Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982),[2] known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time.[3] Born and raised in New Orleans, he was discovered by hometown rapper Birdman in 1993 and signed with the latter's record label, Cash Money Records, at age eleven.[4][5] He emerged as the flagship artist of the label in the following years until his departure in June 2018.[6]
He was first placed in a duo with Cash Money labelmate B.G. in 1994—known collectively as the B.G.'z—and they released an album, True Story, in July of that year, although Carter (at the time known as Baby D) only appeared on three tracks.[7] Carter and B.G. then formed the Southern hip hop group Hot Boys with labelmates Juvenile and Turk in 1997; they released their debut album, Get It How U Live! in October of that year. The Hot Boys gained mainstream success following the release of their second album Guerrilla Warfare (1999), as well as their hit single, "Bling Bling".[8] The group briefly disbanded after the album due to each member (besides Carter) parting ways with the label, although one further album—Let 'Em Burn (2003)—was released.[9]
Carter's seventh studio album, Rebirth (2010), experimented with rap rock and was released in February of that year to generally negative critical response. A month later in March, he began serving an 8-month jail sentence for criminal possession of a weapon stemming from an incident in July 2007. His eighth album, I Am Not a Human Being (2010), was released during his incarceration, while his ninth album, Tha Carter IV (2011), followed months after his release from prison. Despite mixed reviews, Tha Carter IV sold 964,000 units in its first-week domestically.[10] His twelfth studio album, Tha Carter V (2018)—preceded by I Am Not a Human Being II (2013) and Free Weezy Album (2015)—was released following long-term delays and label disputes, and was met with 480,000 in first-week sales. His thirteenth album, Funeral (2020), became his fifth non-consecutive number one album.[11]
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. was born on September27, 1982, and spent his first few years in the impoverished Hollygrove neighborhood of Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana's 17th Ward.[17] His mother, a cook, gave birth to him when she was 19 years old. His parents divorced when he was two and his father permanently abandoned the family. When CBS interviewer Katie Couric asked why he used the name Wayne instead of his given name, Carter explained that "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 I don't want to be Dwayne, I'd rather be Wayne". Asked if his father knew of this, Carter replied, "He knows now".[18] Carter has said that he considers his deceased stepfather Reginald "Rabbit" McDonald to be his real father. Carter has a tattoo dedicated to McDonald.[19]
Carter was enrolled in the gifted program at Lafayette Elementary School. He later attended Eleanor McMain Secondary School for two years, where he was an honor student and a member of the drama club, playing the Tin Man in the school's production of The Wiz.[20][21][22] After matriculating to Marion Abramson Senior High School, Carter dropped out at age 14 to focus on his musical career.[23]
Carter wrote his first rap song at age eight.[24] In the summer of 1991, he met rapper and Cash Money Records co-founder Bryan "Baby" Williams (known currently as Birdman), who mentored him and encouraged his love of hip-hop; Birdman included Carter on several Cash Money tracks, and he (in return) would often record freestyle raps on Williams' answering machine.[25]
In 1994, at age 12, Carter suffered a near-fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.[26] At the time, he said the injury was accidental. However, in September 2018, Carter claimed in interviews that it was an attempted suicide after he was told by his mother that he would have to end his rap-related associations.[27] Carter credits off-duty police officer Robert Hoobler (1956–2022),[28][29] who he calls "Uncle Bob", with saving his life by insisting the dying child be driven immediately to hospital in a police car rather than waiting for an ambulance to become available.[30] Other accounts indicate that several officers played a part in deciding on and implementing that course of action.[26]
Career
1994–1999: Career beginnings and Hot Boys
After recovering from his self-inflicted gunshot wound, Carter linked with Christopher Dorsey, a local New Orleans rapper known as B.G., his longtime friend, future Cash Money labelmate and Hot Boys bandmate. They would later form their duo, the B.G.'z, with B.G. being named "Lil Doogie" and Carter being "Baby D".[31] They only released one album under the group name, True Story (1995).[31]
In 1997, Carter and Dorsey then joined the hip-hop quartet, the Hot Boys, along with rappers and labelmates, Juvenile, and Turk. Having joined at age 14, Carter was the youngest member at the 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,[17] which respectively reached number one on the BillboardTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number five on the Billboard 200.[32] 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.[33] The group shared a track, "Bling Bling", alongside another Cash Money group, duo Big Tymers (consisting of Birdman and producer Mannie Fresh). Carter's verse appeared only on the radio version of the song, while on the album version he performed on the chorus. "Bling Bling" appeared on Hot Boys member B.G.'s solo album, Chopper City in the Ghetto, released in April 1999.[34] Carter was also featured on Juvenile's single "Back That Azz Up", which reached number eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.[35]
Let 'Em Burn, a compilation album of unreleased tracks recorded by the quartet during 1998 and 2000, was released in March 2003, several years after the group disbanded.[36] It reached number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, but underperformed on the Billboard 200 at number fourteen.[32]
1999–2004: Tha Block Is Hot, Lights Out, and 500 Degreez
Carter's debut solo album, Tha Block Is Hot, was released on November 2, 1999, when he was 17 and featured significant contributions from the Hot Boys. It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and was later certified platinum by the RIAA in December 1999, less than a month after its release.[37][17] The album earned Carter a 1999 Source magazine nomination for "Best New Artist",[38] and also became a Top Ten hit.[17] The lead single was the album's title track, which its chorus was performed by Carter's former Hot Boys cohort, Juvenile and B.G.
His second album, Lights Out, was released on December 19, 2000. It failed to attain the level of success achieved by his debut,[17] but was certified gold by RIAA in June 2001, nearly six months after its release.[39] Critics noted the lack of coherent narratives in his verses as evidence that he had yet to mature to the level of his fellow Hot Boys.[40] The lead single was "Get Off the Corner", which was noticed for an improvement in its lyrical content and style. The second single, which received less attention, was "Shine" featuring the Hot Boys. Near the release of Lights Out, Carter was featured on the single, "Number One Stunna" with Big Tymers and Juvenile, which peaked at number 24 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. The track, originally featured on Big Tymers' I Got That Work, would be used for the Spike Lee-directed comedy film, The Original Kings of Comedy.
