Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982),[2] known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation,[3] and is often mentioned among the greatest rappers of all time.[4][5] Carter's career began in 1995, when he was signed by rapper Birdman to his record label Cash Money Records, becoming the youngest member of the label at age eleven.[6][7] From then on, he was the flagship artist of Cash Money Records before ending his association with the imprint in June 2018.[8]
"Dwayne Carter" redirects here. For the racecar driver, see Duane Carter.
Lil Wayne
- Weezy
- Weezy F. Baby
- Tunechi
- President Carter
- Rapper
- singer
- songwriter
- record executive
- entrepreneur
1995–present
- Founder of Young Money Entertainment
- Co-founder of Trukfit Clothing
- Nivea (2002–2003, 2009–2010; ex-fiancée)
- La'Tecia Thomas (2019–2020; ex-fiancée)
- Denise Bidot (2020–2022)
4
In 1995, Carter was placed in a duo with labelmate B.G. 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.[9] Carter and B.G. soon formed the Southern hip hop group Hot Boys with Cash Money label-mates 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 single "Bling Bling".[10] 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.[11]
Carter's debut studio album, Tha Block Is Hot (1999) quickly achieved commercial success and served as his breakthrough as a solo act, followed by Lights Out (2000) and 500 Degreez (2003). He reached wider popularity and critical acclaim with his fourth and fifth albums Tha Carter (2004) and Tha Carter II (2005), as well as several mixtapes and collaborations throughout 2006 and 2007. He propelled to the forefront of hip hop with his sixth album Tha Carter III (2008), with first-week sales of over one million units in the US. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and was supported by his first Billboard Hot 100-number one single "Lollipop" (featuring Static Major), the top-ten singles "A Milli" and "Got Money" (featuring T-Pain), and the top-20 single "Mrs. Officer" (featuring Bobby V and Kidd Kidd).
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 the release of his ninth album, Tha Carter IV (2011) coincided months after his release from prison. Tha Carter IV sold 964,000 units in its first-week in the United States and received mixed reviews.[12] 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.[13]
Carter has sold over 120 million records worldwide, including more than 25 million albums and 92 million digital tracks in the United States, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists.[14][15][16] He has won five Grammy Awards, eleven BET Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards and eight NAACP Image Awards. On September 27, 2012, he became the first male artist to surpass Elvis Presley with the most entries on the Billboard Hot 100, with 109 songs.[17][18] 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 September 27, 1982, and spent his first few years in the impoverished Hollygrove neighborhood of Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana's 17th Ward.[19] 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".[20] Carter has said that he considers his deceased stepfather Reginald "Rabbit" McDonald to be his real father. Carter has a tattoo dedicated to McDonald.[21]
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.[22][23][24] After matriculating to Marion Abramson Senior High School, Carter dropped out at age 14 to focus on his musical career.[25]
Carter wrote his first rap song at age eight.[26] 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 Carter would often record freestyle raps on Williams' answering machine.[27]
In 1994, at age 12, Carter suffered a near-fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.[28] At the time he said the injury was accidental. Decades later Carter claimed that it was an attempted suicide after he was told by his mother that he would have to end his rap-related associations.[29] Carter credits off-duty police officer Robert Hoobler, 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.[28]
Career
1997–1999: Career beginnings and Hot Boys
In 1997, Carter joined the Hot Boys along with rappers Juvenile, B.G., and Turk. 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,[19] which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 5 on the Billboard 200.[31] 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.[32] Carter was also featured on Juvenile's single "Back That Azz Up", which reached No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.[33] Let 'Em Burn, a compilation album of unreleased tracks recorded during 1999 and 2000, came out in 2003, several years after the group disbanded.[34] It reached No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 14 on the Billboard 200.[31]
1999–2004: Tha Block Is Hot, Lights Out, and 500 Degreez
Carter's debut solo album, Tha Block Is Hot, was released when he was 17 and featured significant contributions from the Hot Boys. It debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and was later certified platinum by the RIAA less than two months after its release.[35][19] The album earned Carter a 1999 Source magazine nomination for "Best New Artist",[36] and also became a Top Ten hit.[19] The lead single was "Tha Block Is Hot". After the release of Tha Block Is Hot, Carter was featured on the single "Bling Bling", with B.G., Juvenile, and Big Tymers. Carter's verse appeared only on the radio version of the song, while on the album version he performed on the chorus.
His second album, Lights Out, was released in 2000, and failed to attain the level of success achieved by his debut[19] but was certified gold by RIAA.[37] 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.[38] 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.
