Dwayne Michael, better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur who was born on September 27, 1982. Many of his peers consider him to be one of the most influential hip-hop musicians of his generation, and he is frequently referred to as one of the best rappers of all time. His career began in 1995 when he was 12 years old when he was signed by rapper Birdman and joined Cash Money Records as the label's youngest member. Wayne was Cash Money Records' main artist from then until June 2018, when he parted ways with the label.