Carter's third album, 500 Degreez, was released in August 2002. It followed the format of his previous two, with significant contributions from the Hot Boys and Mannie Fresh. While being certified gold like its predecessor,[39] it also failed to match the success of his debut.[17] The title was a reference to the recently estranged Hot Boys member Juvenile's debut solo studio album, 400 Degreez (1998).[41][42] Its lead single was "Way of Life", featuring Birdman and singer TQ with narration by its producer, Mannie Fresh; it reached number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 23 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.[43] The single featured a sample of Tupac Shakur's diss track towards the Notorious B.I.G., "Hit 'Em Up" (1996), which itself sampled Dennis Edwards and Siedah Garrett's "Don't Look Any Further" (1984). Despite the album's commercial failure, John Bush of AllMusic praised 500 Degreez, while calling "Way of Life" an "infectious party hit".[41] After the release of 500 Degreez, Carter was featured on the single "Neva Get Enuf" by 3LW, and later appeared on his future girlfriend, singer Nivea's single, "Ya Ya Ya".[44]
2004–2006: Tha Carter, Tha Carter II, and Like Father, Like Son
On June 29, 2004, Carter's fourth studio album, Tha Carter, was released, marking what critics considered advancement in his rapping style and lyrical themes.[45] In addition, the album's cover art featured the debut of Wayne's now-signature dreadlocks.[17]Tha Carter gained Wayne significant recognition, selling 878,000 copies in the United States, while the single "Go DJ" became a top five hit on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[46] After the release of Tha Carter, Lil Wayne was featured on Destiny's Child's single "Soldier" alongside Atlanta rapper T.I., which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.[47]
In 2005, Carter appeared on a remix of singer Bobby Valentino's "Tell Me", which rose to number thirteen on the U.S. Hot R&B Songs chart. That same year, Carter was named the president of Cash Money Records, but was later granted his own label; he founded Young Money Entertainment as an imprint of Cash Money and Universal Music Group.[48] However, as of late 2007, Carter reported having stepped down from the management of both labels and handed management of Young Money over to his longtime manager, Cortez Bryant.[49]
Tha Carter II, the sequel to 2004's Tha Carter, was released on December 6, 2005. Mannie Fresh was not involved in the production of the album, as he had left the label prior, due to financial issues.[50][51]Tha Carter II sold more than 238,000 copies in its first week of release, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200; the album went on to sell two million copies worldwide. The lead single, "Fireman", became a hit in the U.S., peaking at 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Other singles included "Grown Man" with Currensy, "Hustler Musik", and "Shooter" with R&B singer Robin Thicke.
Lil Wayne performing at Voodoo Music Experience in 2008
Instead of a follow-up solo album, Carter began to reach his audience through a plethora of mixtapes and guest appearances on a variety of pop, R&B and hip hop singles.[17] Of his many mixtapes, Dedication 2 and Da Drought 3 received the most media exposure and critical review. Dedication 2, released in 2006, paired Carter with DJ Drama and contained the acclaimed socially conscious track, "Georgia Bush", a remix of Field Mob and Ludacris' "Georgia", in which Carter critiqued former U.S. 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 Carter rapping over a variety of beats from recent hits by other musicians. A number of prominent hip hop magazines such as XXL[52] and Vibe[23] covered the mixtape. Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone magazine considered the mixtapes Da Drought 3 and The Drought Is Over 2 (The Carter 3 Sessions) "among the best albums of 2007".[53]
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.[23] At the end of 2007, an MTV poll selected Lil Wayne as "Hottest MC in the Game",[56]The New Yorker magazine ranked him "Rapper of the Year",[25] and GQ magazine named him "Workaholic of the Year".[57] In 2008, he was named "Best MC" by Rolling Stone.[53] Another article, built around Lil Wayne's 2007 mixtape work, cites his creative practice as an example of post-performance creative practice.[58]
2007–2010: Tha Carter III, We Are Young Money, and Rebirth
Lil Wayne performing in concert at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada, January 2009
In 2007, Carter stated that he would reunite with Hot Boys, with plans to release an album after B.G.'s solo album Too Hood to Be Hollywood was completed.[59]Tha Carter III was originally scheduled to be released in 2007, but it was delayed after several recordings were leaked and distributed through mixtapes, including The Drought Is Over Pt. 2 and The Drought Is Over Pt. 4. Lil Wayne initially planned to release The Leak, a separate album with leaked songs and four additional tracks, on December18, 2007, with Tha Carter III delayed to March18, 2008.[60] Instead, The Leak became an EP with five songs and was released digitally on December25, 2007.[61]
Tha Carter III was released on June10, 2008, with first-week sales of over 1 million copies, the first to do so since 50 Cent's The Massacre (2005).[62] The album's first single, "Lollipop", featuring Static Major, became the Carter's most successful song at the time, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming his first top ten single as a solo artist and his first number one on the chart. The third single "Got Money", featuring T-Pain, peaked at number thirteen on the Billboard 100. Tha Carter III went on to win four Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song, which he won for "Lollipop".[63] On July14, 2008, the Recording Industry Association of America certified Tha Carter III two times platinum.[64] In October 2008, Lil Wayne announced plans to MTV News to re-release the album with new tracks, including a duet with Ludacris and remixes of "A Milli".[65]
On December23, 2009, Carter released his label, Young Money's first compilation album, We Are Young Money, with its lead single being "Every Girl".[85] The second single was "BedRock", featuring Lloyd, with the third being "Roger That". On May24, 2010, the album was certified gold by the RIAA with over 500,000 copies sold.[86] Carter is featured on the song, "Revolver", with Madonna for her greatest hits album, Celebration (2009). He was also featured on a Weezer song, "Can't Stop Partying", on Raditude (2009).[87] In late 2008, Carter announced plans to reissue Tha Carter III with leftover recordings, and was to be titled Rebirth, originally scheduled to be released on April7, 2009, before being delayed several times.[88]Rebirth instead became his sixth solo studio album, re-recorded with replaced material and later released on February2, 2010. The album received negative reviews from fans and critics, considering it Carter's worst album released since 500 Degreez (2002).[89]
