Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., better known by his stage name
Lil Wayne, is an American
rapper. 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, with
B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group
Hot Boys, which also included rappers
Juvenile,
B.G., and
Young Turk. Hot Boys debuted with
Get It How U Live! that year. Lil Wayne gained most of his success with the group's major selling album
Guerrilla Warfare, released in 1999. Also in 1999, Lil Wayne released his Platinum debut album
Tha Block Is Hot, selling over one million copies in the U.S.