Officio Star Birthday : Lil Wayne

 

       American rapper, singer and songwriter, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr, professionally known as Lil Wayne, was born Sept. 27, 1982, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His career started in 1995 when he was signed by Birdman, the youngest member at the moment. One of the best-selling artists, Wayne has sold over 200 million records globally. 

  Wayne's major label debut album Tha Block Is Hot (1999) via Cash Money Records, debuting at No.3 on the Billboard 200 with 229,500 copies in the first week and would later be certified Platinum by the RIAA. It featured the single "Tha Block Is Hot" peaking at No.7, while reaching No. 7 on the US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard). Lights Out, his second album, was released December 19, 2000, peaking at #16 in the US, and reaching No.2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard).  500 Degreez, his third, released July 23, 2002, went on to debut at No.6 on the Billboard 200, becoming his second top-ten debut therein, and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) chart. 

   The fourth set, Tha Carter, out June 29, 2004 debuted at #5 in the US, and would later spawn four sequels in that order. It peaked at No.2 on the US Top Rap Albums (Billboard). Tha Carter II, the first sequel was released December 6, 2005, and managed to debut at No.2 on the Billboard 200, marking his fourth top-ten debut, while topping the Top Rap Albums (Billboard) and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard). In 2006 he released a collaborative album with Birdman titled Like Father, Like Son, which peaked at No.3 in the US.

   2008's Tha Carter III, was released to critical acclaim and major success, debuting at number-one in the US, with 1,005,545 copies in its first week. The album spawned Wayne's first number-one entry on the Hot 100, "Lollipop" (with vocals from Static Major), along with follow-up singles "A Milli" (US #6), "Got Money" (with T-Pain) (US #10) and "Mrs. Officer" (featuring Bobby Valentino and Kidd Kidd) (US #16). In 2009 at the Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for  Album of the Year, while winning Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song (for Lollipop) and Best Rap Solo Performance (for A Milli). Billboard ranked it at No.3 at the year end in 2008. 

   Rebirth (2010) went on debut at No.2 on the Billboard 200, marking Wayne's seventh top-ten score on the chart, while it debuted at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and the US Top Rap Albums charts. It featured the singles "Drop the World" (featuring Eminem) and "Knockout" (featuring Nicki Minaj). In the same year, the rapper released I Am Not a Human Being, which also debuted at No.2 in the US, and would later leap from No.16 to No.1, earning Wayne his second number-one record therein. The album was a No.1 success on the US Digital Albums (Billboard), US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) and US Top Rap Albums (Billboard). It also peaked at No.4 in Canada. 

   Tha Carter IV was released in August 2011, debuting at No.1 in the US with 964,000 copies, while debuting at No.1 in Canada as well. It reached No,8 in the UK, #9 in Australia, topping the UK R&B Albums (OCC). Billboard ranked it at No.6 at the end of 2011. It included the singles "6 Foot 7 Foot" (featuring Cory Gunz) (No.9 on the Hot 100, No.2 on the US Rap Songs (Billboard), "John" (featuring Rick Ross) (No.22 on the Hot 100), "How to Love" (No.5 on the Hot 100), "She Will" (#3 US), "It's Good" and "Mirror" (featuring Bruno Mars) (No.16 on the Hot 100). 

   I Am a Human Being II (2013), debuted at No.2 on the Billboard 200, while spawning the singles "No Worries" (#29), "Love Me" (#9), and "Rich As Fuck" (#28). In 2015, the Free Weezy Album was released as the rapper's eleventh and it underperformed peaking at No.77 in the US. Tha Carter V (2018), debuted at No.1 in the US, marking Wayne's fourth number-one set on the chart. Reaching No.1 in Canada, #6 in Australia, the album peaked at #5 in the UK.

   In 2020, his 13th album, Funeral, was released by Young Money Entertainment and Republic Records, on January 21. It debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart as well as the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard). 

   Lil Wayne has been featured on Destiny Child's "Soldier" (No.3 on the Hot 100), Chris Brown's "Gimme That" (Remix) (#15), Lloyd's "You" (#9), Fat Joe's "Make It Rain" (#13), Wyclef Jean's "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" (#12), T-Pain's "Can't Believe It" (#7), Kevin Rudolf's "Let It Rock" (#5), Jay-Z's "Swagga like Us" (#5), Keri Hilson's "Turnin Me On" (#15), Jay Sean's "Down" (a number one record on the Hot 100), Drake's "Forever" (No.8 in the US), Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now" (No.6), DJ Khaled's "I'm on One" (No.10), B.o.B's "Strange Clouds" (No.7), Chris Brown's "Loyal" (#9), DJ Khaled's "I'm the One" (a number-one entry on the Hot 100), among other entries.