40 Things You Didn't Know About Lil Wayne

Weezy's in the news every day, but there's still plenty of info about the rapper of which you might not be aware.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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You either love or hate Lil Wayne, but no matter what, you can't escape him. On what's a seemingly daily basis, Tunechi invades hip-hop headlines with everything from deposition footage to forehead tattoos to—oh, yeah—new songs. Because of this, so many minute details about Weezy's life are readily available, but not all of them.

Over the years, a lot of Lil Wayne info has flown under the radar. Yes, everyone knows that Tha Carter III sold a million copies in one week, but what about the fact that he has an entire Jay-Z verse tattooed on his leg? We dug through dozens of interviews and profiles to dig up tidbits like that and many more that don't always when to mind when the rap superstar's name is brought up. These are 40 Things You Didn't Know About Lil Wayne.

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He went by the names Shrimp Daddy and Baby D before Lil Wayne.

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His first album is almost completely curse-free because of his mother's wishes.

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He has "Lucky Me" tattooed on his neck as an homage to the Jay-Z song. He also has an entire verse from the song tattooed on his leg.

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He says that he stopped listening to other artists' music after Jay-Z's The Black Album.

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He met manager Cortez Bryant when he joined his high school band's cymbal section, which Bryant led.

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His mom encouraged him to have a daughter at 15 because she was lonely while he was on tour with Cash Money.

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He claims that his tour bus was shot up by angry groupies who he wouldn't sleep with.

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He admitted to having crabs once, and called it "the worst."

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He identifies as Roman Catholic.

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He's had one tattoo teardrop removed, at his mother's request.

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Despite his frequent raps about selling cocaine, he says, "I haven't sold a brick. I haven't had to see one unless I wanted to snort it."

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He says that he stopped doing cocaine because it causes acne and he's a "pretty boy."

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His favorite song is reportedly "Cause I Love You" by Lenny Williams.

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He says that the cops who arrested him for gun possession in NYC only interrogated him about his beef with Jay-Z.

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When his Cash Money contract expired in 2006, he almost signed a new deal with Jay-Z's Rocafella for a rumored $5 million. He declined because he's a "loyal dude," but said it was "very tough."

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He's said that his favorite song of his own is "Fuck The World."

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He's said that his favorite guest verse of his own is on Destiny Child's "Soldier."

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He was into drama and theater at a young age, appearing in a school production of The Wiz.

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He dropped out of school at 14.

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He says that his mom made him drop out when she saw him putting a gun in his backpack.

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He planned to re-release Tha Carter III as Tha Carter III: The Rebirth before making Rebirth a separate project.

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Soul legend Betty Wright suggested singers for him to sign when he was president of Cash Money.

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He told the women of The View that his diamond grill doubles as braces.

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His first tattoo was his stepfather Rabbit's name. He got it at 14 when he died.

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His second tattoo was "Cash Money," which he got across his stomach because he "wanted to be like 2Pac."

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He says that he knows Trey Songz is a gangster because he "tried to holler at [Trey's] girlfriend and she said no."

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He and Birdman planned to shoot a film for their collaborative album Like Father, Like Son.

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He attended classes on campus at the University of Houston, where he majored in Psychology.

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He switched to online classes at the University of Phoenix because of his hectic schedule.

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He once planned to score a film for fling Karrine "Superhead" Steffans.

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He once had to scrub graffiti off of Birdman's house in New Orleans.

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He says that Nirvana is his favorite band.

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He goes by Wayne instead of his birth name, Dwayne, to disassociate himself from his father, who has the same name.

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He was engaged to Lauren London.

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He was also engaged to Nivea.

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But he actually married Toya, and they later divorced.

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Trina was pregnant with his child but had a miscarriage.

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We Are Young Money and Rebirth were initially planned to be sold as a double album.

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He says that his mother told him to "kill" anyone who bullied him growing up.

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He plans to make Tha Carter V his last album and retire at 35.

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