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McMain Secondary High School, an ancient three-story brick building surrounded by thick
trees, stands like a sanctuary in the middle of New Orleans' 10th Ward. The 3:30 bell
shatters the silence of the worm October afternoon, and the school leaps to life. Hordes
of teenagers pour through the steel double-doors, loudly welcoming their freedom. Across
town and far removed from McMain's scene, Dwayne "Lil' Wayne" Carter, 17,
relaxes in the shadows of the burned-out Saint Thomas Projects.School is a distant memory.
Wayne dropped out in 1997 after an unpleasant sophomore year. A crumbling warehouse
towering six rusty stories, witch once belonged to a paint company, new serves as the set
fir cash Money Record's straight-to-video flick "Baller Blickin". Two weekend
shows have drained the droopy-eyed man man-child and a packed schedule offers no relief
for Wayne, who waits to do his thing for the camera. Although school is already out, his
day has barely started.
Lil Wayne is the youngest artist signed to cash Money
Records, and it's forced for him to grow quickly. He never experienced typical high school
activities like gym, dances, and Friday-night football games like a normal high-school kid
would, but this was an easy sacrifice to make for a millionaires life. For Wayne being a
neighborhood superstar was always more appealing. The lifestyle's constant demands,
however, leave the young rapper with little personal time. "I'd rather be
fucking," says Wayne with a grin. His long hair is styled in tight, thin cornrows and
tucked in neatly under a black bandanna. A large platinum link chain hangs loosely around
his neck. He flashes a smile that could light up a room, thanks to the $20,000 worth of
platinum and diamonds crowding his mouth. "Work gets on my fucking nerves," he
says, " but it's cool. I mean, I chose this, so I'ma do it."
"I had no hobbies but rap and hitting the block,
" said Wayne of his early childhood. He grew up in New Orleans' 17th Ward in a lower
middle class area called Holy Grove. Money was tight, but Wayne's mom Jacida Carter, made
a point to spoil her only child. Wayne was decked out in designer clothes as much as
possible, and he quickly developed expensive taste. He didn't just to get into the rap
game for the love of the music... he was trying to get paid. "He used to write a lot
of raps at home way before Baby and Slim Williams used to notice him," says Wayne's
mom, Jacida, whose knows as Cita. Initially, she didn't share her son's enthusiasm for
hip-hop. "I use to say 'Boy, look I don't wanna hear that,' " she says in a
playful but scolding tone. " ' You ain't going nowhere with that! Go sit down.'
"
Like Puff Daddy, though, Wayne couldn't be stopped. Lil Slim a
former Cash Money artist who lived near Wayne's family, heard Wayne [9 years at the time]
rhyming at a Neighborhood block party. He was impressed by the boy's raw potential, and
promised the young MC gets signed. Wayne automatically dismissed the promises until he
attended a Cash Money autograph session at a local record shop. "Lil Slim saw me and
he was like, ' Oh, there goes that little nigga,' " Wayne remembers... "He told
baby and Slim, and they was like, 'Yeah, rap.' " Undaunted by his
big-ballin'
audience, Wayne stood in front of the owners of his favorite record company and split.
They liked what they heard and decided to take Wayne under their increasingly powerful
wings. The small Cash Money office became Wayne's second home. He recalls spending
countless days sitting around writing rhymes, proving it Baby and Slim how much how much
he wanted to be down. Wayne even helped label move tapes and CDs before Cash Money landed
it's famous $30 million dollar distribution deal with Universal in the summer of 1998.
"Getting boxes, and all that," Wayne says with a look go humble pride, " I
done all that already."
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