Age, Biography, and Wiki
Full Name: Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.
Born: September 27, 1982
Age (2025): 42 years old
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Lil Wayne grew up in the Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans. He was raised primarily by his mother after his parents divorced when he was two years old. He attended several schools in the city, including Lafayette Elementary School in the gifted program, Eleanor McMain Secondary School (where he was active in drama), and Marion Abramson Senior High School. Despite a turbulent family environment, Wayne began writing rap songs at the age of eight and was signed to Cash Money Records as a teenager.
| Occupation | Business Executive |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 27 September 1982 |
| Age | 42 Years |
| Birth Place | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Country | U.S |
Height, Weight & Measurements
Height: 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Weight: Estimated 140 lbs (64 kg)
Measurements: Not widely reported
Lil Wayne is known for his diminutive stature but larger-than-life presence in the hip-hop scene.
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Born and raised in New Orleans, he was discovered by hometown rapper Birdman in 1993 and signed with his record label, Cash Money Records, at age eleven. He emerged as the label's flagship artist until his departure in June 2018.
He was first placed in a duo with Cash Money labelmate B.G. (then known as Lil Doogie) in 1994—known collectively as the B.G.'z—and they released an album, True Story, in July of that year, although Carter (at the time known as Baby D) appeared on only three of its tracks. Carter and B.G. then formed the Southern hip-hop group Hot Boys with labelmates Juvenile and Turk in 1997; they released their debut album, Get It How U Live! in October of that year. The Hot Boys gained mainstream success following the release of their second album Guerrilla Warfare (1999), and their appearance on B.G.'s single, "Bling Bling". The group briefly disbanded after the album due to each member (besides Carter) parting ways with the label, although one further album—Let 'Em Burn (2003)—was released.
Carter wrote his first rap song at age eight. In the summer of 1991, he met rapper and Cash Money Records co-founder Bryan "Baby" Williams (known currently as Birdman), who mentored him and encouraged his love of hip-hop; Birdman included Carter on several Cash Money tracks, and he (in return) would often record freestyle raps on Williams' answering machine.
In 1997, Carter and Dorsey then joined the hip-hop quartet, the Hot Boys, along with rappers and labelmates, Juvenile, and Turk. Having joined at age 14, Carter was the youngest member at the time. Hot Boys' debut album, Get It How U Live!, was released the same year, followed in 1999 by the group's major-label debut Guerrilla Warfare, which respectively reached number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number five on the Billboard 200. During their career, the Hot Boys had two charting singles, "We on Fire" from Get It How U Live! and "I Need a Hot Girl" from Guerrilla Warfare. The group shared a track, "Bling Bling", alongside another Cash Money group, duo Big Tymers (consisting of Birdman and producer Mannie Fresh). Carter's verse appeared only on the radio version of the song, while on the album version he performed on the chorus. "Bling Bling" appeared on Hot Boys member B.G.'s solo album, Chopper City in the Ghetto, released in April 1999. Carter was also featured on Juvenile's single "Back That Azz Up", which reached number eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.
Let 'Em Burn, a compilation album of unreleased tracks recorded by the quartet during 1998 and 2000, was released in March 2003, several years after the group disbanded. It reached number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, but underperformed on the Billboard 200 at number fourteen.
On June 29, 2004, Carter's fourth studio album, Tha Carter, was released, marking what critics considered advancement in his rapping style and lyrical themes. In addition, the album's cover art featured the debut of Wayne's now-signature dreadlocks. Tha Carter gained Wayne significant recognition, selling 878,000 copies in the United States, while the single "Go DJ" became a top five hit on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. After the release of Tha Carter, Lil Wayne was featured on Destiny's Child's single "Soldier" alongside Atlanta rapper T.I., which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
Instead of a follow-up solo album, Carter began to reach his audience through a plethora of mixtapes and guest appearances on a variety of pop, R&B and hip hop singles. Of his many mixtapes, Dedication 2 and Da Drought 3 received the most media exposure and critical review. Dedication 2, released in 2006, paired Carter with DJ Drama and contained the acclaimed socially conscious track, "Georgia Bush", a remix of Field Mob and Ludacris' "Georgia", in which Carter critiqued former U.S. president George W. Bush's response to the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans. Da Drought 3 was released the following year and was available for free legal download. It contained Carter rapping over a variety of beats from recent hits by other musicians. A number of prominent hip hop magazines such as XXL and Vibe covered the mixtape. Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone magazine considered the mixtapes Da Drought 3 and The Drought Is Over 2 (The Carter 3 Sessions) "among the best albums of 2007".
