I’m writing my article this week on an artist who, to me, is one of a kind and one of the greatest rappers of our generation, I’m talking of course about Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., AKA Lil Wayne. Since the time that I started listening to music on my own I have always had a taste for rap. I have always found an interest in the way that rappers could speak so quickly and in such intricate ways. Lil Wayne is one of the best when it comes to wordplay and all sorts of creative language.
At the early age of nine, Lil Wayne joined “Cash Money Records” as the youngest member of the label. Lil Wayne's solo debut album, “Tha Block Is Hot”, was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1999. Stardom hit Wayne very quickly and soon everyone wanted a feature from him on their song.
Wayne reached higher popularity with his fourth album “Tha Carter”, which is also around the time I was introduced to his music. Wayne gained more prominence with his sixth album “Tha Carter III”, which became his most successful album to date, with first-week sales of over one million copies in the United States. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and includes the hit singles "Lollipop", "A Milli" and "Got Money”.
Today, after being in the rap/ hip-hop industry for over two decades, Wayne continues to surprise and impress his fans with more new and elaborate music. He has worked with almost every major rap or hip-hop artist up to date. Some of the biggest names he's worked with include Chance The Rapper, Rae Sremmurd, Migos, Future, Drake, Nikki Minaj, Young Thug, and much more.
At the current age of 35, Lil Wayne continues making music and bringing great energy to live performances at his own shows and festivals. Although he suffers from health issues and has been in and out of the hospital a decent amount lately, I predict that Wayne will continue to bring us music for years to come.
His life has been something that has been interesting as a fan to follow. When he was two years of age, his parents divorced and Wayne started living with his mother, a cook. He was raised in Hollygrove, one of the poorest neighborhoods of New Orleans. He also had a very close relationship with his stepfather, who was eventually killed.
He started writing rap songs at just eight years of age and met American rapper, record producer and co-founder of ‘Cash Money Records’ Bryan Williams better known by stage names Birdman and Baby in 1991. He was met with an unfortunate accident at 12 when he accidentally shot himself with a 9mm handgun and was rushed to hospital by an off-duty police officer, Robert Hoobler. There are so many interesting stories that have occurred throughout his life, and he has come so far from being a poor kid from New Orleans.
