Lil' Wayne Video: The History
| Fri 30 July 2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lil' Wayne Video: The History |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Lil' Wayne, The American Hip Hop rapper -- born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. -- was born on September 27, 1982 in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he grew up in the Hollygrove neighborhood. His last name, Carter, is taken from his step father, who died in tragic circumstances. Lil' Wayne is also known as Weezy, J.R., Raw Tune, Birdman, and Weezy F Baby. Lil' Wayne was enrolled in the gifted program of Lafayette Elementary School and in the drama club of Eleanor McMain Secondary School. At age eleven, he met Bryan Williams, rapper and owner of Cash Money Records. After developing a very keen interest in Rap music, Lil' Wayne began recording freestyle raps on Williams' answering machine and Williams eventually mentored the young Carter and included him in songs distributed by Cash Money Records. Lil' Wayne signed his first contract ever, with Cash Money Records, at the very tender age of 11. At age 14, Lil' Wayne dropped out of school but later earned his GED. At the age of 16 Lil' Wayne became a dad: he has a daughter -- Reginae Carter -- with Antonia "Toya" Johnson, his high school sweetheart. Lil' Wayne and Antonia were married on Valentines Day in 2004; they divorced in 2006. During his acceptance speech for "Lyricist of the Year" at the 2008 BET Awards, Lil' Wayne announced that he was about to become a dad for the second time. His newborn son, Dwayne Carter III, was born on Oct. 22 at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. One of Lil' Wayne's favorite bands from childhood was the rock group Nirvana -- a group that has influenced his music. In 2005, Lil' Wayne was named president of Cash Money Records, and in the same year he founded Young Money Entertainment as an offshoot of Cash Money Records. However, Lil' Wayne reported that he has stepped down from the management of both labels and has handed management of Young Money Entertainment over to Cortez Bryant, a longtime friend. Lil' Wayne has a Degree in Psychology from the University of Houston in Texas.
[ Top of page ] Lil' Wayne & The Hot BoysIn 1997, Lil’ Wayne, Juvenile, Turk, and B.G. came together to form the rap group the Hot Boys. At 15 years of age, Lil’ Wayne was the youngest member at that time. The Hot Boys' debut album "Get It How U Live" was released the same year in 1997. This was Lil’ Wayne's first album with the Hot Boys. "Get It How U Live" was then followed in 1999 by the group's major-label debut album "Guerrilla Warfare", which reached #1 on Billboard Magazine’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #5 on the Billboard 200. During their career, the Hot Boys had two charting singles, "We On Fire" from the album "Get It How U Live" and "I Need a Hot Girl" taken from the album "Guerrilla Warfare". Lil’ Wayne was also featured on Juvenile's single "Back That Azz Up", which reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. "Let 'Em Burn", a compilation album of unreleased tracks recorded during 1999 and 2000, came out in 2003, several years after the group disbanded. It reached #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #14 on the Billboard 200.
