Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. was born on September 27, 1982, and grew up in the impoverished Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. His mother, a cook, gave birth to him when she was 19 years old. His parents divorced when he was 2, and his father permanently abandoned the family. Although Wayne and Birdman have a father-son relationship and Birdman calls Carter his son, Wayne's biological father and namesake (Dwayne Carter) is still alive.

Lil Wayne has been referenced in public speeches by President Barack Obama on at least two occasions, in mixed contexts. Speaking to a largely African-American audience during a general election campaign town hall speech in Georgia, then-U.S. Senator Obama exhorted children to stay in school and achieve their dreams through education and perseverance instead of hoping for shortcuts to fame and riches as professional athletes and entertainers via the fields of sports and entertainment, stating: "You are probably not that good a rapper. Maybe you are the next Lil Wayne, but probably not, in which case you need to stay in school."  After assuming the Presidency, Obama later echoed this theme of personal and familial responsibility and the difficulty of achieving Lil Wayne's professional and financial success--during an address to a meeting commemorating the 100th anniversary of the NAACP, telling the audience:  They might think they've got a pretty jump shot or a pretty good flow, but our kids can't all aspire to be LeBron or Lil Wayne. I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers, doctors and teachers, not just ballers and rappers. I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court justice. I want them aspiring to be President of the United States of America.  Obama has also noted that the music on his iPod includes Lil Wayne:  My rap palate has greatly improved. Jay-Z used to be sort of what predominated, but now I've got a little Nas and a little Lil Wayne and some other stuff.

Was there another time Obama referenced Lil Wayne?
They might think they've got a pretty jump shot or a pretty good flow, but our kids can't all aspire to be LeBron or Lil Wayne.