To support its release and that of We Are Young Money, Carter was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone[90] and headlined the 'Young Money Presents: America's Most Wanted Music Festival', a United States and Canada–only concert tour which began on July29, 2009. "Prom Queen", the first official single, debuted on January27, 2009, immediately after a live Internet broadcast of his concert in San Diego on Ustream (now IBM Cloud Video).[91][92] It peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. On December3, 2009, the second single, "On Fire", produced by Cool & Dre, was released.[93] Based on a sample of Amy Holland's "She's on Fire" from the soundtrack to the 1983 film, Scarface, "On Fire" peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Drop the World", which features Eminem, was the album's third single; it was produced by a then-unknown Hit-Boy.[93]
2010–2013: I Am Not a Human Being series and Tha Carter IV
In an interview on MTV's Mixtape Monday, Carter hinted at the release of Tha Carter IV.[94] He later announced that it would be released in late 2009 before the holiday season.[95]Birdman had previously stated that Tha Carter IV would be packaged with Rebirth as a double disc album.[96] Carter denied this, saying that "Tha Carter IV deserves Tha Carter IV", adding that We Are Young Money may be packaged with Rebirth.[97][98] These albums were eventually released separately.[citation needed]
Carter released his eighth album, I Am Not a Human Being, on his 28th birthday, September27, 2010. Unfortunately, the album was released during Carter's incarceration on a weapon possession charge.[99] The album has sold over 953,000 copies in the U.S.[100] and spawned the successful single "Right Above It", which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also debuted at number two, but later climbed to number one on the Billboard 200, making Carter the first rapper while incarcerated (since Tupac Shakur's Me Against the World, released in 1995) to have a number one album.[101][102]
Lil Wayne in 2011
Tha Carter IV was delayed into 2011, after Lil Wayne began recording from scratch after his release from prison.[103] He described his first song since his release as "a 2010 version of A Milli on steroids". The lead single from Tha Carter IV, "6 Foot 7 Foot" featuring Cory Gunz, was released on December15, 2010.[104] On March8, Carter released another song, "We Back Soon", though it was not included on the official track listing of Tha Carter IV.[105] The second single, "John", featuring Rick Ross, was released on March24.[citation needed] In an interview on March29, Carter announced that he would retire at age 35; saying that "I would feel selfish still going to the studio when it's such a vital point" in the lives of his four children.[106]
The artwork for Tha Carter IV was unveiled on April20. Originally scheduled to be released on May16,[107] it was delayed several times until being confirmed for release on August 29, 2011.[108] On May26, the album's third single, "How to Love", was released. He released another track, "Dear Anne (Stan Part 2)", in June.[citation needed] In preparation for Tha Carter IV, Carter released a mixtape, Sorry 4 the Wait, in similarity to his mixtape No Ceilings (2009); the mixtape was re-released on streaming services in January 2022 with four additional tracks.[109]
Finally released on August 29, 2011, Tha Carter IV debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 964,000 copies (overshadowing the first-week sales of Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne),[110] making it Carter's third chart-topping album of his career. On January8, 2012, according to Nielsen SoundScan, Carter was the seventh all-time best-selling artist for digital track sales with 36,788,000 million to the end of 2011.[citation needed]
In October 2011, it was reported that Carter was working on sequels to both I Am Not a Human Being and Rebirth.[111] In January 2012, Birdman announced that he and Carter had finished recording Like Father, Like Son 2.[112] On November22, 2012, Carter announced that Tha Carter V would be his final album, as he wanted to pursue other interests.[113][114]
After a one-year delay, I Am Not a Human Being II was released on March26, 2013, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 selling 217,000 copies in its first week;[115] "My Homies Still", "Love Me", and "No Worries" were released as singles prior to its release. The album was met with generally mixed reviews, with most critics noticing the declining quality of his releases. Carter toured North America with 2 Chainz and T.I. on the second America's Most Wanted Festival.[116] On May3, 2013, Pepsi dropped Carter, who was a spokesperson for Mountain Dew, due to him performing offensive lyrics about civil rights icon Emmett Till on the remix to rapper Future's single, "Karate Chop".[117] On September1, 2013, Carter released Dedication 5, the fifth instalment of the Dedication mixtape series. The mixtape featured 29 tracks, with guest appearances from several members of Young Money.[118]
2014–2019: Free Weezy Album and Tha Carter V
Wayne performing in 2015
On October18, 2013, former Cash Money Records vice president of promotion Mel Smith, tweeted: "Happy Friday!! New YMCMB music coming soon!! Carter 5."[119] Nearly four months later, in an interview with The Griffin, released on February14, 2014, Smith spoke on the upcoming album: "We're very close to dropping the album. It's going to be a huge surprise to everyone ... I can't release the date because he wants to surprise people."[119] On February15, during Drake's performance at the NBA All-Star Weekend festivities in New Orleans, Carter appeared as a guest performer before announcing that Tha Carter V would be released on May5, 2014.[120][121] In March 2014, Carter again said during an interview at SXSW that Tha Carter V would be his last album.[122]
On March27, 2014, Carter's manager Cortez Bryant announced that the album had been delayed.[123][124] Carter then serviced released a single "Believe Me", which features vocals from Drake, to mainstream urban radio in the United States on May6, 2014.[125] Three more singles, "Krazy", "Grindin'" (featuring Drake) and "Start a Fire" (featuring Christina Milian), were also released, but ultimately scrapped from the album.[126][127][128]
In late 2014, Carter claimed that the album's release was postponed due to his financial disputes with Cash Money.[135][50]
