Major Controversies Surrounding Lil Wayne: A Detailed Timeline
A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Lil Wayne.
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".
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.
July 22, 2007: Arrest in New York City
On July 22, 2007, Lil Wayne was arrested in New York City after police discovered him and another man smoking marijuana near his tour bus. A .40 caliber pistol was found nearby, leading to charges of criminal possession of a weapon and marijuana possession.
October 5, 2007: Arrest in Boise, Idaho
On October 5, 2007, Lil Wayne was arrested in Boise, Idaho, on felony fugitive charges based on accusations from Georgia authorities of possessing a controlled substance. These charges were later dropped due to a "mix-up".
January 23, 2008: Arrest near Yuma, Arizona
On January 23, 2008, Lil Wayne was arrested near Yuma, Arizona, after Border Patrol agents found marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, and $22,000 in cash on his tour bus. He was charged with multiple felonies, including drug possession and misconduct involving weapons.
May 6, 2008: Court Appearance in Arizona
On May 6, 2008, Lil Wayne appeared in court in Arizona and pleaded not guilty to the drug charges stemming from the January 23 arrest.
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".
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.
October 22, 2009: Guilty Plea for Weapon Possession
On October 22, 2009, Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in New York.
December 18, 2009: Detained at Texas Border Patrol Checkpoint
On December 18, 2009, Lil Wayne and 11 others were detained at the Falfurrias, Texas, border patrol checkpoint after marijuana was found on two of his tour buses.
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 8, 2010: Sentenced to Rikers Island
On March 8, 2010, Lil Wayne was sentenced to one year in jail and began serving his sentence on Rikers Island for attempted criminal possession of a weapon.
March 17, 2010: Bench Warrant Issued
On March 17, 2010, a bench warrant was issued for Lil Wayne after he failed to appear for a final trial management conference in Arizona. At the time, he was already incarcerated on Rikers Island on weapons charges.
May 2010: Contraband Found in Jail
In May 2010, Lil Wayne was found to be in possession of contraband, including an MP3 player, charger, and headphones, by Rikers Island correctional staff.
June 22, 2010: Guilty Plea in Arizona
On June 22, 2010, Lil Wayne pleaded guilty in Arizona to the drug charges from the January 2008 arrest, leading to a plea deal.
June 30, 2010: Sentenced to Probation
On June 30, 2010, Lil Wayne was sentenced to 36 months of probation as part of the plea deal in Arizona.
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.
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: Controversy over U.S. flag incident
In 2013, Lil Wayne faced criticism after a TMZ video showed him appearing to step on the U.S. flag. He clarified that it was unintentional and part of a video shoot for his song "God Bless Amerika", aiming to depict the hoods of America behind the flag.
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.
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.
2016: Statements critical of Black Lives Matter
In late 2016, Lil Wayne made controversial statements about the Black Lives Matter movement, expressing a lack of connection and suggesting his wealth and white fanbase indicated black people are valued in the United States.
October 29, 2020: Meeting with President Donald Trump
On October 29, 2020, Lil Wayne posted an image with President Donald Trump to Twitter, stating that they met to discuss criminal justice reform and Trump's Platinum Plan.
November 2020: Reported Breakup with Denise Bidot
In November 2020, Lil Wayne and Denise Bidot reportedly broke up over Wayne's endorsement of Donald Trump but shortly after reconciled.
December 12, 2020: Guilty Plea to Federal Firearms Charge
On December 12, 2020, Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to a federal firearms charge in Florida after being arrested in December 2019 for transporting a loaded handgun on his private jet from California.
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