Dwayne Carter Jr., better known as Lil Wayne, helped shape modern rap in more than one way. While his music itself has been influential, his work with the label Young Money Entertainment (YMCY) has helped take control of hip-hop from traditional labels back into the hands of the musicians who make it. This has done more than just help his peers. It’s also made him one of the wealthiest rappers around.
Lil Wayne Net Worth 2018 – $150 Million
How Did Lil Wayne Build his Wealth & Fortune?
Lil Wayne entered the rap game when he was just eight years old, signing onto Cash Money Records just a year later. At the time, he was almost a novelty; a child performing gangster rap. Young Carter even accidentally shot himself when he was only twelve. Since his childhood, he’s done a lot to prove he’s more than just a gimmick. In 2004, when Lil Wayne was 22, he released Tha Carter, gaining him national recognition.
Over the next few years, he released several more albums, eventually passing Elvis Presley as the man with the most songs to have broke into the Billboard Hot 100. In 2010, I Am Not a Human Being was released while Lil Wayne was incarcerated in New York. When it hit the top of the Billboard charts, it made him the second artist ever (after Tupac) to have a #1 album.
To date, Lil Wayne has sold over 110 million records (including singles) and 40 million digital single tracks, making him one of the most commercially successful musicians in the world, not just in rap.
Dwayne Carter Personal Life & FAQ
Is Lil Wayne Married?
Lil Wayne is divorced. He married his high school partner, Antonia Carter née Johnson on Valentine’s Day in 2004, but they divorced two years later.
Does Lil Wayne have kids?
Lil Wayne has four children. His first daughter, Reginae, was born in 1997 to Antonia. A decade later, he had a son with Sarah Vivan, a radio broadcaster. Dwayne III was born on October 22, 2008. He had another son, Cameron, was born on September 9, 2009, to Lauren London, an actress best known for her roles on 90210 and Entourage. His third son, Neal, was born just a few months later, on November 30, to Nivea, a singer who hit the charts in the early 2000s with her song “Don’t Mess With My Man.” (The song isn’t about Lil Wayne.
Where did Lil Wayne go to College?
After earning his GED, Dwayne Carter briefly attended the University of Houston. He began classes in January of 2005, but dropped out later that semester because of conflicts with his tour schedule. However, Carter later took classes from the online University of Phoenix, majoring in psychology.
Where Does Lil Wayne Live? Picture of Lil Wayne’s House
In 2006, Dwayne Carter bought a 15,000ft mansion located on La Gorce Island in Miami, Beach Florida for around $11.6 million. The unique residence, with nine bedrooms and a three bedroom guest house, even has a skate park on the roof. Last spring, after people prank called SWAT officers to the house and started sending escorts there unsolicited, Carter put the house on the market. He listed it for $18 million, or $6.4 million more than he paid for it.
Why is he called Lil Wayne?
In an interview for CBS with Katie Couric, Lil Wayne was asked why he goes by Wayne instead of Dwayne. He explained that he was Dwayne Jr., but because his father wasn’t in his life, he didn’t feel like a Jr. so would rather be Wayne.
How much did Lil Wayne Earn Last Year?
Between royalties from his past records and his ability to charge $600,000 for a performance, Dwayne Carter earned an estimated $15 million last year, down almost $8 million from the year before.
Lil Wayne’s Charity Work and Philanthropy
Despite his gangster persona, Dwayne Carter has done a lot to help his community and the world at large. In 2007, he worked with KRS-One for the relaunched “Stop the Violence Movement,” which had hip-hop artists work together to stop unnecessary violence. After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Lil Wayne’s home city, he single-handedly financed the reconstruction of the park he played in as a kid. In 2010, he worked with Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones and almost 50 other musicians to raise money for Haiti, which had been hit by a massive earthquake. Last December, he donated a massive amount of clothing from his personal brand to Haitian schoolchildren, as well.
He also takes part in Cash Money Records’ annual turkey giveaway, which helps make sure poor families in New Orleans are able to have fulfilling Thanksgiving dinners. Lil Wayne also bought a wheelchair for one of his fans, whose mother wrote him frequent letters when he was in jail.