On January20, 2015, Carter self-releasedSorry 4 the Wait 2, a sequel to his 2011 mixtape, to compensate for the continued delay of Tha Carter V.[136][137] In February 2015, due to Tha Carter V's delay, Carter announced that a free album would be released prior to the fifth installment in his popular series.[138] In June 2015, Carter joined Jay-Z's TIDAL, as an artist owner, kicking off the partnership by exclusively releasing a single on the service titled "Glory".[139] He also announced plans on his own TIDAL X concert series.[140] On July4, 2015, Carter released Free Weezy Album, exclusively through TIDAL, under Young Money and Republic Records.[141] On January27, 2016, when rapper 2 Chainz released his "Felt Like Cappin" EP, Carter is featured on the lead single titled "Back on That Bullshit".[citation needed] On March4, 2016, 2 Chainz released his third studio album, ColleGrove. The album was initially a collaborative effort between 2 Chainz and Carter, but due to his record label issues, only 2 Chainz was credited as the primary artist.[citation needed] In September 2016, Carter tweeted that he "I AM NOW DEFENSELESS and mentally DEFEATED", followed by stating "I'm done", hinting at a possible retirement. Many rappers responded with respect and encouragement.[142]
In 2017, Carter announced he had signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation,[143] although he later stated that there was no official paperwork that he signed to the label.[citation needed] On June28, 2016, Carter was one of several artists who appeared on the track "Sucker for Pain" for the DC Comics film Suicide Squad.[citation needed] On August8, 2017, he released the song "Like a Man" with sound engineer Onhel.[144] On June7, 2018, it was announced that Carter had been released from Cash Money Records and will be releasing Tha Carter V via Young Money and Republic Records.[145][146]
In September 2016, Carter's song, "No Mercy", debuted as the theme song for Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, a sports talk show on FS1.[147][148] On Christmas Day 2017, Carter released the mixtape Dedication 6, the sixth installment of the "Gangsta Grillz" chronology. The second part was released on January26, 2018.[149][150]
Tha Carter V was finally released on September27, 2018, the day of Carter's 36th birthday, debuting at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 with 480,000 album-equivalent units, including 140,000 pure album sales. It is the second-largest streaming week for an album behind former Young Money labelmate Drake's Scorpion with 433 million streams. It is also Carter's fourth number-one Billboard 200 album.[151] Every song on the album charted on the Billboard 100, while simultaneously charting 4 songs in the top 10, also becoming the first artist to debut two songs in the top five.[152][153] One of the album's singles, "Uproar", produced by Swizz Beatz, was its leading, reaching number seven on the Billboard Hot 100; it features a sample from rapper G. Dep's 2001 single, "Special Delivery".[154]Tha Carter V has since been certified 2× platinum by the RIAA.[155]
2020–present: Funeral and Tha Carter VI
While Carter was working on Tha Carter V, it was announced that his next album would be titled Funeral.[156] On January23, 2020, he revealed the album's release date and album artwork.[157][158]Funeral was released on January31, and debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, with 139,000 album-equivalent units, becoming his fifth U.S. number-one album.[159] The album received generally mixed-to-positive reviews from music critics.[160] On February2, 2020, Lil Wayne competed in season three of The Masked Singer after the Super Bowl LIV as "Robot". He was the first to be eliminated. Carter featured on Lil Baby's track "Forever", a track from Baby's second studio album, My Turn, which was released on February28, 2020.[161][162] The song's music video was released on March3, 2020.[163] This marked the second collaboration for the two artists in 2020, with the first being on Carter's single, "I Do It".[161]
On April24, 2020, Lil Wayne, along with Litt Live (formerly at the time, Dash Radio), launched his own radio show, Young Money Radio, on Apple Music through its subdivision Apple Music 1. Wayne described the show as having "heavyweights calling in discussing sports, music, comedy, everything!".[164] On July3, Lil Wayne released his eleventh studio album, Free Weezy Album (2015) on streaming services to commemorate its five-year anniversary. The album charted at number 77 on the Billboard 200 the following week.[165] On May29, Wayne released the deluxe edition of Funeral featuring artists such as Doja Cat, Tory Lanez, Lil Uzi Vert, Benny The Butcher, Conway the Machine and Jessie Reyez.[166] On August28, Wayne released another old project, his 2009 mixtape No Ceilings, for commercial release. He also celebrated the release by collaborating with ASAP Ferg on the song "No Ceilings".[167] Wayne was featured on YoungBoy Never Broke Again's album Top on the track "My Window", released on September11. His verse received praise from critics.[168][169][170][171] On September25, he released the deluxe edition of his twelfth album Tha Carter V, to celebrate the album's two-year anniversary; it consists of songs that did not make the cut on the original album.[172]
On November27, 2020, Lil Wayne released the mixtape, No Ceilings 3, while announcing the album, I Am Not a Human Being III, for 2021,[173] although it would not be released that year due to delays. On October1, 2021, Wayne and Rich the Kid released a collaborative mixtape titled Trust Fund Babies, along with a music video for the single "Feelin' Like Tunechi". The mixtape took roughly a month and a half to record. On their working relationship, Wayne said, "For me, it's the chemistry, it's the camaraderie because first of all, Rich like my little bro and me and Rich been rockin' for a minute".[174]
On March31, 2023, Wayne dropped his first ever greatest hits album titled I Am Music.[175] It included the then-unreleased "Kant Nobody", featuring DMX, whose song, "Niggaz Done Started Something" (1998), was sampled through.[176] Wayne and DMX previously collaborated on "Dogs Out", a track from the latter's posthumous album, Exodus, which was released a month after his death in 2021.[177] Wayne released a single titled "Kat Food" on September1, 2023.[167] That October, Lil Wayne released a mixtape, Tha Fix Before Tha VI.[178] On November3, 2023, Wayne was featured on the remix to Ciara and Chris Brown's single "How We Roll".[179] That same month, he and 2 Chainz released a collaborative album, Welcome 2 Collegrove.[180][181] A sequel to 2 Chainz's 2016 album, ColleGrove, Wayne was credited as a co-leading artist as he was previously unable to receive credit for its predecessor, due to his prior legal issues involving his Cash Money dispute.[citation needed]
