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Is it fair to call Lil Wayne the most successful act that was once a child star? Since a youngster, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. has been slow-cooking his flow: As part of Cash Money Records, he humbly awaited his time in the spotlight, snatching a guest verse here and there, initially releasing albums with a more traditional New Orleans sound.

But as he matured, it was clear he wanted more for himself. You see, it wasn’t enough to merely be a player in the game, he wanted to be king. And after a successful solo run in his late teens and early twenties, the Cash Money shakeup (and breakup) opened the lane for Tunechi to evolve into a monster.

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A series of highly-praised mixtapes, standout guest appearances and chart-topping singles placed Wayne squarely in the forefront of rap’s elite. And now, at age 39, he is considered one of the GOATs. But rather than hog the limelight, Wayne, courtesy of his Young Money imprint, created a space for others to follow – and proteges Nicki Minaj and Drake have helped carry the torch quite well.

And now, without further ado, we invite you to take a listen back at classic songs, freestyles and guest verses from the one and only Weezy F. Baby. Peep the gallery below.

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Happy Birthday Lil Wayne: 20 Weezy Verses That Prove He’s The GOAT [Listen] was originally published on zhiphopcleveland.com