Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne (born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.) is a Grammy-winning rapper known for his distinctive voice and influential role in shaping modern hip-hop. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Lil Wayne spent his childhood in the city’s Hollygrove neighborhood. He began writing raps as a child and recorded his first song at age 8. Wayne attended Eleanor McMain Secondary School and later Marion Abramson Senior High School, eventually leaving to pursue a GED and focus on a career in music.

Wayne’s career began early when he signed with Cash Money Records at age 11 after being discovered by Birdman. He first gained attention as the youngest member of the Hot Boys alongside Juvenile, Turk and B.G. The group’s success in the late 1990s set the stage for Wayne’s solo breakthrough, which arrived with the release of Tha Carter in 2004 and its increasingly successful follow-ups.

He became a dominant force in music with Tha Carter III (2008), which included hits like “Lollipop” and earned him multiple Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album. Over the years, Wayne has released several acclaimed albums including Tha Carter IV (2011), Funeral (2020) and Tha Carter VI (2025), and he has collaborated with dozens of major artists, building a reputation for his prolific mixtape releases and lyrical style.

Wayne married high school sweetheart Toya Johnson in 2004, and the couple welcomed daughter Reginae in 1998 before divorcing in 2006. He moved on with radio host Sarah Vivan, and the pair welcomed son Dwayne Carter III in 2008 before splitting. Wayne later dated Lauren London; the two share a son, Cameron (born in 2009). He was later linked to figures like Dana Lee and Nivea, the latter of whom he shares a son, Neal (born in 2009). In 2024, he began dating LeahAngelie Murphy.