Despite no album release for two years, Carter appeared in numerous singles as a featured performer, including in 2006 with the remix to "Gimme That" by Chris Brown, "Make It Rain" by Fat Joe and "You" by Lloyd, and in 2007 with "We Takin' Over" by DJ Khaled (also featuring Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, and Birdman), "Duffle Bag Boy" by Playaz Circle, "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" by Wyclef Jean (also featuring Akon), and the remix to "I'm So Hood" by DJ Khaled (also featuring T-Pain, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Fat Joe, Birdman, and Rick Ross). All these singles charted within the top 20 spots on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Rap Tracks, and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. On Birdman's 2007 album, 5 * Stunna, Carter appeared on the singles "100 Million" and "I Run This" among several other tracks. Carter also appeared on tracks from albums, Getback by Little Brother, American Gangster by Jay-Z, and Graduation by Kanye West and Insomniac by Enrique Iglesias. "Make It Rain" (2006), a Scott Storch production that peaked at number thirteen on the Hot 100 and number two on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for 2008.
Throughout 2008, Carter performed at the Voodoo Experience in October in New Orleans, which was described by Jonathan Cohen of Billboard as his biggest hometown headlining set of his career. He also performed at the Virgin Mobile Music Fest with Kanye West, where they performed the remix of "Lollipop" and lip-synced to Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". Lil Wayne also performed at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards with Kid Rock ("All Summer Long"), Leona Lewis ("DontGetIt (Misunderstood)") and T-Pain ("Got Money") and performed "Lollipop" and "Got Money" on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live. He later performed at the homecoming rally at Vanderbilt University and the 2008 BET Hip Hop Awards, where he received 12 nominations. He won eight awards at the BET Hip Hop Awards, one of which included the "MVP" title. After M.I.A. dropped out of performing on Carter's I Am Music Tour due to her pregnancy, Jay-Z performed "Mr. Carter" with Lil Wayne at select shows.
After Tha Carter III sold over 3 million copies and became the best-selling record of 2008, Carter re-signed with Cash Money Records for a multi-album deal. On November 11, 2008, Carter became the first hip hop act to perform at the Country Music Association Awards, playing "All Summer Long" alongside Kid Rock, in which Carter inaudibly strummed guitar strings alongside the guitarist in Kid Rock's band. Shortly after, Wayne was nominated for eight Grammys – the most for any artist nominated that year. He was then named the first MTV Man of the Year at the end of 2008. He won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for "A Milli", Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his appearance on T.I.'s single "Swagga Like Us", and Best Rap Song for "Lollipop". Tha Carter III won the award for Best Rap Album. MTV News listed Carter number two on their 2009 list of the Hottest MCs in the Game.
Carter and Drake embarked on their joint tour, Drake vs. Lil Wayne (running from August 8 to September 28, 2014), determining who is "the best rapper on tour and in the world". The concept of the tour was based on the Street Fighter franchise. It was the third-largest grossing hip hop concert tour of 2014 behind Eminem and Rihanna's Monster Tour, and Jay-Z and Beyoncé's On the Run Tour.
In April 2012, on the premiere of MTV's Hip Hop POV, Carter sat down with Amanda Seales and spoke briefly about an album he put together titled Devol (loved, backwards), an album full of "love songs" that he wrote during his imprisonment at Rikers Island. In May 2013, he confirmed the album will still be released.
Carter has cited rapper Missy Elliott as his biggest musical inspiration, saying "she's a huge influence of everything I've ever done". Another one of his major influences is American hip hop group Goodie Mob. In an interview with Genius, Carter said "I've been listening to Goodie Mob since I was in the 7th grade". For his MTV Unplugged special, Carter paid tribute to Tupac by covering his music. He also pulled inspiration from Tupac's "Keep Ya Head Up" for his 2011 single "How to Love".
