Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (born September 27, 1982), better known by his
stage name Lil Wayne, is an American
hip hop recording artist from
New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1991, at the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined
Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo
The B.G.'z, alongside fellow New Orleans-based
rapper Lil' Doogie. In 1996, Lil Wayne formed the
southern hip hop group
Hot Boys, with his Cash Money label-mates
Juvenile,
Young Turk and Lil' Doogie (who now goes by B.G.). Hot Boys debuted with
Get It How U Live!, that same year. Most of the group's success came with their
platinum-selling album
Guerrilla Warfare (1999) and the 1999 single "
Bling Bling". Along with being the flagship artist of Cash Money Records, Lil Wayne is also the
chief executive officer (CEO) of his own label imprint,
Young Money Entertainment, which he founded in 2005.