Weezy F Baby

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Carter's journey began in the impoverished Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans' 17th Ward. At age eight, he wrote his first rap song, eventually meeting Birdman in the summer of 1991. In 1994, at age twelve, Carter suffered a near-fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest; while initially called accidental, he later claimed it was a suicide attempt after being told to end his rap associations. Off-duty officer Robert Hoobler saved his life by rushing him to the hospital in a police car. After recovering, he formed the duo B.G.'z with Christopher Dorsey (B.G.), releasing True Story in 1995 under the name Baby D. By 1997, Carter joined Juvenile and Turk to form the Hot Boys, becoming the youngest member at age fourteen. The group gained mainstream traction with their 1999 album Guerrilla Warfare and appeared on B.G.'s single "Bling Bling." Although the group disbanded shortly after due to label departures, they released Let 'Em Burn in 2003.

In Their Own Story

Carter's solo breakthrough arrived on November 2, 1999, with Tha Block Is Hot. At seventeen, he debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, earning a Source magazine nomination for "Best New Artist." Following Lights Out (2000) and 500 Degreez (2003), both certified gold but lacking his debut's commercial peak, Carter released Tha Carter in 2004. His fourth and fifth albums debuted in the top five of the Billboard 200 with critical acclaim. The pinnacle arrived with Tha Carter III in 2008, which sold over one million units domestically in its first week. It won Best Rap Album at the 51st Grammy Awards and spawned his first number-one single, "Lollipop," featuring Static Major. Despite a rocky period with the rap-rock album Rebirth (2010) and an eight-month jail sentence for weapon possession starting shortly after its release, he returned with I Am Not a Human Being during incarceration. Tha Carter IV followed in 2011 with 964,000 first-week sales. After delays and disputes, his twelfth album, Tha Carter V, arrived in 2018 with 480,000 first-week sales, followed by Funeral (2020) and Tha Carter VI in June 2025.

Reader's Guide

To understand Weezy F Baby's impact, look to his founding of Young Money Entertainment in 2005. This label signed major artists like Drake, Tyga, and Nicki Minaj, expanding his influence beyond performance. On September 27, 2012, Carter became the first male artist to surpass Elvis Presley on the Billboard Hot 100 with 109 entries. His discography includes five non-consecutive number-one albums, a feat achieved by Funeral in 2020. Fans should note his early name change: he dropped "D" from Dwayne because he is a junior and wanted to distinguish himself from his living but absent father, stating, "I don't wanna be Dwayne. I'd rather be Wayne." He considers his deceased stepfather, Reginald "Rabbit" McDonald, his real father and bears a tattoo dedicated to him. Carter's career balances traditional albums with mixtapes, a strategy that kept him relevant through the 2000s, and his sales figures include over 25 million albums and 95 million digital tracks in the U.S.

Did You Know?

• Carter was discovered by Birdman in 1993 and signed to Cash Money Records at age eleven.
• In 2018, Carter revealed his 1994 self-inflicted gunshot wound was a suicide attempt after being told to stop rapping.
• Off-duty police officer Robert Hoobler saved Carter's life by driving him to the hospital in a police car instead of waiting for an ambulance.
• On September 27, 2012, he became the first male artist to surpass Elvis Presley with 109 entries on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Carter dropped the 'D' from his name Dwayne because he is a junior and wished to separate himself from his father.