Carter's third album, 500 Degreez, was released in 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,[37] it also failed to match the success of his debut.[19] The title was a reference to the recently estranged Hot Boys member Juvenile's recording, 400 Degreez.[39] The lead single was "Way of Life" which failed to match the success of his previous singles. After the release of 500 Degreez, Carter was featured on the single "Neva Get Enuf" by 3LW.[40]
2004–2006: Tha Carter, Tha Carter II, and Like Father, Like Son
In the summer of 2004, Carter's fourth studio album, Tha Carter, was released, marking what critics considered advancement in his rapping style and lyrical themes.[41] In addition, the album's cover art featured the debut of Wayne's now-signature dreadlocks.[19] Tha Carter gained Wayne significant recognition, selling 878,000 copies in the United States, while the single "Go DJ" became a Top 5 Hit on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.[42] After the release of Tha Carter, Lil Wayne was featured in Destiny's Child's single "Soldier" with T.I., which peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.[43]
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 left the label. Tha Carter II sold more than 238,000 copies in its first week of release, debuting at number 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and went on to sell 2,000,000 copies worldwide. The lead single "Fireman" became a hit in the US, 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. Carter also appeared on a remix of Bobby Valentino's "Tell Me", which rose to number 13 on the U.S. R&B Charts. In 2005, Carter was named president of Cash Money, and in the same year he founded Young Money Entertainment as an imprint of Cash Money.[44] However, as of late 2007, Carter reported having stepped down from the management of both labels and had handed management of Young Money over to Cortez Bryant.[45]
In 2006, Carter collaborated with Birdman for the album Like Father, Like Son, whose first single "Stuntin' Like My Daddy", reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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".[172] Another one of his major influences is American hip hop group Goodie Mob.[173] In an interview with Genius, Lil Wayne said "I've been listening to Goodie Mob since I was in the 7th grade".[174] For his MTV Unplugged special, Lil Wayne paid tribute to Tupac by covering his music.[175] He also pulled inspiration from Tupac's "Keep Ya Head Up" for his 2011 single "How to Love".[176]
Lil’ Wayne credits The Notorious B.I.G. as an influence.[177][178]
Additionally, he has mentioned T-Pain, Prince, Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Alicia Keys, and Lenny Kravitz as influences, stating "I viewed them seriously and was like, 'Wow, I could do that without being totally them."[179][180] Lil Wayne and rapper Calboy paid homage to Hill on their 2021 single "Miseducation" titled after Hill's 1998 album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.[181]
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.[182]
Personal life
Relationships and children
Carter has four children. His first child, daughter Reginae, was born November 29, 1998, when he was 16,[206] to his high school sweetheart Toya Johnson. They later married on Valentine's Day 2004 and divorced in January 2006.[207] Internet rumors circulatied in August 2008 that Carter's daughter had died in an auto accident; he immediately dispelled them.[208]
His second child, Dwayne III, was born on October 22, 2008, at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati[209] to radio broadcaster Sarah Vivan.[210][211] His third child, Cameron,[212] was born to actress Lauren London on September 9, 2009.[213] His fourth child, Neal, was born on November 30, 2009, to singer Nivea.[214]
In July 2014, it was rumored that Carter was dating singer Christina Milian, with whom he attended the ESPY Awards.[215] They later confirmed their relationship in mid-2015,[216] after which they received criticism from their interconnected exes, singer Nivea[217] and songwriter The-Dream.[218] They split in August 2015,[219][220] 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.[221]
In June 2020, it was announced that Wayne had started dating Denise Bidot, another model.[222] In November 2020, they reportedly broke up over Wayne's endorsement of Donald Trump.[223] Shortly after, it was reported that the couple had reconciled.[224][225][226][227] Wayne and Bidot later broke up again in January 2022.[228][229]
Legal issues
Arrests, incarceration, and presidential pardon
On July 22, 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.[278] He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and marijuana.[279][280]
Following a performance at Qwest Arena in Boise, Idaho, Carter was arrested October 5, 2007, on felony fugitive charges after Georgia authorities accused the rapper of possessing a controlled substance.[281] The incident was later described as a "mix-up" and the fugitive charges were dropped.[282]
On January 23, 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.[283]
On May 6, 2008, Carter returned to court in Arizona to plead not guilty to the charges.[284] A bench warrant was issued on March 17, 2010, when Carter did not show for a final trial management conference.[285][286] However, he was already incarcerated, serving a one-year sentence on Rikers Island on weapons charges. On June 22, 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 June 30, 2010.[287][288]
On December 18, 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.[289]
On October 22, 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,[290] but on February 9, 2010, Carter's attorney announced that the sentencing was delayed until March 2 due to dental surgery,[291] 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.[292] On March 2, 2010, sentencing was postponed again when the courthouse reported a fire in the basement.[293]
On March 8, 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.[294] In May 2010, Carter was found by Rikers Island correctional staff to be in possession of contraband (an MP3 player, charger, and headphones).[295] In April 2010, Carter's friends created a website called Weezy Thanx You, which published letters written by Carter while incarcerated.[234][296] 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.[234] Carter was released from Rikers Island Jail on November 4, 2010, after serving eight months of his year-long sentence.[297]
On December 12, 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.[298] He was pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump on January 19, 2021, his last full day in office.[299]
Lawsuits
On July 24, 2008, Abkco Music Inc filed a lawsuit against Carter for copyright infringement and unfair competition, specifically referring to Tha Carter III's track "Playing with Fire".[300] In the lawsuit, Abkco says that the song was obviously derived from The Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire", to which Abkco owns the rights.[300][301] Subsequently, "Playing with Fire" was removed from the track list of Tha Carter III on all online music stores and replaced with the David Banner produced track, "Pussy Monster".[302]
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.[303]
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.[304]
In March 2011, producer Deezle (Darius Harrison) sued Carter and his parent labels Cash Money Records over unpaid royalties from Tha Carter III.[305] Two months later, that May, producer Bangladesh also filed a lawsuit against Wayne over unpaid royalties as well.[306]
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.[307]
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.[308]
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.[309]
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.[310]
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. 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.[311][312]
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.[313][314] 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.[315] After he was dismissed, Young Buck appeared in the music video "My Life" by The Game, which featured Carter in the vocals.[316] 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 American rapper, 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.[317] 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".[318] 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.[319][320] However, in November 2012, Pusha T dissed Wayne and Birdman on a new Ludacris song titled "Tell Me What They Mad For".[321] However, 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.[322]
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.[323] 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!".[324] On August 24, 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".[325][326] Jadakiss later absolved himself of involvement in any brewing beef on his official Twitter feed.[327][328]
Collaborative albums
