Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Lil Wayne
How Lil Wayne built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., known as Lil Wayne, is a highly influential American rapper. Discovered by Birdman in 1993, he signed with Cash Money Records at age eleven and became the label's flagship artist. Lil Wayne is often considered one of the greatest and most influential hip hop artists of his generation.
2002: Feud with Juvenile Begins
In 2002, Lil Wayne started feuding with Juvenile after Wayne named his album 500 Degreez, seen as a diss to Juvenile's 400 Degreez. Juvenile responded with a diss track questioning Wayne's sexuality.
2002: Tension Begins with Clipse and Birdman Collaboration
In 2002, tension between Lil Wayne and Pusha T began soon after Clipse and Birdman worked on "What Happened to That Boy".
2004: Brief Reconciliation
In 2004, Lil Wayne and Birdman appeared in the music video for Juvenile and Soulja Slim's song, "Slow Motion", signaling a short reconciliation. Wayne also released "I Miss My Dawgs" on Tha Carter.
2006: Wayne Feels Dissed by Clipse Song
In 2006, Lil Wayne felt that the Clipse song "Mr. Me Too" was directed at him, causing further tension between him and Pusha T.
2006: Initial Recordings by Thomas Marasciullo
In 2006, Thomas Marasciullo was asked by Lil Wayne and Birdman to record "Italian-styled spoken word recordings", which were later allegedly used without permission on their tracks.
2007: "Something You Forgot" Release
In 2007, Lil Wayne released the song "Something You Forgot," which expressed his feelings for Nivea.
February 19, 2008: Visit to McMain Secondary School
On February 19, 2008, Lil Wayne and his manager Cortez Bryant visited McMain Secondary School to encourage students to design an invitation for the gala introducing Carter's nonprofit One Family Foundation.
July 24, 2008: Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
On July 24, 2008, Abkco Music filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne for copyright infringement related to the song "Playing with Fire" on Tha Carter III, claiming it was derived from The Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire".
September 24, 2008: First ESPN Blog
On September 24, 2008, Lil Wayne published his first blog for ESPN in their issue, ESPN The Magazine. He shared his love for sports like tennis, Green Bay Packers, the Boston Bruins, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Boston Red Sox.
January 6, 2009: Guest Debater on ESPN First Take
On January 6, 2009, Lil Wayne appeared as a guest debater against Skip Bayless on the "1st & 10" segment of ESPN First Take.
February 10, 2009: ESPN's Around the Horn Appearance
On February 10, 2009, Lil Wayne appeared on ESPN's Around the Horn and won the show's episode, beating out veterans Woody Paige, Jay Mariotti, and Michael Smith.
February 2009: $1.3 Million Lawsuit
In February 2009, Lil Wayne faced a $1.3 million lawsuit from RMF Productions after cancelling three shows for which he had received a $100,000 advance payment.
October 2009: Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over Voice Recordings
In October 2009, Lil Wayne, Birdman, and Cash Money Records were sued for copyright infringement by Thomas Marasciullo, who claimed his voice was used without permission on "Respect" and other tracks from the album Like Father, Like Son and Birdman's 5 * Stunna.
2009: Squashing Beef with Young Buck
In 2009, Lil Wayne and Young Buck squashed their beef and recorded a track called "Up's and Down's" for Young Buck's Back on My Buck Shit mixtape.
2009: Birdman Disputes Jay-Z's Hottest MC Title
In a 2009 interview with Tropical TV, Birdman disputed the MTV poll that voted Jay-Z "The Hottest MC in the Game", arguing that Lil Wayne was a better rapper and made more money.
March 2011: Deezle Lawsuit Over Royalties
In March 2011, producer Deezle (Darius Harrison) sued Lil Wayne and Cash Money Records over unpaid royalties from the album Tha Carter III.