Lil Wayne is claimed to be "one of the most influential artists in the 21st century" and is many times called as "the greatest rapper of his generation", as well as one of the greatest rappers of all time. His musical style and usage of autotune influenced modern sound of hip-hop music and its subgenres, especially the development of trap.
| Height | 168 cm |
| Weight | 140 lbs |
| Body Measurements | |
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Dating & Relationship Status
Lil Wayne has been involved in several high-profile romantic relationships over the years. As of 2025, he is not publicly married but has children with different partners. He has kept much of his current dating life private, with occasional rumors circulating in tabloids.
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. His mother, a cook, gave birth to him when she was 19 years old. His parents divorced when he was two and his father permanently abandoned the family. In a 2009 interview, CBS News anchor Katie Couric asked the rapper why he used the name Wayne instead of his given name. Carter replied, "I’ll tell you why I dropped the D right here on TV. I dropped the D because I am a junior. My father, he’s livin', and he is not in my life and he’s never been in my life. So I don't wanna be Dwayne. I’d rather be Wayne.” Couric asked if his father knew that, and Carter, chuckling, said, “He knows it now.” Carter has said that he considers his deceased stepfather Reginald "Rabbit" McDonald to be his real father. Carter has a tattoo dedicated to McDonald.
Carter was enrolled in the gifted program at Lafayette Elementary School. He later attended Eleanor McMain Secondary School for two years, where he was an honor student and a member of the drama club, playing the Tin Man in the school's production of The Wiz. Despite matriculating to Marion Abramson Senior High School, Carter left during his tenth grade year to pursue a GED. Carter's mother made the decision to remove him from school for his safety. At 15, Carter was already finding success in the music industry; his mother decided he needed to leave high school after discovering the gun he packed in his school bag for protection.
In 1994, at age 12, Carter suffered a near-fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. At the time, he said the injury was accidental. However, in September 2018, Carter claimed in interviews that it was an attempted suicide after he was told by his mother that he would have to end his rap-related associations. Carter credits off-duty police officer Robert Hoobler (1956–2022), who he calls "Uncle Bob", with saving his life by insisting the dying child be driven immediately to hospital in a police car rather than waiting for an ambulance to become available. Other accounts indicate that several officers played a part in deciding on and implementing that course of action.
Carter's third album, 500 Degreez, was released in August 2002. It followed the format of his previous two, with significant contributions from the Hot Boys and Mannie Fresh. While being certified gold like its predecessor, it also failed to match the success of his debut. The title was a reference to the recently estranged Hot Boys member Juvenile's debut solo studio album, 400 Degreez (1998). Its lead single was "Way of Life", featuring Birdman and singer TQ with narration by its producer, Mannie Fresh; it reached number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 23 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. The single featured a sample of Tupac Shakur's diss track towards the Notorious B.I.G., "Hit 'Em Up" (1996), which itself sampled Dennis Edwards and Siedah Garrett's "Don't Look Any Further" (1984). Despite the album's commercial failure, John Bush of AllMusic praised 500 Degreez, while calling "Way of Life" an "infectious party hit". After the release of 500 Degreez, Carter was featured on the single "Neva Get Enuf" by 3LW, and later appeared on his future girlfriend, singer Nivea's single, "Ya Ya Ya".
In 2006, Carter collaborated with his label boss, Birdman, for the album, Like Father, Like Son, which its first single "Stuntin' Like My Daddy", reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In October 2011, it was reported that Carter was working on sequels to both I Am Not a Human Being and Rebirth. In January 2012, Birdman announced that he and Carter had finished recording Like Father, Like Son 2. On November 22, 2012, Carter announced that Tha Carter V would be his final album, as he wanted to pursue other interests.
On November 27, 2020, Lil Wayne released the mixtape, No Ceilings 3, while announcing the album, I Am Not a Human Being III, for 2021, although it would not be released that year due to delays. On October 1, 2021, Wayne and Rich the Kid released a collaborative mixtape titled Trust Fund Babies, along with a music video for the single "Feelin' Like Tunechi". The mixtape took roughly a month and a half to record. On their working relationship, Wayne said, "For me, it's the chemistry, it's the camaraderie because first of all, Rich like my little bro and me and Rich been rockin' for a minute".
