What Do Lil Wayne and John Lennon Have In Common?

Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. began his career as a novelty. He was only 11 years old when he began doing odd jobs around the offices of the Cash Money record label. Discovering an early interest in music as a form of self-expression, he assumed the moniker of Gangsta D, and began composing rhymes. The duo, the B.G.z was formed a short while later, when he was teamed with 14 yr. old B.G. In 1995, the duo’s first album “True Story ” was released.

With the release of the duo’s album, Dwayne dropped the D from his first name, and became known as Lil Wayne. He later joined the hardcore rap group, “the Hot Boys” with teenagers Juvenile, Young Turk, and B.G. And in 1997, the groups debut album” Get It How U Live! was released.

In 1999, Cash Money signed a distribution deal with Universal, that helped to promote the Hot Boys album “Guerilla Warfare ” into the top spot on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

In 2000 Lil Wayne, launched his solo career, with the album “Tha Block Is Hot”, that went double platinum on the strength of the title track. However, he still remained unknown, as hardcore rap was not yet fully accepted as commercially viable.

In 2003 Lil Wayne released an underground mixtape titled “Da Drought”, that drew much attention from the hip-hop community. Recognizing a marketing opportunity, he continued to use underground releases to gather support for his next official album. His breakthrough effort Tha Carter was released in 2004.

As Lil Wayne only gained recognition after beginning his solo career, John Lennon gained fuller recognition after the disbanding of Beatles in1970. Like Lil Wayne, John Lennon appeared to be skilled at recognizing marketing opportunities. He was known as the smart Beatle, and while he was still a member of the Beatles, John Lennon demonstrated a fort-right attitude that buried the band in controversy. At that time, rock stars did not openly make any political statements or opinions, but he help to redefine what was now acceptable. In 1965, he famously stated that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus”. The statement resulted in even more controversy, as the Beatle’s recordings were banned from being aired on US radio. He was also critical of the U.S.’s involvement in the Vietnam war.

Like Lil Wayne, John Lennon had a troubled childhood. Throughout his childhood, his mother, Julia, wandered in and out of his life in Liverpool, while he was raised by his aunt, Julia’s sister Mimi and her husband, George, who died in a auto accident, when John was seventeen. Like Lil Wayne, his father essentially abandoned the family when John was five, to return only after his son had achieved fame as one of the Beatles.