About Me
Lil' Wayne (born Dwayne Carter September 27, 1982 in New Orleans, Louisiana) (aka, Weezy F Baby or Birdman Junior), was one of the Hot Boys, an American rap group associated with Cash Money Records. His debut solo album was, Tha Block Is Hot was released in 1999. The title track was a huge hit. His second album was 2000's Lights Out, followed by 500 Degreez in 2002. 2004 saw the release of Tha Carter. In 2005 he released his latest solo album, titled Tha Carter, Vol. 2.Lil' Wayne began rapping at a young age, with his gangbanging friends Eirc Tittloson and Ricky Wlliams at parties in his hometown of New Orleans. Later that year Tittloson was shot in a car while driving to one of his arrangements with Wayne. During one of these parties, members of a group called U.N.L.V., signed by the label Cash Money Records, overheard Lil' Wayne and later, during an autograph signing session, they introduced him to the CEOs of the label, Brian "Baby" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams. Wayne made a good first impression on the Williams brothers by showing them his strong freestyle abilities. After their first meeting, Wayne visited the label almost every day and left freestyles on Cash Money Records's answering machine. His persistence paid off and the Williams brothers signed Wayne to the label at the young age of twelve. Wayne was paired with another young rapper named Baby Gangsta; and the pair released "True Story", under the name The B.G.'z.Lil' Wayne's mother became concerned with the people influencing her son and tried to pull Wayne out of Cash Money Records. Wayne ran away from home for a week; convincing his mother that his behavior had nothing to do with Cash Money Records or the Williams brothers, he was allowed to stay with the label.While handling a loaded gun, Lil' Wayne shot himself in the chest and almost bled to death. When the police arrived, he claimed the unregistered gun had belonged to his stepfather, Reginald "Rabbit" Carter. This landed Rabbit a six month prison bid. Then shortly after Rabbit came home, he was abducted and murdered. As Brian came to pick up Wayne for studio sessions one afternoon, he was informed of the tragic news and decided to raise Wayne as a surrogate father. Wayne now has a large tattoo of the words "Bang Bang" on his chest to commemorate his shooting and also has "In Memory of Rabbit: It's up to me" tattooed on his arm, in honor of his beloved slain stepfather.As the youngest of the Hot Boys, Lil' Wayne was 16 at the time of their debut, "Get It How You Live". Most young rappers perform bubble gum rap until at least their 20's. Lil Wayne, however, performed gangsta rap in the strictest sense since an early age.On his 2004 release, Tha Carter, Lil' Wayne returned with a much improved flow and produced the hit single "Go DJ", a cover of the U.N.L.V. underground classic. He was also featured on 3LW"Neva Get Enuf" and Destiny's Child's "Soldier," and Paul Wall's "March" among other hit songs.It should also be noted that Wayne is the first known person to use the now-popular slang terms "Bling Bling" as well as "Drop It Like It's Hot." He first said it ("Drop It Like It's Hot") in the 1998 hit by Juvenile, "Back That Azz Up." By 2004, the term was so popular that legendary rapper Snoop Dogg used it as a comeback hit.Following acclamations for Tha Carter, newly minted Def Jam president Jay-Z entered into a bidding war with Cash Money for Lil' Wayne's services. Wayne eventually resigned with Cash Money and earned himself a new label, "Young Money," distributed through Cash Money/Universal which first featured his crew Squad Up. But the group soon broke, and now Lil' Wayne has a new group named Young Money. The Group consists of Curren$y, a local rapper previously on C-Murder's TRU Records, Boo of Boo and Gotti, Raw Dizzy from his former group Sqad Up, and a new up and coming rapper named Mack Maine also from the Hollygrove area of New Orleans.Lil' Wayne is currently studying Psychology at the University of Houston.At age 23, Lil' Wayne was named President of Cash Money Records; however, Brian "Baby" Williams remains owner.His newest album, Tha Carter, Vol. 2, was released on December 6th, 2005
