Lil Wayne has been rapping since he was just a kid, but what was his first song?
Lil Wayne wrote a rap song when he was 8 years old, although no record appears to exist of the song. He released an album—True Story—as part of the group B.G.’z in 1995, when he was 12. Lil Wayne (formerly Baby D) was featured on three tracks “From Tha 13th To Tha 17th”, “Thrill B’G”, and “Fuck Big Boy.” The first song released by Lil Wayne as a solo artist is “Tha Block Is Hot,” in 1999.
Let’s take a look at the life and career of Lil Wayne, that had him releasing songs before he was even old enough to drive.
The Beginnings of Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. was born on September 27, 1982, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Lil Wayne’s parents divorced when he was 2 years old, and his father abandoned the family.
His mother remarried and Lil Wayne regarded his step-father as his real dad, although he was murdered when he was 14. The rapper got a tattoo in his memory, which reads “Rabbit”—his step-dad’s nickname.
In an interview, the rapper explained why he goes with the moniker “Lil Wayne,” when his birth name is in fact Dwayne.
He said, “I dropped the D because I’m a junior and my father is living and he’s not in my life and he’s never been in my life. So I don’t want to be Dwayne, I’d rather be Wayne.”
Lil Wayne started rapping and writing songs from when he was 8 years old. In 1991, he met the rapper Birdman who owned Cash Money Records.
The young rapper started to call Birdman and leave freestyle raps on his answering machine, until Birdman agreed to mentor Lil Wayne and feature him on the record label’s songs.
When he was 11, Lil Wayne formed part of the duo,The B.G.z, with the 14 year old B.G. The pair recorded the album—True Story—in 1995, but it was re-released in 1999, selling 20,000 copies. Listen to the young Lil Wayne on one of his first ever tracks:
When Lil Wayne was 12 years old, he shot himself in the chest. At the time he claimed it was an accident, but later admitted he had been trying to end his life.
He rapped about it in his 2015 song “London Roads”: I remember goin’ in your gun drawer/ Puttin’ it to my chest and missin’ my heart by centimeters/ Oh Lord.
Fortunately, the young Lil Wayne survived after being brought to the hospital by an off-duty police officer.
The rapper was an honors student at school, but dropped out when he was 14 so he could focus on music.
He joined the group the “Hot Boys” with rappers Juvenile, B.G., and Turk. The Hot Boys released their debut album Get It How U Live! the same year, 1997.
Commercial Success
In 1999 the group released their second album Guerrilla Warfare, this time through a major label. The album reached number 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 5 on the Billboard 200.
Lil Wayne was then featured on Juvenile’s single “Back That Azz Up,” which reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.
Solo Venture
When Lil Wayne was 17, he released Tha Block Is Hot (1999). The album debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200, it’s highest position. The album was eventually certified platinum.
His second album—Lights Out—was released in 2000, but didn’t achieve the same success as his previous album. It debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200, it’s highest position. Critics of the album noted a lack of coherent narratives in his tracks.
His third album—500 Degreez—was released in 2002. This album also failed to match the success of his first, debuting at number 6 on the Billboard 200, which was its highest position.
Critical Acclaim
It was in 2008 that Lil Wayne released his sixth studio album—Tha Carter III—the rapper’s first number 1 album. It sold 3,800,000 copies in the US.
Since this album, Lil Wayne has had several more number 1 albums. The rapper is estimated to have a net worth of $150 million.
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