, topping the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first Top 10 single for Lil Wayne as a solo artist, as well as his first #1 on the chart. His third single from Carter III', "Got Money" featuring T-Pain, peaked at #13 on the Billboard 100. Along with his album singles, Lil Wayne appeared on R&B singles "Girls Around the World" by Lloyd, "Love In This Club, Part II" by
Usher, "Official Girl" by
Cassie, "I'm So Paid" by
Akon, "Turnin' Me On" by 
Keri Hilson, and "Can't Believe It" by T-Pain; rap singles "My Life" by 
The Game, "Shawty Say" by
David Banner, "Swagga Like Us" by T.I., "Cutty Buddy" by M
ike Jones, and "Haterz" and the remix to "Certified" by
Glasses Malone; and pop single "Let It Rock" by new Cash Money artist 
Kevin Rudolf. On July 14, 2008, the Recording Industry Association of America certified Tha Carter III two times platinum.[31] In an October 2008 interview with MTV News, Lil Wayne announced plans to re-release this album with all new tracks, including a duet with 
Ludacris and remixes of "A Milli".[32] 
The lineup for New Orleans' 2008 Voodoo Experience concert, to be held in October, featured Lil Wayne. Jonathan Cohen of Billboard magazine reported that the event would mark his biggest hometown headlining set of his career.[33] Lil Wayne will be reuniting with Hot Boys alongside Juvenile, Turk, and B.G. They plan to release an album after B.G.'s solo album Too Hood to Be Hollywood is completed.[34] Wayne also performed as the 2008 Virgin Mobile Music Fest with K
anye West, performing the remix of "Lollipop" with West and also lip-syncing to 
Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You".[35]Lil Wayne also performed at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards with Kid Rock ("All Summer Long"), 
Leona Lewis ("DontGetIt (Misunderstood)") and 
T-Pain ("Got Money").[36] On the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, he performed "Lollipop" and "Got Money".[37] He later performed at the homecoming rally at Vanderbilt University[38] and the 2008 BET Hip Hop Awards with 12 nominations.[39] He won the "MVP" title at the BET Hip Hop Awards and seven others.[40] It was revealed that
M.I.A. dropped out of performing on the tour due to her pregnancy, however J
ay Z is expected to perform with Wayne on the song "Mr. Carter" at select shows.[41]
anye West, performing the remix of "Lollipop" with West and also lip-syncing to 
Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You".[35]Lil Wayne also performed at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards with Kid Rock ("All Summer Long"), 
Leona Lewis ("DontGetIt (Misunderstood)") and 
T-Pain ("Got Money").[36] On the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, he performed "Lollipop" and "Got Money".[37] He later performed at the homecoming rally at Vanderbilt University[38] and the 2008 BET Hip Hop Awards with 12 nominations.[39] He won the "MVP" title at the BET Hip Hop Awards and seven others.[40] It was revealed that
M.I.A. dropped out of performing on the tour due to her pregnancy, however J
ay Z is expected to perform with Wayne on the song "Mr. Carter" at select shows.[41] 
On November 11, 2008, Wayne became the first hip-hop act to ever perform at the Country Music Awards. He played alongside Kid Rock for the song, "All Summer Long", in which Wayne did not rap but instead played guitar along Kid Rock's band.[42] Shortly after, Wayne was nominated for eight Grammys - the most for an artist nominated.[43] Wayne was then named the first ever MTV Man of the Year at the end of 2008.[44] 
DJ Drama stated that there would be a third installation of the Dedication mixtape series with Lil Wayne,[45] who insisted that it will would be a full album under the title.[46] However despite the fact Wayne wanted to release Dedication 3 as an album, it was released as a mixtape on November 14, 2008.Wayne stated that he would release a debut rock album titled Rebirth. It is slated to be released on April 7, 2009. "Prom Queen", the lead single, debuted on January 27 immediately after a live Internet broadcast of his concert in San Diego.[47] "Prom Queen" peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.[48]
He has announced several possible upcoming projects, including a collaboration album I Can't Feel My Face with rapper Juelz Santana that has been in production for several years.[49][50] On the website HipHopDX.com, he has discussed a possible R&B album titled Luv Sawngz, for which he will heavily rely on a vocoder.[51] He has also talked with singer Lloyd about doing a collaboration album in the future.[52] 
On June 19, 2008, Lil Wayne and T-Pain formed a duo called T-Wayne[53] and planned to release an album.[54] 
In an interview on MTV's Mixtape Monday, Wayne asserted the possibility of an album titled Tha Carter IV.[55] Following Tha Carter III's achievement of selling over 2 million copies, becoming 2008's best record, Wayne re-signed with Cash Money Records for a multi-album deal.[56]Lil Wayne was a guest debater going up against
Skip Bayless on the "1st & 10" segment on the January 6, 2009 edition of ESPN First Take.[57] On January 10th, he also appeared on ESPN's Around The Horn and beat out veterans 
Woody Paige, 
Jay Mariotti and fellow New Orleanian Michael Smith to win that show's episode.[58]Wayne is set to produce and compose music for the film Hurricane Season.[59] A documentary titled Tha Carter is also in production and was released at the Sundance Film Festival.[60] On February 7, 2009, he presented the Top Ten List on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman.[61]Wayne has two daughters, one when he was a teenager,[4], and another named Reginae Carter with his high school sweetheart
Antonia "Toya" Johnson. Carter and Johnson married on Valentines Day of 2004 and divorced in 2006.[62] His newborn son, Dwayne Carter III, was born on October 22, 2008 at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati.[63]After earning his GED, Wayne enrolled at the University of Houston in January 2005 with plans to major in political science.[64] To earn his degree, he had been taking online courses,[4] An article in Urb magazine in March 2007 asserted that Wayne had been earning high grades at Houston,[65] and by the end of the year Wayne discontinued his education there.[66]
In an interview with Blender magazine, Lil Wayne revealed one of his favorite bands from childhood to be rock group Nirvana, and cites them as a major influence in his music.[67]On September 24, 2008, Lil Wayne published his first blog for ESPN in their issue, ESPN The Magazine. Wayne revealed he was a fan of tennis, the Green Bay Packers, the Boston Bruins, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Red Sox.[68] Wayne continued writing for ESPN, eventually reporting at the ESPN Super Bowl party.[69]
W
ayne told CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric on her All Access Grammy Special in 2009 that he enjoys smoking marijuana recreationally.[70] However, he has been arrested for use or possession of marijuana and other drugs. 