Carter met his high school sweetheart Toya Johnson, when he was 15 and she was 14, respectively. After dating on and off for seven years, they married on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2004, and divorced in January 2006. Johnson cited her inability to cope with his lifestyle and the fact he had communicated with his other former romantic partners prior. More specifically, his career kept him away from their home for long periods of time. Despite being divorced, the two have remained good friends and continued to jointly support their daughter, Reginae.
In February 2002, after he first broke up with Johnson, he began dating singer Nivea. On the 2007 song "Something You Forgot", he explained his feelings for Nivea, whom he got engaged to in December 2002 but broke off the engagement with in August 2003. Nivea stated that Carter tried to make her quit doing music so that he could take care of her, but also acknowledged that the song was written about her.
Previously having known each other since 1999, Carter and Lauren London reconciled following his divorce from Johnson in 2006, but broke up again in 2009, after London found out that she was pregnant at the same time as Carter's ex-girlfriend, Nivea. In a May 2011 radio interview, London said of her relationship with Wayne and his fatherhood, "I met Wayne when I was 15 years old. I've known him a very long time, and we were in a relationship that didn't make it. We tried more than once to revive it, and we were engaged briefly years ago, but we eventually parted ways. People see the 'Lil Wayne' personality and think they know who he really is. My son's father is an intelligent, loving, and lovable person who will always be a dear friend. And that will never change. That is all." On the 500 Degreez track, "Young'n Blues", he discussed his breakup with Toya Johnson and his issues with London, while he nicknamed the latter "young Cali sweet thing".
Carter began dating rapper Trina in 2005, after featuring on her single, "Don't Trip". The two were discussing future plans for engagement and moving to Florida to live together. However, in 2006, after Trina suffered a miscarriage from what was later confirmed to be her and Carter's unborn child, they have grown distant from one another. It was during that time when Trina developed an affair with Carter's would be rival, rapper Young Buck. In October 2007, the relationship ended after Trina realized that it was not properly empathized. According to her, it was the cause of the pair "being young and not knowing what [we were] doing". The two reunited to collaborate for the 2013 single, "Wowzerz", and 2019's "Situation", and remain on good terms.
Carter and Nivea reconciled in early 2008, following Nivea's divorce from singer-songwriter The-Dream. Both were re-engaged in 2009, but Nivea decided to end her relationship with Carter while pregnant with their son and they called off their engagement for the second time in June 2010, in the midst of Carter's prison sentence.
He entered into an intimate relationship with glamour model Tammy Torres from 2009 to 2010. While imprisoned, Drake encouraged him not to rekindle his relationship with Torres, due to him already having had an encounter with her. After ending his relationship with Torres and mending over his falling out with Drake, Carter later got involved with Dhea Sodano from 2011 to 2019.
In July 2014, it was rumored that Carter was dating singer Christina Milian, with whom he attended the ESPY Awards. They later confirmed their relationship in mid-2015, after which they received criticism from their interconnected exes, singer Nivea and songwriter The-Dream. They split in August 2015, having collaborated on multiple singles, videos, and concert dates.
Wayne was engaged to model La'Tecia Thomas but called off the engagement in May 2020. A month later, it was announced that Wayne had started dating Denise Bidot, another model. In November 2020, they reportedly broke up over Wayne's endorsement of Donald Trump. Shortly after, it was reported that the couple had reconciled. Wayne and Bidot later broke up again in January 2022.
In October 2009, Carter, Birdman, Cash Money Records, and various music distribution outlets were sued for copyright infringement by Thomas Marasciullo, who says his voice was used without permission. The rappers asked him to record some "Italian-styled spoken word recordings" in 2006. The lyrics were allegedly used on "Respect" and other tracks from the rappers' collaboration album Like Father, Like Son and Birdman's 5 * Stunna.
| Parents | |
| Husband | Toya Johnson (m. 2004-2006) |
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Net Worth and Salary
Net Worth (2025): Estimates vary widely, with reputable sources reporting between $170 million and $400 million. The lower estimates, such as $170–180 million, are more commonly cited by financial analysts and celebrity net worth trackers. Higher figures, such as $400 million, appear in some industry rankings but may include broader business assets or speculative valuations.
Annual Salary: Estimated at around $25 million per year from music sales, touring, and endorsements.