Carter has announced several possible upcoming projects, including a collaborative album entitled I Can't Feel My Face with Harlem-based rapper Juelz Santana, that has been in production for several years.[182][183] In late 2011, it was announced by Mack Maine that Carter and Juelz Santana had gone back to work on their collaborative album I Can't Feel My Face, which had been delayed for a few years due to "label politics".[184]
On June19, 2008, Carter and T-Pain formed a duo called T-Wayne[185] with plans to release an album, titled He Raps, He Sings;[186] however, those plans have died down due to much of the material recorded for the album being leaked.[187] T-Pain ultimately released T-Wayne as a mixtape in 2017.[188]
According to an interview with Drake, in the December 2011 issue of XXL, plans for an upcoming album with Carter had been scrapped for the time being because of the Jay-Z and Kanye West collaboration album Watch the Throne (2011).[189][190]
In April 2012, on the premiere of MTV's Hip Hop POV, Carter sat down with Amanda Seales and spoke briefly about an album he put together titled Devol (loved, backwards), an album full of "love songs" that he wrote during his imprisonment at Rikers Island. In May 2013, he confirmed the album will still be released.[191][192][193]
Carter's once ongoing litigation with Cash Money prevented numerous completed projects from being released. In January 2017, Young Money revealed the title of a planned Carter album called Velvet.[194] The album ended up leaking online in November 2018.[195]
Artistry
Lil Wayne has cited rapper Missy Elliott as his biggest musical inspiration, saying "she's a huge influence of everything I've ever done".[196] Another one of his major influences is American hip hop group Goodie Mob.[197] In an interview with Genius, Lil Wayne said "I've been listening to Goodie Mob since I was in the 7th grade".[198] For his MTV Unplugged special, Lil Wayne paid tribute to Tupac by covering his music.[199] He also pulled inspiration from Tupac's "Keep Ya Head Up" for his 2011 single "How to Love".[10]
According to American Songwriter, Lil Wayne credits Jay-Z for inspiring him to freestyle rhymes while recording over an instrumental, as opposed to writing down his lyrics.[203] Lil' Wayne also credits The Notorious B.I.G. as an influence.[204][205]
Legacy
Lil Wayne is claimed to be "one of the most influential artists in the 21st century" and is many times called as "the greatest rapper of his generation", as well as one of the greatest rappers of all time.[206][207] His musical style and usage of autotune influenced modern sound of hip-hop music and its subgenres, especially development of trap.[208]
Artists like Nicki Minaj, Young Thug and Lil Skies have often mentioned Lil Wayne as their musical role model and inspiration.
In November 2024, Lil Wayne, during the Lil WeezyAna Fest, received a Key to the City from New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. In the same tribute, Master P announced the creation of the NOLA Walk of Fame and presented Wayne with a fleur-de-lis plaque to mark this honor. Additionally, February 6-7 will now be celebrated as "Lil Wayne Day" in New Orleans.[229][230]
Personal life
Relationships and children
Carter has four children. His first child, daughter Reginae, was born November29, 1998, when he was 16,[231] to his high school sweetheart and later ex-wife Toya Johnson. Internet rumors circulated in August 2008 that Carter's daughter had died in an auto accident; he immediately dispelled them.[232] His second child, son Dwayne III, was born on October22, 2008, at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati[233] to former radio personality Sarah Vivan.[234][235] His third child, son Cameron,[236] was born to actress Lauren London on September9, 2009.[237] His fourth child, son Neal, was born on November30, 2009, to singer Nivea.[238]
Carter met his high school sweetheart Toya Johnson, when he was 15 and she was 14, respectively. After dating on and off for seven years, they married on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2004 and divorced in January 2006.[239] Johnson cited her inability to cope with his lifestyle and the fact he had communicated with his other former romantic partners prior. More specifically, his career kept him away from their home for long periods of time. Despite being divorced, the two have remained good friends and continued to jointly support their daughter, Reginae.[240][241]
In February 2002, after he first broke up with Johnson, he began dating singer Nivea.[242] On the 2007 song "Something You Forgot", he explained his feelings for Nivea, whom he got engaged to in December 2002 but broke off the engagement with in August 2003. Nivea stated that Carter tried to make her quit doing music so that he could take care of her,[243][244] but also acknowledged that the song was written about her.[245]
Previously having known each other since 1999, Carter and Lauren London reconciled following his divorce from Johnson in 2006, but broke up again in 2009, after London found out that she was pregnant at the same time as Carter's ex-girlfriend, Nivea.[246] In a May 2011 radio interview, London said of her relationship with Wayne and his fatherhood, "I met Wayne when I was 15 years old. I've known him a very long time, and we were in a relationship that didn't make it. We tried more than once to revive it, and we were engaged briefly years ago, but we eventually parted ways. People see the 'Lil Wayne' personality and think they know who he really is. My son's father is an intelligent, loving, and lovable person who will always be a dear friend. And that will never change. That is all."[247][248] On the 500 Degreez track, "Young'n Blues", he discussed his breakup with Toya Johnson and his issues with London, while he nicknamed the latter "young Cali sweet thing".[249]
Carter began dating rapper Trina in 2005, after featuring on her single, "Don't Trip". The two were discussing future plans for engagement and moving to Florida to live together. However, in 2006, after Trina suffered a miscarriage from what was later confirmed to be her and Carter's unborn child, they have grown distant from one another. It was during that time when Trina developed an affair with Carter's would be rival, rapper Young Buck.[250][251] In October 2007, the relationship ended after Trina realized that it was not properly empathized.[252][253] According to her, it was the cause of the pair "being young and not knowing what [we were] doing".[254] The two reunited to collaborate for the 2013 single, "Wowzerz", and 2019's "Situation",[254] and remain on good terms.