In the latter half of 2007, Lil Wayne was arrested twice. On July 22, 2007, Lil Wayne was arrested in New York City following a performance at the Beacon Theatre; the New York City Police Department discovered Lil Wayne and another man smoking marijuana near a tour bus. After taking Lil Wayne into custody, police discovered a pistol on his person, and he was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and marijuana.[71] Another arrest was on October 5, 2007, following a performance at Qwest Arena in Boise, Idaho, on felony fugitive charges after Georgia authorities accused the rapper of possessing a controlled substance.[72] The incident was later described as a "mix-up" and the fugitive charges were dropped.[73] 
On January 23, 2008, Lil Wayne was arrested alongside two others. His tour bus was stopped by Border Patrol agents near Yuma, Arizona. A K-9 Unit recovered 105 grams of marijuana (3.7 ounces), almost 29 grams of cocaine (1.02 ounces), 41 grams of MDMA (1.4 ounces) and $22,000 in cash. Lil Wayne was charged with four felonies: possession of narcotic drug for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, misconduct involving weapons and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was granted permission to travel outside of the state and remain out of custody on the $10,185 bond he posted.[74] On May 6, 2008 Wayne returned to court in Arizona to plead not guilty to the charges.[75]On July 22, 2007, Lil Wayne was arrested in New York City following a performance at the Beacon Theatre; the New York City Police Department discovered Lil Wayne and another man smoking marijuana near a tour bus. After taking Lil Wayne into custody, police discovered a .40 caliber pistol on his person. The gun, which was registered to his manager, was in a bag located near the rapper.[105] He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and marijuana.[106][107]
On October 22, 2009, Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. He was due for sentencing in February 2010 and was expected to receive a one-year jail sentence,[108] but on February 9, 2010, Lil Wayne's attorney announced that the sentencing was delayed until March 2 due to dental surgery,[109] which was performed on February 16. The surgery included eight root canals, the replacement of several tooth implants, as well as the addition of a few new implants and work on his remaining original teeth.[110]
On March 2, 2010, sentencing was postponed again when the courthouse reported a fire in the basement.[111]
On March 8, 2010, Lil Wayne was sentenced to a year in prison, which he served in Rikers Island. His lawyer said the rapper expected to be held in protective custody, separated from other prisoners.[112] He was released on good behavior.[112][113] However, in May 2010 Wayne was found by Rikers Island correctional staff to be in possession of contraband (an MP3 player, charger, and headphones).[114] However at that time, it was reported by MTV and HipHopDX that Lil Wayne will be released in November which is four months early.Which was true.[115]
In April 2010, Lil Wayne's friends created a website called Weezy Thanx You, which publishes letters written by Wayne in prison.[116][117] In the first letter, titled "Gone 'til November", the rapper described his daily routine, saying he works out a lot, and reads the Bible every day.[116]
Wayne was released from Rikers Island on November 4, 2010.
Discography
Main article: Lil Wayne discography
- Studio albums
- 1999: Tha Block Is Hot
- 2000: Lights Out
- 2002: 500 Degreez
- 2004: Tha Carter
- 2005: Tha Carter II
- 2008: Tha Carter III
- 2010: Rebirth
- 2010: I Am Not a Human Being
- 2011: Tha Carter IV
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2000 | Baller Blockin' | Iceberg Shorty | Main Role |
| 2007 | Who's Your Caddy ? | Himself | Small Role |
| 2009 | The Carter Documentary | Himself | Documentary DVD, Main Role |
| 2010 | Hurricane Season | Lamont Johnson | Small Role |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2007 | Access Granted | Himself | |
| The Boondocks | |||
| 2009 | Nike Zoom VI LeBron James "Chalk" | Himself | Minor appearance |
| Gatorade | Himself | Narrator | |
| 1st and 10 | |||
| Around the Horn | |||
| Behind The Music | Himself | ||
| All Access With Katie Couric | Himself | ||
| The Mo'Nique Show | Himself | ||
| 2010 | Freaknik: The Musical | Trap Jesus | |
| 2010 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Performed alongside Eminem a medley of songs including "No Love" |
Awards
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