Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (born September 27, 1982 in New Orleans, Louisiana), better known by many as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. Formerly a member of the rap group Hot Boy$, he joined the Cash Money Records collective as a teenager. Get It How U Live, released in 1997, was Lil Wayne’s first album with Hot Boy$. Lil' Wayne's first solo album, Tha Block is Hot (1999), was certified platinum. His following albums, Lights Out (2000) and 500 Degreez (2002), went gold. Tha Carter (2004) brought Lil' Wayne even more success, specifically the hit single Go D.J..