On September 27, 1982, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He spent his early years growing up in the tough Hollygrove district. He began rapping at a very young age at local parties, where he was heard by a group signed to Cash Money Records.
Cash Money CEO Brian “Baby” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams were considering Wayne. After Wayne learned his phone number and office location, he practically chased them day and night. He even left daily rap messages on his answering machine. They were so impressed with the 12-year-old’s dedication that they decided to relent and sign him, pairing him up with another young rapper, Big Goochie, whom they had also just signed.
The duo released one album, “True Story” under “The BG’s” and from day one their style was true gangsta rap. He was unlike most young rappers who usually start out with “gum rap” and don’t make the switch until they’re well out of their teens.
Wayne’s mother became concerned about her son’s actions and the company he had when he started wearing gang affiliation clothing. Knowing the street reputation the Williams brothers had, she decided it was best to get Lil Wayne out of the Cash Money Company. In retaliation, he ran away from home for a week, during which time he managed to convince his mom that the record company owners were not to blame for any of her actions or choices.
In 1995, together with BG and two other young rappers, Young Turk and Juvenile, they formed the group Hot Boys. The first album, “Get it How you Live” in 1997 was followed by “Guerilla Warfare” in 1999, shortly before his first solo work. Wayne’s first solo album was a huge success; “Tha Block is Hot” (title track) became a top ten hit.
The second album, “Lights Out” and the third, “500 Degreez”, were not as good and led him to take a short break from his solo efforts to collaborate with others. Also, at the time he was the last of the Hot Boys; the others went their own way and withdrew from what appeared to be a failing record company.
In the early 2000s, Lil Wayne was a prolific contributor to the rap lyrics of others and made numerous guest appearances on other rappers’ recordings. At the time, he also made several mixtapes that received critical acclaim within the music industry. He even offered some mixes online for free. In 2004 he released a new album, “Tha Carter”, which presented audiences with a sharper, more defined performance from the young rapper. The single, “Go DJ”, reached the top 20 and the album, the top five. In December 2005, he released “Tha Carter II,” which charted at number two and produced a hit single, “Fireman.”
“Tha Carter III” was released in June 2008 and sold one million copies in the first week and another million in the month. Two huge hit singles from this album were “Lollipop” and “A Milli”.
Wayne’s style has refined and improved as time goes on and with his talent for writing lyrics, record sales for him are a breeze. If you follow his work, and especially from such a young age, it can be easy to agree with his self-proclaimed statement that he’s “the greatest rapper alive.”