Lil Wayne
- First Name
- Dwayne Michael
- Last Name
- Carter Jr.
- Additional Name
- Lil Wayne
- Date of Birth
- Sept. 27, 1982
- Place of Birth
- New Orleans, Lousiana
- Discography
- Tha Block Is Hot (1999), Lights Out (2000), 500 Degreez (2002), Tha Carter (2004), Tha Carter II (2005), Tha Carter III (2008), Rebirth (2010), I Am Not a Human Being (2010), Tha Carter IV (2011), I Am Not a Human Being II (2013), Free Weezy Album (2015), Tha Carter V (2018), Funeral (2020), Tha Carter VI (2025)
- Notable Awards
- Grammy Awards – Best Rap Album, Grammy Awards – Best Rap Solo Performance, Grammy Awards – Best Rap Song
Lil Wayne is one of the most accomplished rappers ever. His 13 albums, five EPs, 30 or so mixtapes, and hundreds of features have earned him 187 appearances on the Billboard Hot 100, and he has an active streak of 21 consecutive years with a Hot 100 appearance.
Wayne was signed to Brian “Birdman” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams’ Cash Money Records as a child, becoming the youngest member of the Hot Boyz alongside Juvenile, BG, and Turk. Label hits such as “Back That Azz Up” and “Bling Bling” helped elevate Cash Money into a southern rap giant.
After dropping his Tha Block Is Hot and 500 Degreez solo albums, he dropped the first album in his Tha Carter series in 2004, beginning a prolific run of mixtapes and albums that vaulted him to the top of the rap world. He’s a mixtape pioneer whose free-associative punchlines, technical precision, and untamable flow make him an oft-imitated, never duplicated mic presence. His locs, body-enveloping tats, and colorful clothing made him a fashion maverick, serving as the mood board for hordes of young MCs to follow.
In 2007, he started Young Money, signing Drake and Nicki Minaj and helping them become music icons. In 2008, his Tha Carter III album sold a million records in a week (as did 2011’s Tha Carter IV). Despite a stint on Rikers Island for a gun charge, health troubles, and contractual wrangling with Cash Money, he’s still a mainstay of rap, dropping mixtapes from his No Ceilings and Dedication series in the 2010s as well as his Carter V album in 2018. He’s also collaborated with a who’s who of music, from Ariana Grande and Doja Cat to Jay-Z and Tyler, The Creator. —Andre Gee