Known for his creative lyrical ability—which often uses punchlines, homonyms, word play—and braggadocio, Carter's music often deals with the subjects of wealth, drugs, and sex.
In early June 2011, another producer named David Kirkwood filed a lawsuit against Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records on claims that the labels have failed to pay him over $1.5 million in royalties and production services for his work on the album, also including his songwriting on "Love Me or Hate Me", a bonus song featured only on the deluxe edition of the album.
In November 2012, Wayne was ordered to pay Quincy Jones III $2.2 million based on a lawsuit which stated that the rapper blocked the release of Jones's film The Carter, therefore infringing on its profits.
Career, Business, and Investments
Lil Wayne is celebrated as one of the greatest rappers of his generation, with a career spanning nearly four decades. Some of his most notable albums include Tha Carter III, I Am Not a Human Being, and Free Weezy Album. He has won four Grammy Awards and received countless other accolades.
Business Ventures:
Carter's debut studio album, Tha Block Is Hot (1999) quickly achieved commercial success and served as his breakthrough as a solo act, followed by Lights Out (2000) and 500 Degreez (2003). His fourth and fifth albums, Tha Carter (2004) and Tha Carter II (2005), both debuted within the top five of the Billboard 200 and received critical acclaim. His sixth album, Tha Carter III (2008), yielded the pinnacle of Wayne's career, with first-week sales of over one million units domestically. Furthermore, it won the Best Rap Album at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards and was supported by his first Billboard Hot 100-number one single "Lollipop" (featuring Static Major), the top-ten singles "A Milli" and "Got Money" (featuring T-Pain), and the top-20 single "Mrs. Officer" (featuring Bobby V and Kidd Kidd). Carter is also credited with revolutionising the mixtape scene with his innovative approach in the 2000s.
Tha Carter III was released on June 10, 2008, with first-week sales of over 1 million copies, the first to do so since 50 Cent's The Massacre (2005). The album's first single, "Lollipop", featuring Static Major, became the Carter's most successful song at the time, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming his first top ten single as a solo artist and his first number one on the chart. The third single "Got Money", featuring T-Pain, peaked at number thirteen on the Billboard 100. Tha Carter III went on to win four Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song, which he won for "Lollipop". On July 14, 2008, the Recording Industry Association of America certified Tha Carter III two times platinum. In October 2008, Lil Wayne announced plans to MTV News to re-release the album with new tracks, including a duet with Ludacris and remixes of "A Milli".
Finally released on August 29, 2011, Tha Carter IV debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 964,000 copies (overshadowing the first-week sales of Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne), making it Carter's third chart-topping album of his career. On January 8, 2012, according to Nielsen SoundScan, Carter was the seventh all-time best-selling artist for digital track sales with 36,788,000 million to the end of 2011.
On October 18, 2013, former Cash Money Records vice president of promotion Mel Smith, tweeted: "Happy Friday!! New YMCMB music coming soon!! Carter 5." Nearly four months later, in an interview with The Griffin, released on February 14, 2014, Smith spoke on the upcoming album: "We're very close to dropping the album. It's going to be a huge surprise to everyone ... I can't release the date because he wants to surprise people." On February 15, during Drake's performance at the NBA All-Star Weekend festivities in New Orleans, Carter appeared as a guest performer before announcing that Tha Carter V would be released on May 5, 2014. In March 2014, Carter again said during an interview at SXSW that Tha Carter V would be his last album.
In February 2009, production company RMF Productions filed a $1.3 million lawsuit against Carter following a $100,000 advance payment for three shows, all of which were cancelled by the artist.
In July 2011, Done Deal Enterprises, a production company based in Georgia, filed suit against Carter, Universal Music Group, Cash Money Records and Young Money Entertainment, claiming copyright infringement. The lawsuit alleges Carter stole the song "BedRock", featured on the compilation album We Are Young Money, and seeks damages of $15 million.
Social Network
Social Media Presence:
- Instagram: @liltunechi (millions of followers)
- Twitter/X: @LilTunechi (millions of followers)
After recovering from his self-inflicted gunshot wound, Carter linked with Christopher Dorsey, a local New Orleans rapper known as B.G., his longtime friend, future Cash Money labelmate and Hot Boys bandmate. They would later form their duo, the B.G.'z, with B.G. being named "Lil Doogie" and Carter being "Baby D". They only released one album under the group name, True Story (1995).
