Lil Wayne was born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. on September 27, 1982, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He began his recording career within Cash Money’s circle of artists before developing a solo identity through albums, mixtapes and guest appearances. His 2008 recording “A Milli” captured one central part of that approach: an extended rap performance with little production competing for attention.
Wayne’s early experience came alongside other New Orleans rappers. In 1997, he joined Juvenile, B.G. and Turk in the Hot Boys, appearing on the group’s debut, Get It How U Live!, and its follow-up, Guerrilla Warfare. His appearance on Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up” preceded his own debut album, Tha Block Is Hot, in 1999. Those recordings established him within a collective before listeners encountered him as the main artist on a full album.
The solo catalog developed through Lights Out and 500 Degreez before Tha Carter arrived in 2004. Alongside the official albums, Wayne released mixtapes that gave him more opportunities to record and circulate material. By the sessions for Tha Carter III, making music had become a nearly continuous process, with collaborators trying to keep pace as songs and possible track lists changed.
Producer Infamous described that working environment in XXL’s oral history of the album, originally published in 2013. Songs he had worked on leaked before release, while Wayne continued recording replacements and alternatives. The finished album came from a much larger body of work, and a track’s apparent importance could change after another night in the studio.
“A Milli” survived that process without adopting a conventional radio arrangement. Its producer, Bangladesh, told the same publication that he initially thought of it as a mixtape recording. The absence of a standard hook and the sparse beat left Wayne’s voice exposed. “It was just him rapping,” Bangladesh recalled.
Wayne also shaped arrangements directly. On “Let the Beat Build,” producer Deezle recalled working from a sample supplied by Kanye West and following Wayne’s request for the backing track to grow progressively until the hook arrived. Wayne guided how particular sections should feel, then recorded the vocals as they worked.
Tha Carter III won Best Rap Album at the 2009 Grammy Awards. Wayne took home four awards that night, including recognition for “A Milli” and “Lollipop.” His next musical direction, however, involved spending time with an instrument he was still learning.
For Rebirth, released in 2010, Wayne pursued rock arrangements with collaborators including Infamous. In a separate 2013 XXL interview, the producer recalled arriving with ideas that Wayne rejected. They kept working, spending roughly five hours jamming with Infamous on bass and Wayne practicing guitar. Near the end of the session, Wayne requested something slower. Infamous switched to guitar and played the riff that became the opening of “Prom Queen.”
That period also generated material that moved beyond the album it was intended for. Infamous produced “I Am Not a Human Being” using sounds taken from his scratch records, assembling sections that could be rearranged. The track had been intended for Rebirth, but Wayne decided to use its title for another album. I Am Not a Human Being received its digital release on September 27, 2010.
