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Lil Wayne Growing Up
Born on September 27, 1982, Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr was born to his mother, who was only 19 years old. His father stayed nearby until two years later, when he divorced Dwayne's mother and abandoned his family. Dwayne grew up in Hollygrove, which is a neighborhood inside of New Orleans, Louisiana. As he grew up, his mother re-married and he accepted "Rabbit", his mother's second husband, as his stepfather. His mother then enrolled him at Lafayette Elementary school, where he was placed in a gifted program. He was also enrolled in drama at Eleanor McMain Secondary school before be moved to Marion Abramson Senior High school only two years later.
As Dwayne grew up he decided to go by the name Wayne instead, simply because he didn't want to have the same name as his biological father. When he was only eight years old he made his first rap song, which was then followed by him meeting the owner of Cash Money Records. Dwayne ended up leaving rap songs on Bryan Williams's answering machine in order to attempt to get him a record deal. Williams decided to be his mentor and eventually allowed him to record songs on some of his label's records.
Lil Wayne's Career
At the age of 12 Wayne accidentally shot himself and then later dropped out of McMain Magnet School when he was only 14. Although he was an honor student, he decided that his musical career was more important to him at the time. When he was 15 years old, Wayne joined in a group called the Hot Boys, which was comprised of three other rappers. Their album reached the top of the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Eventually the band fell apart, which is when Wayne started his solo career. He debuted a solo album when he was 17 years old, which ended up topping many different music charts. In 2000 he released his second album and in 2002 he released his third. His career continued to grow and his songs continued to play on the radio, gaining him recognition all over the country. In 2004 he released Tha Carter, which was the album that really set his career off.
Tha Carter sold almost 1 million copies and won him the chance to work with Destiny's Child and many other artists. Lil Wayne has continued to release albums over the years that have all reached the top of the charts. He's done collaborations with some of the most famous rappers and artists in the world and he said that Tha Carter V would be his last album.
In March 2011, when Lil Wayne said he would release only one more album, he also stated he would retire at age 35. He said the reason for this was wanting to spend more time with his children. He also stated he would go into other business interests instead of rapping.
Lil Wayne's Charity
Wayne created the One Family Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization that helps empower urban youth. This organization's goal is to provide kids with an environment that can help them learn skills and be productive, which can keep them off of the streets and out of trouble.
Lil Wayne and his Children
Wayne had his first child when he was only 15 years old. This daughter, named Reginae, was born to Antonia Carter, who was his high school sweetheart. They ended up marrying in 2004, but divorced two short years later in 2006. In 2008 Lil Wayne's next child, Dwayne III was born to Sarah Vivian, his girlfriend at the time. Cameron Carter, his third child, was born in 2009 to Lauren London, who is an actress. Neal, his fourth child, was born two months later in 2009 to Nivea, a singer. Lil Wayne was also pregnant with a rapper named Trina, but she had a miscarriage and lost the child.
Wayne Goes Back to School
Lil Wayne decided to earn his GED and enroll with University of Houston in 2005. He ended up dropping out due to his busy schedule, but then enrolled with University of Phoenix. His courses were online and he studied psychology, which is a subject that had always interested him. He also started writing a blog for ESPN, where he wrote about different sports that were currently being played.
His net worth is $95 million dollars, which will only continue to grow into the future as he pursues new business opportunities. He still plans on collaborating with other rappers, just not to release albums of his own. He also makes a reported $600,000 for hosting nights at popular clubs throughout the country. In addition to this, he has a clothing line named Trukfit and an endorsement deal with Mountain Dew, both of which bring in millions of dollars per year.
The Cars Toys and Homes of Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne was recently given a $70,000 vehicle for his 30th birthday by rapper Nicki Minaj. He also owns a 1999 Bentley Arnage, Yellow Viper, Hummer, PT Cruiser, Corvette and Rolls Royce. He's mentioned his vehicles in his rap songs, saying he has enough to change them out every day of the week. This collection will continue to grow in the future as he makes more money and finds new toys to purchase.
He's constantly in the news for his spending habits, having spent $30,000 recently at a strip club. He even owns a private jet, which was reportedly $55 million dollars to purchase. Wayne owns homes throughout the country, including one in Miami that is currently for sale and listed at $14 million. His home in Louisiana went on the market for $1.7 million in 2012.
What is to Come in the Future?
Lil Wayne was recently in the news and blowing up Twitter because of a rushed hospital visit for seizures. It's unclear whether these were related to drugs, but he's currently in stable but critical condition. Once he's out of the hospital he may spend more time with his family and address his health issues seriously. One thing is for certain; this isn't the last you've heard about this rapper and he will continue to be a headliner into the future. His business dealings and charity may continue to grow in the future as he helps other artists expand their career.
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