Vibe magazine ranked a list of 77 of Lil Wayne's songs from 2007 and ranked his verse in DJ Khaled's "We Takin Over" as his best of 2007, with "Dough Is What I Got" (a freestyle over the beat of Jay-Z's "Show Me What You Got") from Da Drought 3. At the end of 2007, an MTV poll selected Lil Wayne as "Hottest MC in the Game", The New Yorker magazine ranked him "Rapper of the Year", and GQ magazine named him "Workaholic of the Year". In 2008, he was named "Best MC" by Rolling Stone. Another article, built around Lil Wayne's 2007 mixtape work, cites his creative practice as an example of post-performance creative practice.
Carter also appeared on R&B singles "Girls Around the World" by Lloyd, "Love in This Club, Part II" by Usher, "Official Girl" by Cassie, "I'm So Paid" by Akon, "Turnin' Me On" by Keri Hilson, and "Can't Believe It" by T-Pain; rap singles "My Life" by The Game, "Shawty Say" by David Banner, "Swagga Like Us" by T.I., "Cutty Buddy" by Mike Jones, All My Life (In the Ghetto) by Jay Rock and the remix to "Certified" by Glasses Malone; and pop single "Let It Rock" by new Cash Money artist Kevin Rudolf.
On January 20, 2015, Carter self-released Sorry 4 the Wait 2, a sequel to his 2011 mixtape, to compensate for the continued delay of Tha Carter V. In February 2015, due to Tha Carter V's delay, Carter announced that a free album would be released prior to the fifth installment in his popular series. In June 2015, Carter joined Jay-Z's TIDAL, as an artist owner, kicking off the partnership by exclusively releasing a single on the service titled "Glory". He also announced plans on his own TIDAL X concert series. On July 4, 2015, Carter released Free Weezy Album, exclusively through TIDAL, under Young Money and Republic Records. On January 27, 2016, when rapper 2 Chainz released his "Felt Like Cappin" EP, Carter is featured on the lead single titled "Back on That Bullshit". On March 4, 2016, 2 Chainz released his third studio album, ColleGrove. The album was initially a collaborative effort between 2 Chainz and Carter, but due to his record label issues, only 2 Chainz was credited as the primary artist. On June 28, 2016, Carter was one of several artists who appeared on the track "Sucker for Pain" for the film Suicide Squad. In September 2016, Carter tweeted "I AM NOW DEFENSELESS and mentally DEFEATED", followed by stating "I'm done", hinting at a possible retirement. Many rappers responded with respect and encouragement.
In 2017, Carter announced he had signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation, although he later stated that there was no official paperwork that he signed to the label. On August 8, 2017, he released the song "Like a Man" with sound engineer Onhel. On June 7, 2018, it was announced that Carter had been released from Cash Money Records and would be releasing Tha Carter V via Young Money and Republic Records.
Additionally, he has mentioned T-Pain, Prince, Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Alicia Keys, and Lenny Kravitz as influences, stating "I viewed them seriously and was like, 'Wow, I could do that without being totally them." Carter and rapper Calboy paid homage to Hill on their 2021 single "Miseducation" titled after Hill's 1998 album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
On October 29, 2020, less than a week before the presidential election, Carter posted an image of him and President Donald Trump to Twitter. In the caption for the photo, Carter stated that he and Trump had recently met to discuss criminal justice reform and Trump's Platinum Plan, an initiative which aims to raise access to capital in Black communities by almost $500 billion. Carter claimed Trump "listened to what we had to say today and assured he will and can get it done".
On March 14, 2013, TMZ reported that Carter had been treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on the evening of March 12, after having seizures while on a music video set with Young Money rapper Nicki Minaj. He was reportedly released in the early hours of March 13. On March 15, TMZ published a second story, claiming that hours after his release on March 13, Carter was found unconscious after experiencing further seizures, and was brought back to Cedars-Sinai, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit in critical condition. The article alleged the latest seizures were found to be linked to high amounts of codeine in Carter's system, possibly due to bingeing on purple drank after his initial hospital release. Multiple celebrities, including Drake and Birdman, were photographed on March 15 and 16 visiting Carter at Cedars-Sinai.