[ Top of page ] Lil' Wayne's Solo CareerLil' Wayne's first solo album was "Tha Block is Hot", which came out in 1999 and debuted in the top ten of the American Billboard 200 chart. In the same year (1999) Lil' Wayne was nominated for "Best New Artist" by The Source magazine. After the success of his hit debut album, "Tha Block Is Hot", Lil' Wayne released two further albums: "Lights Out" which was released in 2000 and "500 Degreez" which was released in 2002. These two subsequent albums didn't achieve the level of success achieved by "Tha Block Is Hot", partly due to limited promotion. In 2004, Lil' Wayne reached higher levels of popularity with "Tha Carter". And the two follow-up albums, "Tha Carter II" (2005) and "Tha Carter III" (2008) in particular, made Lil' Wayne into a Hip Hop rap phenomenon, with "Tha Carter III" (Cash Money/Universal) winning the accolade of the best-selling album of 2008 after shifting a total of 2.88 million units. Lil' Wayne's Studio AlbumsTha Block Is Hot (1999)
Following his success with "Tha Block Is Hot", Lil' Wayne soon began featuring on other rappers' singles, including B.G.'s "Bling Bling" and Big Tymers' "#1 Stunna". Lights Out (2000)
The second single which received less attention was "Shine" featuring The Hot Boys. Just before the release of "Lights Out", Lil' Wayne was featured on the single, "#1 Stunna" with Big Tymers and Juvenile, which rose to 24th place on the Hot Rap Tracks charts. 500 Degreez (2002)
The title "500 Degreez" was a response to Juvenile's (estranged Hot Boys member at the time) recording of "400 Degreez". The lead single was "Way Of Life" which, like the album, failed to match the success of his previous singles. After the release of "500 Degreez", Lil' Wayne was featured on the single, "Neva Get Enuf" with 3LW. Tha Carter (2004)
Lil' Wayne gained significant recognition for "Tha Carter", selling over 1 million copies in the United States, while the single "Go DJ" became a top five hit. After the release of "Tha Carter", Lil' Wayne was featured on Destiny's Child's single "Soldier" with T.I., which peaked at #3 on the U.S. Hot 100 and the U.S. R&B Charts. The song "Get Something" (featuring Mannie Fresh) was supposed to appear on the album but failed to make the cut. However, the music video was released. Tha Carter II (2005)
Tha Carter III (2008)
"Tha Carter III" was released on June 10, 2008, selling more than a million copies in its first week of release, the first to do so since 50 Cent's "The Massacre" in 2005. The first single "Lollipop", featuring Static became the rapper's most commercially successful song at that point, topping the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first top ten single for Lil' Wayne as a solo artist, as well as his first #1 on the chart. His third single from "Tha Carter III", "Got Money" featuring T-Pain, peaked at #13 on the Billboard 100. After selling 2.88 million units of "Tha Carter III" and taking home first prize for the most albums sold in 2008 across all popular music genres, Lil' Wayne's place in history as one of the most successful rappers of his generation, is assured. [ Top of page ] Lil' Wayne's MixtapesIn 2006, following the release of "Tha Carter II", Lil' Wayne collaborated with rapper Birdman on the album "Like Father, Like Son". The first single from the album, "Stuntin' Like My Daddy", reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Instead of a follow-up solo album to "Tha Carter II", Lil' Wayne reached his audience through mixtapes and guest appearances on a variety of pop 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, saw Lil' Wayne team up with DJ Drama on the acclaimed socially conscious track "Georgia Bush" in which Lil' Wayne criticized US president George W. Bush's response to the crisis in New Orleans after the effects of Hurricane Katrina. "Da Drought 3" was released in 2007 and was available for free legal download. The album featured Lil' Wayne rapping over a variety of beats from recent hits by other musicians. 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 Part 2" "among the best albums of 2007."
[ Top of page ] Hip Hop News: Lil' Wayne
Game Enlists Lil Wayne, Mary J. Blige For Brake Lights Mixtape 'You're getting a free Game album to get you ready for this R.E.D. Album,' producers Cool & Dre tell Mixtape Daily.
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive The Game says he's about to put out music to make his rivals pump their brakes. He has a new mixtape, hosted by DJ Skee and produced entirely by Cool & Dre, ready to drop at the beginning of August called Brake Lights. "We did this Drake record called 'Good Girl, Bad Girl' in L.A. during the BET [Awards] for The R.E.D. Album," Dre of Cool & Dre told us earlier this week of how the mixtape was conceived. "That record feels like an authentic Game record, something off The Documentary. It has that soul music. Him and Drake made a classic record. It feels like something the DJs would drop the needle on. What Game wanted to do was take the energy from that session and continue it.