June 2011: David Kirkwood Lawsuit Over Royalties
In early June 2011, producer David Kirkwood filed a lawsuit against Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records, claiming they failed to pay him over $1.5 million in royalties and production services for his work on the album, including songwriting on "Love Me or Hate Me".
July 2011: Done Deal Enterprises Lawsuit
In July 2011, Done Deal Enterprises filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne, Universal Music Group, Cash Money Records, and Young Money Entertainment, alleging copyright infringement of the song "BedRock" from the album We Are Young Money, seeking $15 million in damages.
August 24, 2011: "It's Good" Leaks Online
On August 24, 2011, Lil Wayne's song "It's Good" (featuring Drake and Jadakiss) was leaked online, containing a response to Jay-Z's diss towards Birdman.
2011: Inspiration from "Keep Ya Head Up"
In 2011, Lil Wayne drew inspiration from Tupac's "Keep Ya Head Up" for his single "How to Love".
November 2012: Ordered to Pay Quincy Jones III
In November 2012, Lil Wayne was ordered to pay Quincy Jones III $2.2 million due to a lawsuit claiming that he blocked the release of Jones's film The Carter, thereby infringing on its profits.
November 2012: Pusha T Diss on Ludacris Song
In November 2012, Pusha T dissed Lil Wayne and Birdman on a new Ludacris song titled "Tell Me What They Mad For".
2013: Collaboration on "Wowzerz"
In 2013, Lil Wayne and Trina reunited to collaborate for the single "Wowzerz".
December 4, 2014: Album Release Delayed
On December 4, 2014, Lil Wayne announced that Tha Carter V would not be released on its expected date due to his conflict with Birdman and Cash Money Records, who were refusing to release the completed album. He expressed feeling like a "prisoner".
December 2014: Pusha T's Tweet Encouraging Wayne to Sign with G.O.O.D. Music
In December 2014, during the feud between Lil Wayne and Birdman, Pusha T tweeted encouraging Lil Wayne to sign with G.O.O.D. Music, also insulting Birdman.
2014: Final Reconciliation
In 2014, Lil Wayne and Juvenile fully reconciled, leading to Juvenile re-signing with Cash Money Records.
January 2015: Lawsuit Against Birdman and Cash Money Records
In late January 2015, Lil Wayne sued Birdman and Cash Money Records for $51 million, marking a significant escalation in their ongoing conflict.
January 20, 2015: Sorry for the Wait 2 Release
On January 20, 2015, with the release of Sorry for the Wait 2, Lil Wayne continuously dissed Birdman and Cash Money Records throughout the mixtape.
October 11, 2016: Release of "Gone Til' November"
On October 11, 2016, Lil Wayne's memoir of his experience in Rikers Island, titled "Gone Til' November: A Journal of Rikers Island", was released.
2016: Purchase of Player's Rep. Sports Agency
In 2016, Lil Wayne purchased Player's Rep. Sports Agency and became Young Money APAA sports, hiring NFL's first female sports agent, Nicole Lynn.
December 2019: Announcement of GKUA Ultra Premium
In December 2019, Lil Wayne announced his own cannabis brand under the name of GKUA Ultra Premium.
2019: Collaboration on "Situation"
In 2019, Lil Wayne and Trina collaborated on the single "Situation" and remain on good terms.
2021: Homage to Lauryn Hill
In 2021, Lil Wayne and rapper Calboy paid homage to Lauryn Hill on their single "Miseducation".
2021: "Green and Yellow" Second Version
In 2021, Lil Wayne released a second version of his song "Green and Yellow", requested by the Green Bay Packers, updating it with the current roster.
January 27, 2024: Reunion with Birdman
On January 27, 2024, Lil Wayne and Birdman reunited during a studio session, signaling the end of their nine-year feud.
November 2024: Key to the City and NOLA Walk of Fame
In November 2024, during the Lil WeezyAna Fest, Lil Wayne received a Key to the City from New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Master P also announced the creation of the NOLA Walk of Fame and presented Wayne with a fleur-de-lis plaque.
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