Several members of Young Money Entertainment, including president Mack Maine, criticized media reports on Carter's hospitalization, particularly those of TMZ, alleging that they exaggerated the severity of his condition and falsely implied that he was on his deathbed (such as by saying that he was in a medically induced coma), triggering what the Washington Post called "the most overheated celebrity deathwatch in recent years". In separate interviews on March 18, Mack Maine and Birdman disputed TMZ's reports, and stated that in fact there were not multiple seizures or multiple hospital visits. They explained that after Carter began seizing on the way to the music video shoot on March 12, an ambulance was called and he was transported to the hospital, where he was admitted and remained continuously thereafter. They also refuted the claims that Carter's seizures are drug-induced, saying that they are an ongoing problem for which doctors have been unable to identify a cause.
Tension between Wayne and Pusha T had been going on for years, beginning soon after Clipse and Birdman worked on "What Happened to That Boy", the latter's 2002 single. In 2006, Wayne felt the Clipse song "Mr. Me Too" was directed at him which caused more tension between the two. In 2012, after much speculation that Pusha T was subliminally dissing Canadian rapper and Wayne's Young Money signee Drake in several songs, the speculation heightened after the release of Pusha T's "Exodus 23:1" song. Lil Wayne quickly responded on online social networking service Twitter and later released a diss track titled "Goulish". In the first verse, Wayne raps "Fuck Pusha T and anybody that love him / His head up his ass, I'mma have to head-butt him". Pusha T called Wayne's diss track "horrible" and said he felt it did not deserve a response. Both men have downplayed the feud, with Wayne saying he's over it. However, in November 2012, Pusha T dissed Wayne and Birdman on a new Ludacris song titled "Tell Me What They Mad For". In December 2014, once the feud between Lil Wayne and Birdman arose, Pusha T sent out a tweet encouraging Lil Wayne to sign to G.O.O.D. Music, which also insulted Birdman for his hand-rubbing habit.
In a 2009 interview with Tropical TV, Birdman disputed the MTV poll that voted Jay-Z "The Hottest MC in the Game", stating that Lil Wayne was a better rapper and made more money. In early 2011, when Jay-Z and Kanye West's single "H•A•M" was released, Jay-Z took shots at Birdman, saying "Really, you got Baby money" and "[you] ain't got my lady's money!". On August 24, 2011, a song called "It's Good" by Lil Wayne (featuring Drake and Jadakiss) was leaked online and included Lil Wayne responding "Talkin' 'bout baby money? I gotcha baby money. Kidnap your bitch, get that, How much you love your lady? money". Jadakiss later absolved himself of involvement in any brewing beef on his official Twitter feed.
Education
Lil Wayne attended several schools in New Orleans, including:
- Lafayette Elementary School (gifted program)
- Eleanor McMain Secondary School (drama club)
- Marion Abramson Senior High School (brief attendance)
In November 2024, Lil Wayne, during the Lil WeezyAna Fest, received a Key to the City from New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. In the same tribute, Master P announced the creation of the NOLA Walk of Fame and presented Wayne with a fleur-de-lis plaque to mark this honor. Additionally, February 6–7 will now be celebrated as "Lil Wayne Day" in New Orleans.
After earning his GED, Carter enrolled at the University of Houston in January 2005. He dropped out in the same year due to his conflicting schedule. He also stated on The View that he switched to the University of Phoenix and majored in psychology taking online courses. An article in Urb magazine in March 2007 asserted that Carter had been earning high grades at Houston.
On February 19, 2008, Carter and his manager Cortez Bryant revisited their alma mater McMain Secondary School to get students to design an invitation to the gala introducing Carter's nonprofit One Family Foundation.
Summary Table
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. |
| Born | September 27, 1982 |
| Net Worth (2025) | $170–400 million (varies by source) |
| Annual Salary | ~$25 million |
| Major Ventures | Young Money Entertainment, GKUA Ultra Premium, Trukfit |
| Education | Attended Lafayette Elementary, Eleanor McMain, Marion Abramson |
| Social Media | @liltunechi (Instagram), @LilTunechi (Twitter/X) |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) |
| Weight | ~140 lbs (64 kg) |