"The R.E.D. Album is wrapped up," Dre continued of the August 24 album. "Sh-- sounds good. Pharrell gave him some heat, [DJ] Khalil gave him some heat, Dr. Dre gave him some heat. So what he's trying to do is 'Let's kill the streets with a mixtape before the album.' And he asked me and Cool to produce it for him. I always get on him, like, 'Yo, Game. One of these albums, man. Our track record is kinda all right. You should give us an opportunity to really go in with you, do the majority of your album.' " "Every time, they'll be like, 'We ain't never did a whole mixtape with you,' " Game explained Wednesday night from his tour bus. "They said, 'We know Skee is gonna host it.' They was like, 'Let us supply all the tracks.' They started sending me tracks. Three one day, four the next day. I was bodying them joints back to back to back." In just three days, Game had recorded 10 songs over the Miami duo's beats. Everyone loved all the cuts. "Me and Cool will play a beat, and he'll turn that beat into an incredible song," Dre applauded. "We sent Game a CD with 15 joints. For three days he spazzed out. He sent back 10 to Cool, and Cool started mixing them." "Mixtapes, you don't mix them joints," Game said. "You just throw them out. But Cool wanted to mix them joints, make sure all the vocals and the beats was right, well blended. We dropped the 'M.I.A' joint — the LeBron, D. Wade and Chris Bosh joint — on the Internet. The people went nuts. It was the first song talking about that. A shot in the dark I threw out there for the people, man. We buzzin'." Game also revealed that one of his favorite records from Brake Lights is the title track, and he put a few guests in the mix as well. "I did a few collaborations," the Compton MC said. "I got something I did with [Lil] Wayne before he left. I got something with Baby. Always gotta have them a part of anything red. Them my dudes. Waka Flocka came through to jump on the mixtape hook. I got some stuff, man." Dre is partial to a song Game has with Busta. "He's got a record with Busta Rhymes called 'Shot Down in Cold Blood,' " Dre described. "The beat is a beat we originally did for Kanye, for his new album. It's got a vibe, man. Through the whole song, Busta says, 'Shot down in cold blood.' Every two bars he says, 'Shot down in cold blood.' Busta does it in a Jamaican patois voice. Game just spits a bunch of sh--, which makes the 'shot down in cold blood' make sense. He has a feature on there I can't say. "There's a record called 'People' that has Mary J. Blige on it," he continued. "That's soulful. It's a lot of soul-sample beats, which we're known for, on the mixtape. There's a lot of gangsta sh-- on there. Some 'Big Dreams,' 'Hate It or Love It' type sh-- is on there. You're getting a free Game album to get you ready for this R.E.D. Album." Game says he wants to shoot a couple of videos for the mixtape when he gets off tour. For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines or follow the Mixtape Daily team on Twitter: @shaheemreid and @mongosladenyc. Related Videos Related ArtistsLil Wayne - Get A Life
Photos | Behind The Scenes Of Lil Wayne And Eminem's "Drop The World"
Behind The Scenes Of Lil Wayne And Eminem's "Drop The World" Related ArtistsPhotos | MTV News' 2009 Men Of The Year
MTV News' 2009 Men Of The Year Related ArtistsLil Wayne Blogs About LeBron James Joining The Miami Heat 'I believe that this Miami team will be explosive,' Wayne says in a post on WeezyThanxYou.com.