Carter and Nivea reconciled in early 2008, following Nivea's divorce from singer-songwriter The-Dream.[255][256] Both were re-engaged in 2009, but Nivea decided to end her relationship with Carter while pregnant with their son and they called off their engagement for the second time in June 2010, in the midst of Carter's prison sentence.[257]
He entered into an intimate relationship with glamour model Tammy Torres from 2009 to 2010.[242] While imprisoned, Drake encouraged him not to rekindle his relationship with Torres, due to him already having had an encounter with her.[260] After ending his relationship with Torres and mending over his falling out with Drake, Carter later got involved with Dhea Sodano from 2011 to 2019.[261][242]
In July 2014, it was rumored that Carter was dating singer Christina Milian, with whom he attended the ESPY Awards.[262] They later confirmed their relationship in mid-2015,[263] after which they received criticism from their interconnected exes, singer Nivea[264] and songwriter The-Dream.[265] They split in August 2015,[266][267] having collaborated on multiple singles, videos, and concert dates.
Wayne was engaged to model La'Tecia Thomas but called off the engagement in May 2020.[268] A month later, it was announced that Wayne had started dating Denise Bidot, another model.[269] In November 2020, they reportedly broke up over Wayne's endorsement of Donald Trump.[270] Shortly after, it was reported that the couple had reconciled.[271][272][273][274] Wayne and Bidot later broke up again in January 2022.[275][276]
Beliefs and interests
In an interview with Blender, Carter revealed one of his favorite bands from childhood to be rock group Nirvana, and cites them as a major influence in his music.[277]
Wayne in 2006
Carter got his first tattoo at age 14 of his dad's name and his second was "Cash Money" across his stomach.[278] His tattoos have grown to include a Jay-Z verse on his leg, "I Am Music" on his forehead and teardrops on his cheeks among many others. His most recent one is "Baked" on his forehead stylized as the Baker Skateboards logo.[279][280][281]
After earning his GED, Carter enrolled at the University of Houston in January 2005. He dropped out in the same year due to his conflicting schedule.[286][287] He also revealed on The View that he switched to the University of Phoenix and majored in psychology taking online courses.[81] An article in Urb magazine in March 2007 asserted that Carter had been earning high grades at Houston.[288]
In 2016, Carter purchased Player's Rep. Sports Agency, and became Young Money APAA sports, which hired NFL's first female sports agent, Nicole Lynn. She currently represents Seth Roberts, Corey Nelson, Jordan Evans, Malik Jefferson, Erik Harris, Quinnen Williams, as well as NCAA coaches, and two former No. 1 Pro Softball draft picks.[289]
On October29, 2020, less than a week before the presidential election, Carter posted an image of him and President Donald Trump to Twitter. In the caption for the photo, Carter revealed that he and Trump had recently met to discuss criminal justice reform and Trump's Platinum Plan, an initiative which aims to raise access to capital in Black communities by almost $500 billion. Carter claimed Trump "listened to what we had to say today and assured he will and can get it done".[290]
Health problems
On October25, 2012, Carter's private jet, bound for Los Angeles, made an emergency landing in Texas due to an in-flight medical episode. Lil Wayne was transferred to a local hospital upon arrival.[291]TMZ and other media sources said that Carter had suffered a seizure aboard the plane.[292] His publicist denied this, saying that he was in fact treated for "a severe migraine and dehydration".[293]
The following day, while flying from Texas to Los Angeles, Carter's private jet was reportedly again forced to make an emergency landing, this time in Louisiana, after he suffered a second seizure and required further hospitalization.[293][294] His representative said that the reports of Carter's condition had been exaggerated, and that he was resting at his Louisiana home.[295] In a November 2012 interview with MTV, Carter revealed that he was taking seizure medication, on doctors' orders, due to the aforementioned incidents.[296]
On March14, 2013, TMZ reported that Carter had been treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on the evening of March12, after having seizures while on a music video set with Young Money rapper Nicki Minaj. He was reportedly released in the early hours of March13.[297] On March15, TMZ published a second story, claiming that hours after his release on March13, Carter was found unconscious after experiencing further seizures, and was brought back to Cedars-Sinai, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit in critical condition.[298][299][300] The article alleged the latest seizures were found to be linked to high amounts of codeine in Carter's system, possibly due to bingeing on purple drank after his initial hospital release.[299][301][302] Multiple celebrities, including Drake and Birdman, were photographed on March15 and 16 visiting Carter at Cedars-Sinai.[301]
Several members of Young Money Entertainment, including president Mack Maine, criticized media reports on Carter's hospitalization, particularly those of TMZ, alleging that they exaggerated the severity of his condition and falsely implied that he was on his deathbed (such as by saying that he was in a medically induced coma),[303] triggering what the Washington Post called "the most overheated celebrity deathwatch in recent years".[304] In separate interviews on March18, Mack Maine and Birdman disputed TMZ's reports, and stated that in fact there were not multiple seizures or multiple hospital visits. They explained that after Carter began seizing on the way to the music video shoot on March12, an ambulance was called and he was transported to the hospital, where he was admitted and remained continuously thereafter.[305] They also refuted the claims that Carter's seizures are drug-induced, saying that they are an ongoing problem for which doctors have been unable to identify a cause.[306]
Carter was released from the hospital late on March18, following a six-day stay.[307] Lil Wayne addressed his condition via a vlog, on March21 saying he was more than good.[308]
Carter had two seizures in June 2016, during a cross-country flight from Wisconsin to California, and landed in Omaha, Nebraska.[309] His plane was only two minutes in the air when the second seizure occurred, forcing the plane to land in Omaha once again. Less than a month later, he had another seizure, supposedly due to not taking his epilepsy medication.[310]
Carter canceled a Las Vegas show on September3, 2017, having had a seizure in a Chicago hospital earlier that day, where he was brought after being found unconscious in a hotel room.[311]
Philanthropy
On February19, 2008, Carter and his manager Cortez Bryant revisited their alma mater McMain Secondary School to get students to design an invitation to the gala introducing Carter's nonprofit One Family Foundation.[312]
In December 2019, Carter announced his own cannabis brand under the name of GKUA Ultra Premium.[314]
Sports media
On September24, 2008, Carter published his first blog for ESPN in their issue, ESPN The Magazine. Carter revealed he was a fan of tennis, the Green Bay Packers, the Boston Bruins, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Red Sox. To commemorate the Packers' making it to Super Bowl XLV, he spoofed Wiz Khalifa's hit song "Black and Yellow" (which were the colors of the Packers' opponents, the Pittsburgh Steelers) in a song titled "Green and Yellow".[315] He released a second version of the song in 2021, which was requested by the Packers, and updated with the current roster.[316] Carter has continued writing for ESPN, notably reporting at the ESPN Super Bowl party.[317]
