CNN - Intriguing People for March 2, 2010
Lil Wayne: The rapper, who was born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., was to be sentenced Tuesday on gun charges, but a fire at a Manhattan courthouse delayed his hearing, a court spokesman said. A new sentencing date has not been set, the spokesman said.
Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to felony gun charges in a deal with prosecutors in October. He is expected to get a one-year prison sentence. His sentencing already had been delayed three weeks so he could get some dental work done.
The plea agreement was a result of the rapper’s 2007 arrest outside a New York City theater, where, according to police, a .40-caliber pistol was found on his tour bus. In an unrelated case, he also faces felony drug possession and weapons charges in Arizona.
Lil Wayne has sold millions of records since bursting on the hip-hop scene at 16 as a member of the Hot Boys. Growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana, he accidentally shot himself when he was 12. He was also an honor student who dabbled in the drama club in middle school.
His hits include “The Block Is Hot” and “Lollipop,” and his album “Tha Carter III” was the top-selling disc of 2008. His latest album, “Rebirth,” was released last month.
In 2008, he allowed a film crew full access to his hectic life. Cameras rolled as he smoked marijuana, drank soda mixed with prescription cough syrup, recorded rap lyrics almost constantly and seemed to enjoy the trappings of fame. The finished product, a documentary called “The Carter,” premiered to critical acclaim at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
According to published reports, the movie’s release was delayed when Lil Wayne filed a lawsuit against its producers, saying he had been given final-cut approval of the documentary.
The performer once told CBS’ Katie Couric, “I’m a rapper. That’s who I am, Miss Katie. And I am a gangsta, and I do what I want.”