Lil Wayne's yearlong bid at Rikers hasn't dulled the superstar MC's love of sports. In a letter to fans posted last week on his website, WeezyThanxYou.com, Wayne revealed that he keeps up with ESPN as part of his daily routine. Now, like millions of basketball fans, LeBron James' move to the Miami Heat has excited the incarcerated rapper. "Oh LeBron! The recent move by the Miami Heat confirms that we will someday soon have that good ole basketball back," Wayne wrote in a blog posted Tuesday (July 20) titled "The Tricks of the Trade." With the Heat's newly acquired superstar talent, Weezy wrote that he expects the team to bring fire to the court. "I believe that this Miami team will be explosive as intended," Wayne continued. "Anything less than an NBA championship title will be uncivilized." The MC also described some ways the Florida team might work the court: "Well with [Dwyane] Wade at the 1 and LeBron at the 2 or vice versa even, or Mario Chalmers at the 1, Wade at the 2, and Bron at the 3 ... Wow! Not to mention that I didn't mention [Chris] Bosh, who can live at the 4 or 5. Zone defense will be a must against this team," Weezy wrote. "That's 3 players on the court that commands a double team. Just imagine those guys on a fast break, the defender back [pedaling] ... Wade can take it to the hole or throw it up and you know Bron. Bron is going to get it ... or dish it back to a trailing Chris Bosh who will definitely finish at the rim ... again, wow!" The Young Money star also analyzed a potential face-off between the Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA championship. "Hey, what if [former Lakers coach and current Heat President] Pat Riley returns to the sidelines and it ends up being the Lakers vs. Heat in the finals? Riley vs. [current Lakers coach Phil] Jackson! Epic! [Pau] Gasol on [Chris] Bosh, Ron-Ron [Artest] on Bron-Bron, and Kobe [Bryant] on Wade ... wow!" In addition to following LeBron's power moves, the rapper has apparently been keeping tabs on the NBA as a whole and examined the strengths and weaknesses of other teams in the league. "Also, beware of the [Chicago] Bulls. [Carlos] Boozer will fit in well because they're similar to Utah [Jazz] in many ways. A nice guard surrounded by the shooters," Weezy wrote. "The Bulls led the league in the rebounds last season and I'm sure they will again with Boozer and [Joakim] Noah." The MC also dished on the potential performance of the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic. "If they can stay healthy, then expect [Amar'e Stoudemire] and [Anthony] Randolph to be beasts in the paint," Wayne wrote, adding, "I'm not sure about Orlando in the East this upcoming season. I mean [Chris] Duhon isn't exactly a good move but it has potential." The post suggests that in addition to reclaiming his spot in the hip-hop game, the star is also looking forward to a stirring b-ball season. "I can't wait to see how teams stack up next season when those other big name players hit the market," Wayne wrote, capping off the post simply with, "Good ole basketball." Are you glad Wayne is still keeping up with the sports world? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos Related ArtistsLil Wayne Raps Carter IV Verses Over The Phone For Drake 'He called me the other day from jail and rapped me two verses, man,' Drake says.
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive As a journalist, you love hearing the person you're interviewing say, "I don't know if I'm supposed to say this ..." That almost always means they're about to talk what we call "good ish." Last week in Atlanta on the video set for Drake's "Fancy," Drizzy dropped a jewel on us: Lil Wayne rapped for him over the phone again. The last time Weezy kicked a verse on the jack from Rikers Island, it wound up being a super-underground, added-on remix verse for "Light Up." This time, the New Orleans Fireman gave his Young Money family member a preview of Tha Carter IV.
"He called me the other day from jail and rapped me two verses, man," Drake said. "It really made me, like, 'I gotta do something different. I gotta get sh-- together,' because he's really got bars and he's rapping from a broader life perspective, saying these things people love to hear." Drake also revealed that, although he wasn't aware of the title of Weezy's September EP I'm Not A Human Being at the time, he's definitively a featured guest. "I'm on it," Drake said. While our talk continued with the 23-year-old Toronto native, he also said that his mentor was in that rare space where fans loved him no matter what. "It's gonna transfer over to whatever he does," Drake said of Weezy's following. "They're waiting for that new Wayne. I don't know if people are waiting for that new Drake. Thank Me Later was great — it was phenomenal things I've never seen, like people lining up. But it might have just been the moment — that's yet to be proven. But Wayne is just a proven artist. There's no doubt in my mind that people are waiting for that I'm Not a Human Being, that Carter IV, that Wayne and Drake album. All that!" For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines or follow the Mixtape Daily team on Twitter: @shaheemreid and @mongosladenyc. Related Videos Related ArtistsMixtape Daily: Foxy Brown, Lupe Fiasco Check out the latest news on the mixtape circuit.
Related Artists [ Top of page ] Hip Hop / Urban / Music Magazines[ Top of page ] Hip Hop News
Cam'ron & Vado set date for Gunz N' Butta album |
|
Custom Search
|
|
At age 17, Lil' Wayne's debut solo album 
Lil' Wayne's 2000 follow-up album 
Lil' Wayne's third album 
In the summer of 2004, Lil' Wayne's album 
"Tha Carter II"
"Tha Carter III"