Carter made his debut on ESPN's daily sports round table show Around The Horn on February10, 2009.[320] Carter created the intro song "No Mercy" for the Fox Sports 1 sports debate show Undisputed. After Shannon Sharpe's departure from the show, Carter created a no theme song for Undisputed titled "Good Morning".[321] Carter also joined the series as a regular guest opposite Bayless.[322]
Legal issues
Arrests, incarceration, and presidential pardon
On July22, 2007, Carter was arrested in New York City following a performance at the Beacon Theatre; the New York City Police Department discovered Carter and another man smoking marijuana near a tour bus. After taking Carter into custody, police discovered a .40 caliber pistol near his person. The gun, which was registered to his manager, was in a bag located near the rapper.[323] He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and marijuana.[324][325]
Following a performance at Qwest Arena in Boise, Idaho, Carter was arrested October5, 2007, on felony fugitive charges after Georgia authorities accused the rapper of possessing a controlled substance.[326] The incident was later described as a "mix-up" and the fugitive charges were dropped.[327]
On January23, 2008, Carter was arrested alongside two others. His tour bus was stopped by Border Patrol agents near Yuma, Arizona. A K-9 Unit recovered 105 grams (3.7 oz) of marijuana, almost 29 grams (1.0 oz) of cocaine, 41 grams (1.4 oz) of ecstasy, and $22,000 in cash. Carter 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.[328]
On May6, 2008, Carter returned to court in Arizona to plead not guilty to the charges.[329] A bench warrant was issued on March17, 2010, when Carter did not show for a final trial management conference.[330][331] However, he was already incarcerated, serving a one-year sentence on Rikers Island on weapons charges. On June22, 2010, Carter pleaded guilty to the charges. As part of the plea deal he was able to serve 36 months of probation, which he was sentenced to on June30, 2010.[332][333]
On December18, 2009, Carter and 11 others were detained at the Falfurrias, Texas, border patrol checkpoint after an unknown amount of marijuana was found on two of his tour buses.[334]
On October22, 2009, Carter 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 county jail sentence,[335] but on February9, 2010, Carter's attorney announced that the sentencing was delayed until March2 due to dental surgery,[336] which was performed on February16. 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.[337] On March2, 2010, sentencing was postponed again when the courthouse reported a fire in the basement.[338]
On March8, 2010, Carter was given a one-year sentence, which he served on Rikers Island. His lawyer said the rapper expected to be held in protective custody, separated from other prisoners.[339] In May 2010, Carter was found by Rikers Island correctional staff to be in possession of contraband (an MP3 player, charger, and headphones).[340] In April 2010, Carter's friends created a website called Weezy Thanx You, which published letters written by Carter while incarcerated.[281][341] In the first letter, titled "Gone 'til November", Carter said he was staying in good spirits thinking about his children and spending his time working out regularly and reading the Bible every day.[281] Carter was released from Rikers Island Jail on November4, 2010, after serving eight months of his year-long sentence.[342]
On December12, 2020, Carter pleaded guilty to a federal firearms charge brought against him by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. This plea stemmed from an incident during December of the previous year, when Carter was arrested in Florida after transporting a loaded handgun on his private jet from California. As a convicted felon, he is barred from possessing such weapons.[343] He was pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump on January19, 2021, his last full day in office.[344]
In February 2009, production company RMF Productions filed a $1.3 million lawsuit against Carter following a $100,000 advance payment for three shows, all of which were cancelled by the artist.[348]
In October 2009, Carter, Birdman, Cash Money Records, and various music distribution outlets were sued for copyright infringement by Thomas Marasciullo, who says his voice was used without permission. The rappers asked him to record some "Italian-styled spoken word recordings" in 2006. The lyrics were allegedly used on "Respect" and other tracks from the rappers' collaboration album Like Father, Like Son and Birdman's 5 * Stunna.[349]
In March 2011, producer Deezle (Darius Harrison) sued Carter and his parent labels Cash Money Records over unpaid royalties from Tha Carter III.[350] Two months later, that May, producer Bangladesh also filed a lawsuit against Wayne over unpaid royalties as well.[351]
In early June 2011, another producer named David Kirkwood filed a lawsuit against Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records on claims that the labels have failed to pay him over $1.5 million in royalties and production services for his work on the album, also including his songwriting on "Love Me or Hate Me", a bonus song featured only on the deluxe edition of the album.[352]
Also in June 2011, Dallas producers Play-N-Skillz filed a lawsuit against him, saying Carter owes them at least $1 million in unpaid royalties for "Got Money" from his album Tha Carter III. The single has sold over 2 million copies since being released.[353]
In July 2011, Done Deal Enterprises, a production company based in Georgia, filed suit against Carter, Universal Music Group, Cash Money Records and Young Money Entertainment, claiming copyright infringement. The lawsuit alleges Carter stole the song "BedRock", featured on the compilation album We Are Young Money, and seeks damages of $15 million.[354]
In November 2012, Wayne was ordered to pay Quincy Jones III $2.2 million based on a lawsuit which stated that the rapper blocked the release of Jones's film The Carter, therefore infringing on its profits.[355]
Controversies and feuds
Juvenile
Carter began feuding with former Hot Boys member and Cash Money Records labelmate Juvenile in 2002, after Juvenile took offense to Carter naming his third studio album 500 Degreez, a diss aimed towards Juvenile whose last album was named 400 Degreez.[citation needed] Juvenile responded with a diss track on his 2002 album 600 Degreez, titled "A Hoe". In the song, Juvenile questions Carter's sexuality, and says he's a fake gangster. The two squashed their beef for a short period in 2004, with Carter and Birdman appearing in the music video for Juvenile and Soulja Slim's song, Slow Motion. Carter later paid tribute to the Hot Boys with a song called "I Miss My Dawgs" on 2004's Tha Carter. Juvenile responded by calling the song "fake", and criticized Carter for releasing a tribute song and later promoting the album on BET and having "nothing good to say about them". The two eventually reconciled once again, and Juvenile re-signed with Cash Money Records in 2014.[356][357]
Young Buck
Young Buck released a song called "Off Parole", featuring Tony Yayo, which insulted Carter. Young Buck said that Carter could not be angry, because Young Buck spoke the truth. Young Buck also said "You think you got a problem with Juve and B.G.; you'll have a true problem with me", referring to the Cash Money-Juvenile/B.G feud.[358][359] One of the reasons 50 Cent stated he was dismissing Young Buck was what he called "inconsistent behavior" which included appearing on stage with Carter, then seemingly dissing him on records with G-Unit.[360] After he was dismissed, Young Buck appeared in the music video "My Life" by The Game, which featured Carter on the song's chorus.[361] As of 2009, Young Buck and Carter have squashed their beef and also linked up to record a track "Up's and Down's" for Young Buck's Back on My Buck Shit mixtape.
