| Born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., on September | | | | platinum status very shortly thereafter. Other |
| 27, 1982, Lil Wayne lived his early childhood years | | | | albums that followed were "Lights Out," "500 |
| in the town of Hollygrove in New Orleans, USA. | | | | Degreez," and "Tha Carter." The later of these |
| Even at an early age he was enrolled in the gifted | | | | albums was considered to be a huge step |
| programs in his elementary school. By the time he | | | | forward for the young rappers career and music |
| was attending secondary school he was an active | | | | style. |
| member in the drama club and well on his way to | | | | Following "Tha Carter" was "Tha Carter II", in |
| making his mark on the world. | | | | 2005 and sold over 200,000 copies during the first |
| By the time Lil Wayne was 11 years old, he had | | | | week on the shelves. That same year Lil Wayne |
| met the owner of Cash Money Records and | | | | became the president of Cash Money Enterprises |
| began a relentless campaign of phone messages | | | | and during that same year he founded Young |
| containing freestyle rap on Bryan Williams's | | | | Money Entertainment. By 2007, he relinquished his |
| answering machine. Eventually, Williams relented | | | | roles in both companies. He went to work on his |
| and mentored the boy, giving him the opportunity | | | | next album but towards the end of the recording |
| to record under his label. | | | | four tracks were leaked, so as a result, he |
| At the young age of 12 the young rapper | | | | released an album in the interim by the name of |
| accidentally shot himself in the chest, luckily | | | | "The Leak" and followed it up shortly thereafter |
| surviving but his attitude had changed and he later | | | | with his original album, "Tha Carter III." This album |
| that year dropped out of school. He has since | | | | also did very well selling over a million copies in its |
| realized the importance of having his education | | | | first week of release in June of 2008. |
| and so has returned to complete his GED studies. | | | | On Valentines Day in 2004, Lil Wayne married |
| He first performed in 1997 as part of the group, | | | | Toya Johnson, his high school sweetheart, but the |
| Hot Boys which included such names as Turk, | | | | marriage was short-lived and the couple divorced |
| Juvenile and B.G., but Lil Wayne was the youngest | | | | in 2006. They did have a daughter; Reginae |
| of the group being only 15 at that time. Their | | | | Carter and Lil Wayne also has a son, Dwayne |
| debut album was released in 1997, titled "Get It | | | | Carter III, born on October 22, 2008, but the |
| How You Live!" and was followed up in 1999 with | | | | identity of the mother of his son, was never |
| "Guerilla Warfare." A series of unreleased rap | | | | released. |
| music tracks were released in 1999 and 2000 on | | | | The rapper also enrolled in university at the |
| an album "Let 'Em Burn." By 2003, the band went | | | | University of Huston in 2005 with plans of |
| their separate ways and Lil Wayne, who had | | | | majoring in Political Science and had been taking |
| released a solo album in 1998, continued to focus | | | | several online courses to earn his degree. By the |
| on his own career. | | | | end of 2007, in spite of earning high grades in his |
| His albums from 1998 onwards began with his | | | | courses, Lil Wayne discontinued his classes, but he |
| debut solo album titled "Tha Block Is Hot," which | | | | does plan to eventually return to his studies. |
| came onto the charts at number three and hit | | | | |