Lil Wayne Age, Height & Biography

Lil Wayne is an American rapper, songwriter and record executive who is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Born in New Orleans in 1982, he joined Cash Money Records at the age of 11 and released his debut album, Tha Block Is Hot, in 1999. He went on to release the hugely successful Tha Carter series, won five Grammy Awards and founded Young Money Entertainment, signing Drake and Nicki Minaj.

Quick Facts

Who Is Lil Wayne?

Lil Wayne is an American rapper and record executive known for his clever wordplay, his distinctive voice and his prolific output. He is best known for the songs Lollipop, A Milli, Got Money, How to Love and Uproar, and for the Tha Carter series of albums. He has won five Grammy Awards and has sold tens of millions of records worldwide.

Lil Wayne has also become known as a mentor, founding Young Money Entertainment in 2005 and signing Drake and Nicki Minaj, two of the biggest stars in modern music. He is regarded as one of the most influential rappers of his generation, and his mixtapes in the 2000s helped to reshape the sound of hip-hop.

Early Life & Background

Lil Wayne was born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. on 27 September 1982 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He grew up in the Hollygrove neighbourhood of New Orleans and began rapping as a child. At the age of 11 he met Bryan Birdman Williams, the co-founder of Cash Money Records, and he became the youngest member of the group Hot Boys.

Hot Boys released their debut album, Get It How U Live!, in 1997, and Lil Wayne released his debut solo album, Tha Block Is Hot, in 1999, when he was 17 years old. The album reached number three on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum, establishing him as one of the most promising young rappers in the country.

Career

Lil Wayne released Lights Out in 2000 and 500 Degreez in 2002, before releasing Tha Carter in 2004, featuring the hit Go DJ, and Tha Carter II in 2005, featuring Fireman and Hustler Musik. The albums established him as one of the leading rappers in the United States, and his mixtapes in the mid-2000s, including Dedication 2 and Da Drought 3, built his reputation as a prolific and inventive lyricist.

His breakthrough came with Tha Carter III in 2008, which sold more than a million copies in its first week and featured the singles Lollipop with Static Major, which topped the Billboard Hot 100, A Milli and Got Money with T-Pain. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2009, and Lollipop won Best Rap Song, while A Milli won Best Rap Solo Performance.

Lil Wayne followed Tha Carter III with Rebirth in 2010, I Am Not a Human Being in 2010 and Tha Carter IV in 2011, featuring She Will with Drake and How to Love, which topped the Billboard 200. He released Tha Carter V in 2018, featuring Uproar with Swizz Beatz, and Funeral in 2020, before returning with Tha Carter VI in 2025. He remains one of the most prolific and influential rappers in the world, and his Young Money label has launched some of the biggest stars in modern music.

Facts About Lil Wayne

• He joined Cash Money Records at the age of 11 and became the youngest member of Hot Boys.
• Tha Block Is Hot, released in 1999, reached number three on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum.
• Tha Carter III sold more than a million copies in its first week.
• He has won five Grammy Awards.
• He founded Young Money Entertainment in 2005 and signed Drake and Nicki Minaj.

Frequently Asked Questions