Once every era, an artist rewrites the rules…
Lil Wayne rewrote the entire game in his image. Hip-hop never sounded, looked, or felt the same after his ascendance to the throne. The face tattoos, the woozy auto-tune wielded like a guitar, and the lexicon itself may be traced right back to the five-time GRAMMY® Award-winning multiplatinum rap icon, Young Money Entertainment founder, acclaimed author, skater, philanthropist, and history-making New Orleans superstar.
Rather than simply a manifest his 2005 claim to being “The Best Rapper Alive,” he backed it up with relentlessness of an athlete, the spirit of a hustler, and the mind of a poet.
By 2020, he cemented his legacy forever as “one of the best-selling artists of all time,” tallying sales in excess of 100 million records worldwide with 15 million albums and 37 million digital tracks sold in the United States alone. Not to mention, he garnered 11 BET Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two MTV VMAs, and eight NCAAP Image Awards. Among many milestones, he emerged as “the first male artist to surpass Elvis Presley with the most entries on the Billboard Hot 100,” logging a staggering 109 hits.
At 14-years-old, he joined one of the most influential rap groups in Southern history, launching The Hot Boys to multiplatinum success. In 1999, he dropped his double-platinum solo debut, Tha Block Is Hot, hinting at scope of his talent. That talent came into full focus on 2004’s platinum, Tha Carter, which kickstarted one of the most mythic and celebrated album series in hip-hop. 2005’s multiplatinum Tha Carter II set a legendary chain of events in motion. Following the platinum Like Father, Like Son in 2006, he unleashed a flurry of influential mixtapes at an unparalleled pace, leading up to his mainstream takeover. Wayne captured two consecutive #1 debuts on the Billboard Top 200 with 2008’s triple-platinum three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning opus Tha Carter III and its double-platinum 2011 successor Tha Carter IV.
The momentum only ramped up. 2013’s I Am Not A Human Being II soared to #2 on the Billboard Top 200 and went gold. In 2017, he clinched #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 featuring on DJ Khaled’s seven-times platinum “I’m The One.” 2018 saw him make history again. Wayne unleashed the most-anticipated hip-hop sequel of all-time, Tha Carter V. Not only did it clinch #1 on the Billboard Top 200, but it also achieved “the second-largest streaming week for an album in history.” Every song on the tracklisting charted on the Billboard Hot 100 as he became “the first artist to debut two songs in the top 5.”
On the heels of a powerhouse co-headline tour with blink-182, he returned with his thirteenth full-length, Funeral. Boasting collaborations with everyone Adam Levine of Maroon 5 to the late XXXTentacion, it represents the beginning of another era altogether.
An entrepreneur and mogul, Wayne owns and operates Young Money Entertainment as C.E.O. The company notably ignited the careers of two of the most successful artists ever—Drake and Nicki Minaj. Plus, he staked out a spot on the New York Times Bestseller List with Gone Til November. The committed philanthropist also founded The One Family Foundation.
In the end, the game will never be the same thanks to Lil Wayne.
Lil Wayne rewrote the entire game in his image. The five-time GRAMMY® Award-winning multiplatinum rap icon, Young Money Entertainment founder, acclaimed author, skater, philanthropist, and history-making superstar left an indelible tattoo on the culture. By 2020, he cemented his legacy forever as “one of the best-selling artists of all time,” tallying sales in excess of 100 million records worldwide with 15 million albums and 37 million digital tracks sold in the United States alone. Not to mention, he garnered 11 BET Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two MTV VMAs, and eight NCAAP Image Awards. Among many milestones, he emerged as “the first male artist to surpass Elvis Presley with the most entries on the Billboard Hot 100,” logging a staggering 109 entries.
With a discography highlighted by two consecutive #1 debuts on the Billboard Top 200 with 2008’s triple-platinum three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning opus Tha Carter III and its double-platinum 2011 successor Tha Carter IV, he completed the series with Tha Carter V in 2018. Not only did it clinch #1 on the Billboard Top 200, but it also achieved “the second-largest streaming week for an album in history.” Every song on the tracklisting charted on the Billboard Hot 100 as he became “the first artist to debut two songs in the top 5.” It all bulldozed the way for his thirteenth full-length, Funeral, a year later. Simultaneously , Wayne owns and operates Young Money Entertainment as C.E.O. The company ignited the careers of two of the most successful artists ever—Drake and Nicki Minaj. The committed philanthropist founded The One Family Foundation too.
Chanel West Coast is a renowned television personality, recording artist, model, and businesswoman. She co-starred on MTV’s "Ridiculousness" for 30 seasons while focusing on her passion for music. Known for her unique blend of rap, hip-hop, R&B, and pop, Chanel has released numerous singles and mixtapes, collaborating with stars like Snoop Dogg, French Montana, and Ty Dolla $ign. Her 2020 debut album, "America’s Sweetheart," showcases her versatility and hard work, featuring tracks like “Eazy” and “No Plans.” Chanel's hustle has seen her open for Cardi B, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne. She performed at Rolling Loud in 2021 and continues to make waves as an independent artist. Beyond music, she launched the streetwear line LOL Cartel and the eco-friendly swimwear brand COASTY Swim in 2021. In 2022, Chanel became a mother to Bowie Breeze and signed a deal with Paramount/MTVE to produce and star in a reality docu-series premiering on July 19, 2024. She is working on her second studio album, with the first three singles, “Lit For Days,” “Talk is Cheap,” and "Cool Off," already released. Chanel West Coast remains a dynamic force in entertainment and business.