Pusha T
Tension between Wayne and Pusha T had been going on for years, beginning soon after Clipse and Birdman worked on "What Happened to That Boy", the latter's 2002 single. In 2006, Wayne felt the Clipse song "Mr. Me Too" was directed at him which caused more tension between the two.[362] In 2012, after much speculation that Pusha T was subliminally dissing Canadian rapper and Wayne's Young Money signee Drake in several songs, the speculation heightened after the release of Pusha T's "Exodus 23:1" song. Lil Wayne quickly responded on online social networking service Twitter and later released a diss track titled "Goulish". In the first verse, Wayne raps "Fuck Pusha T and anybody that love him / His head up his ass, I'mma have to head-butt him".[363] Pusha T called Wayne's diss track "horrible" and said he felt it did not deserve a response. Both men have downplayed the feud, with Wayne saying he's over it.[364][365] However, in November 2012, Pusha T dissed Wayne and Birdman on a new Ludacris song titled "Tell Me What They Mad For".[366] In December 2014, once the feud between Lil Wayne and Birdman arose, Pusha T sent out a tweet encouraging Lil Wayne to sign to G.O.O.D. Music, which also insulted Birdman for his hand-rubbing habit.[367][non-primary source needed]
Jay-Z
In a 2009 interview with Tropical TV, Birdman disputed the MTV poll that voted Jay-Z "The Hottest MC in the Game", stating that Lil Wayne was a better rapper and made more money.[368] In early 2011, when Jay-Z and Kanye West's single "H•A•M" was released, Jay-Z took shots at Birdman, saying "Really, you got Baby money" and "[you] ain't got my lady's money!".[369] On August24, 2011, a song called "It's Good" by Lil Wayne (featuring Drake and Jadakiss) was leaked online and included Lil Wayne responding "Talkin' 'bout baby money? I gotcha baby money. Kidnap your bitch, get that, How much you love your lady? money".[370][371] Jadakiss later absolved himself of involvement in any brewing beef on his official Twitter feed.[372][373]
Dispute with Cash Money Records
On December 4, 2014, just five days before Tha Carter V was due to be released, Carter issued a statement saying the album would not be released on its expected release date, due to his displeasure with Cash Money Records label-boss Birdman, refusing to release the album although it had been completed. Carter also expressed his feelings by stating he felt both he and his creativity were being held "prisoner".[135][374]
Upon Sorry for the Wait 2's release on January 20, 2015, he continuously disses Birdman and Cash Money Records, several times throughout the mixtape.[375][376][377] Birdman was reported to be upset with this.[378] In late January 2015, Carter sued Birdman and Cash Money Records for $51 million.[379][380] Carter and Birdman supposedly reconciled after being seen at Drake's NYE Party, at Miami's Club Liv, and in studio.[381]
On January 27, 2024, both Carter and Birdman reunited during a studio session, putting an end to their nine-year quarrel.[382]
Political and racial views
In 2013, Carter received criticism after a video released by TMZ showed him apparently stepping on the U.S. flag. Carter later explained that "It was never my intention to desecrate the flag of the United States", and that he was shooting a video for a song on his upcoming album, "God Bless Amerika". He says the purpose of the flag was to show that "behind the American Flag was the Hoods of America".[383]
In late 2016, Carter made statements critical of the Black Lives Matter movement, saying, "I don't feel connected to a damn thing that ain't got nothin' to do with me. If you do, you crazy as shit," adding that his status as a wealthy black man who has white fans is evidence that black people are valued in the United States.[384]
^"Lauren London and Lil Wayne Welcome a Son". People. Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. Retrieved December 29, 2009. In a statement to 'People', a rep for the 24-year-old ... actress confirms the birth, revealing that a "healthy baby boy" arrived on Wednesday, September 9.
^ abSanneh, Kelefa (February 26, 2008). "Savoring a Moment in the Sun, Despite a Court Date". The New York Times. Retrieved December 2, 2010. Lil Wayne had three things to explain. No. 1, a religious confession: "I believe in God and his son, Jesus. Do you?" He interpreted the roar as an affirmative response. No. 2, a professional confession: He said he was nothing without the fans, adding, "Make some noise for what you created!" Noise was made. No. 3: Same as No. 2. More noise.
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