Bouncin' And Swingin'

Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Born and raised in New Orleans, he was discovered by hometown rapper Birdman in 1993 and signed with his record label, Cash Money Records, at age eleven. He emerged as the label's flagship artist until his departure in June 2018.

Carter was first placed in a duo with Cash Money labelmate B.G. in 1994—known collectively as the B.G.'z—and they released the album ''True Story'' that year, although Carter (at the time known as Baby D) appeared on only three of its tracks. Carter and B.G. then formed the Southern hip-hop group Hot Boys with labelmates Juvenile and Turk in 1997, and released their debut album, ''Get It How U Live!'' that year. The Hot Boys gained mainstream success after the release of their second album ''Guerrilla Warfare'' (1999) and their appearance on B.G.'s single, " Bling Bling". 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.

Carter's debut studio album, '' Tha Block Is Hot'' (1999), was his breakthrough as a solo artist, quickly achieving commercial success. It was followed by ''Lights Out'' (2000) and ''500 Degreez'' (2003). Carter is credited with revolutionising the mixtape scene with his innovative approach in the 2000s. His fourth and fifth albums, ''Tha Carter'' (2004) and ''Tha Carter II'' (2005), both debuted within the top five of the ''Billboard'' 200 and received critical acclaim. His sixth album, ''Tha Carter III'' (2008), yielded the pinnacle of Wayne's career, with first-week sales of over one million units domestically. It won the Best Rap Album at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards and was supported by his first ''Billboard'' Hot 100-number one single "Lollipop" (featuring Static Major), and the top-ten singles "A Milli" and "Got Money" (featuring T-Pain).

Carter's seventh studio album, ''Rebirth'' (2010), experimented with rap rock and was released to generally negative critical reception. A month after its release, he began serving an 8-month jail sentence for criminal possession of a weapon stemming from an incident in 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 in the U.S. 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. He released his fourteenth album, ''Tha Carter VI'', in June 2025.

Carter has sold over 120 million records worldwide, including over 25 million albums and 95 million digital tracks in the U.S, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists. He has won five Grammy Awards, eleven BET Awards, four ''Billboard'' Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards and eight NAACP Image Awards. On September27, 2012, he became the first male artist to surpass Elvis Presley with the most entries on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, with 109 songs. Carter founded the record label Young Money Entertainment in 2005, which has signed artists including Drake, Tyga and Nicki Minaj.

Early life

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. 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. In a 2009 interview, CBS News anchor Katie Couric asked the rapper why he used the name Wayne instead of his given name. Carter replied, "I’ll tell you why I dropped the D right here on TV. I dropped the D because I am a junior. My father, he’s livin', and he is not in my life and he’s never been in my life. So I don't wanna be Dwayne. I’d rather be Wayne.” Couric asked if his father knew that, and Carter, chuckling, said, “He knows it now.” Carter has said that he considers his deceased stepfather Reginald "Rabbit" McDonald to be his real father. Carter has a tattoo dedicated to McDonald.

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''. Despite matriculating to Marion Abramson Senior High School, Carter left during his tenth grade year to pursue a GED. Carter's mother made the decision to remove him from school for his safety. At 15, Carter was already finding success in the music industry; his mother decided he needed to leave high school after discovering the gun he packed in his school bag for protection.

Carter wrote his first rap song at age eight. 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.

In 1994, at age 12, Carter suffered a near-fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. 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. Carter credits off-duty police officer Robert Hoobler (1956–2022), 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. Other accounts indicate that several officers played a part in deciding on and implementing that course of action.

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". They only released one album under the group name, ''True Story'' (1995).

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'', which respectively reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number five on the ''Billboard'' 200. 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''. 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. 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.

'' 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. It reached number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, but underperformed on the ''Billboard'' 200 at number fourteen.

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. The album earned Carter a 1999 ''Source'' magazine nomination for "Best New Artist", and also became a Top Ten hit. 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, but was certified gold by RIAA in June 2001, nearly six months after its release. 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. 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, it also failed to match the success of his debut. The title was a reference to the recently estranged Hot Boys member Juvenile's debut solo studio album, '' 400 Degreez'' (1998). 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. 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". 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".

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. In addition, the album's cover art featured the debut of Wayne's now-signature dreadlocks. ''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. 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.

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. 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.

''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. ''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.

In 2006, Carter collaborated with his label boss, Birdman, for the album, '' Like Father, Like Son'', which its first single "Stuntin' Like My Daddy", reached number 21 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

2006–2007: Mixtapes and collaborations

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. 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'' and ''Vibe'' 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".

Despite no album release for two years, Carter appeared in numerous singles as a featured performer, including in 2006 with the remix to "Gimme That" by Chris Brown, " Make It Rain" by Fat Joe and "You" by Lloyd, and in 2007 with "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'', Carter appeared on the singles "100 Million" and " I Run This" among several other tracks. Carter also appeared on tracks from albums, '' Getback'' by Little Brother, '' American Gangster'' by Jay-Z, and ''Graduation'' by Kanye West and ''Insomniac'' by Enrique Iglesias. "Make It Rain" (2006), a Scott Storch production that peaked at number thirteen on the Hot 100 and number two on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for 2008.

''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''. At the end of 2007, an MTV poll selected Lil Wayne as "Hottest MC in the Game

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