Lil Wayne

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on September 27, 1982, Dwayne Carter Jr. aka Lil Wayne dropped out of school at the age of 14 to become a rapper. A child protégé who began recording tracks for Cash Money Records when he was eleven, he joined rap group Hot Boys in 1997 before releasing his debut solo album Tha Block Is Hot in 1999, followed by albums 50 Degreez (2002), Tha Carter (2004) and Tha Carter II (2006). But it was chart-topping album Tha Carter III (2008) that put him on the map, producing the US Number 1 single “Lollipop.” Moving into the rock genre with Rebirth in 2010, the album hit number 2 on the Billboard 200, taking out the Number 1 position on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts. Recorded prior to and released during an eight-month stint in prison, I Am Not a Human Being arrived in 2010, once again hitting Number 1 on the Billboard 200 and certified platinum. Subsequent release Tha Carter IV (2011) was certified double-platinum and also peaked at Number 1 on the Billboard 200; his third album to top the chart in its first week of release. I Am Not a Human Being II appeared in 2013, followed by Free Weezy Album in 2015 and Tha Carter V in 2018, an album that included a stellar line-up including Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, XXXtentacion, Ashanti, and more. Two years later, the rapper unexpectedly announced a new album, titled Funeral, packed with numerous collaborations (including Big Sean, Lil Baby, 2 Chainz, Jay Rock, Adam Levine, Takeoff, the Dream, Lil Twist, Satan's Kid, XXXTentacion, and OT Genasis), seeing him surge once again to the top of the Billboard charts. As one of the most sought-after rappers on the Billboard, and a holder of five Grammy Awards, Lil Wayne continued to engage in various collaborations throughout 2023, releasing compilation I Am Music in March, mixtape Tha Fix Before VI in September and album Welcome 2 Collegrove (with 2 Chainz), in November.