Posted under mtv
By Ayana Allen
Back in 1999, I met a young rapper whose group was riding high on the success of their first hit single “We On Fire.” Today, when I see the same MC in videos, I barely recognize the kid from a decade ago.
When the Louisiana-born rapper Lil Wayne first broke into the game, he was a 14-year-old sideman in the Cash Money empire, providing hype and rhymes alongside stars like B.G. and Juvenile. Today, he’s a multi-platinum, multi-platform star who has kept one foot in the street (via his many mixtapes) even while he diversifies his portfolio, collaborates with superstars and tops the charts.
With every step forward Wayne had taken in his career, a physical transformation hasn’t been far behind. Witness his added muscles, his expanding head of hair and his growing tattoo collection. When he appeared in Juvenile’s 1998 video for “Ha,” he was just a baby-faced kid. By, he had debuted his first grill, and in 2000 he got his first teardrop tattoo. From there, the tats expanded to his eyelids and neck, while he reigned in his trademark dreadlocks with headbands and crazy hats.
Even today, Lil Wayne continues to evolve in all aspects of his life — with the upcoming release of his rock album Rebirth, he’s looking a little more “rock” recently. It’s been a long and strange 10 years. For proof, just take a look at the Lil Wayne photo timeline to see just how far one of music’s biggest talents has come.
(Click here to see the evolution of Lil Wayne, from Cash Money kid to Young Money superstar!)