Lil Wayne’s Net Worth and How Much He Earned the Year He Wore a ‘Communist’ Shirt
The rapper Lil Wayne is considered one of the best-selling musical artists ever. Despite his talent and success (as marked by his impressive net worth), his career has been marked by controversy. However, sometimes his statements seem a little contradictory, leaving people more confused than anything.
Lil Wayne’s rise to fame and net worth
Lil Wayne’s talent was evident early in his life. Celebrity Net Worth reports that as a child, the future star (then known as Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.) was placed in the gifted program at school. He wanted to be a rapper from an early age, and he clearly showed his aptitude for it. In fact, Carter was only eight years old when he wrote his first song.
Within about a year, he drew the attention of Birdman, the owner of Cash Money Records. His career was on its way, but his life wasn’t easy. At 12 years old, Carter attempted suicide by shooting himself in the chest.
Fortunately, he was rushed to the hospital. He was still as committed as ever to pursuing his dreams. When Carter was 15 years old, he joined the group Hot Boys. Just two years later, he went solo. His debut album, Tha Block Is Hot, drew attention, but Tha Carter, released five years later, truly made him a star.
Despite a career filled with controversy, feuds, and legal problems, Lil Wayne has amassed an impressive net worth of $170 million. However, his wealth didn’t stop him from once appearing to embrace a belief that seems contradictory to his lavish way of living.
Lil Wayne wore a ‘Communist’ t-shirt in a video
In 2009, British singer Jay Sean collaborated with Lil Wayne on a song called “Down.” According to Vice, the song seemed to partly respond to the economic anxiety that so many people were going through at that time. Perhaps that anxiety is why Carter wore a shirt in the video that was emblazoned with the word “COMMUNIST.”
His lifestyle doesn’t align with a worldview that says all property should be publicly owned. For example, he’s known for lavish expenditures, such as when he bought a $2.7 million Bugatti Veyron. Not only that, but the year he wore that shirt, he earned $18 million.
Carter doesn’t seem actually to believe in the tenants of communism. But this wasn’t the only time he’s puzzled or even angered fans with his statements.
A confusing foray into political statements
Over the past few years, Lil Wayne took political stances that upset many of his fans. The Daily Beast reports that in 2016, he made disparaging statements about the Black Lives Matter movement. He insisted that it had nothing to do with him, even saying that because of his wealth, he “don’t see none of that.”
Before that, Carter upset people even more when he compared a sex act to the brutal lynching of Emmett Till. He did walk that statement back after realizing how out of line he was. But he doesn’t always retract what he’s said.
Then, in 2020, he shocked many fans by appearing to endorse then-President Trump for reelection. He posted a picture of him shaking hands with Trump just days before the election. He referred to their “great meeting” and claimed that Trump’s policies would “give the community real ownership.”
Lil Wayne has been relatively apathetic about politics for most of his life. But when he does make statements about where he stands, he often seems to leave people with more questions than answers.
