Owning your first car is a great feeling. From the sense of independence to the flexing you’re able to do on your friends, having reliable transportation can be both a privilege and a necessity. Many people have their first car experience in their teens, and Cash Money legend Lil Wayne was no different.
At the start of his career, when he was figuring it all out and adapting to fame, Wayne allegedly took his first check and bought himself a car. But it wasn’t that simple.
Born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., the Louisiana rapper entered the game when he was only 14-years-old. During the initial phase of his rap career, Carter was a part of the popular rap group The Hot Boys. The group — comprised of himself, B.G, Juvenile, and Turk — was officially formed in 1997 and produced songs like “We On Fire” and “I Need A Hot Girl.”
Wayne would go on to release his first solo album in 1999, “Tha Block Is Hot.” It would peek on the Billboard 200 at the No. 3 spot and become certified platinum.
The “Mrs. Officer” rapper would eventually create a long list of hit singles and albums, be featured on several collaborative projects with other entertainers, and eventually launch the label Young Money.
Carter’s label would bring the world rap icons like Drake and Nicki Minaj.
With so much success along his journey, it’s no doubt he has accumulated a $170 million fortune, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
But how did Wayne get here? Some would say it was by hard work and success, but according to the rapper, a Nissan Pathfinder was also a part of the journey.
According to Buzzfeed, Lil Wayne received his first check as an artist for $6,500. Seeming like a fortune for the young rapper at the time, he did what many mama’s boys would do. He gave the entire check to his mom.
Carter’s mother turned the check down and encouraged him to spend it on whatever he wanted.
“I actually gave it to her, but she didn’t want a dime of it, and she gave it back. She said, ‘I don’t want it. Whatever you want to do with it, let’s go,” Wayne said in an ESPN interview as reported by Buzzfeed.
That’s all the motivation the young rapper needed at the time. With the go-ahead from his mom to spend the money, he knew exactly what he wanted to do.
Wayne took the $6,500, went to the Nissan dealership, and bought himself a Pathfinder.
Based on a 2018 report from Hot Cars, Lil Wayne’s current car collection includes a Porsche Boxster, Maybach 62, and the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish.
