Fans reacted after rapper Lil Wayne revealed his claim of why he had his first child when he was only 16 years old.
The Grammy Award-winning recording artist made the revelation on Feb. 2 during his acceptance speech at the Recording Academy Honors event presented by the Black Music Collective. Wayne was there to receive the Global Impact Award.
The “Lollipop” rapper said that his mother, Jacida Carter, asked him to have a child so she wouldn’t be alone following the death of his father. Footage from his acceptance speech was shared online, showing Wayne — whose legal name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. — on stage recalling a conversation he had with his mother.
“I walked into my mama room when I was 14 she asked me for a kid because my dad was killed and her son had just blew up and went on his first tour,” said Carter. “And we did not know that it was gonna be six months. When I came home, she said, ‘Son, I can’t live in this house by myself. We’re gonna have to figure something out.’ I’d like to thank Antonia Johnson.”
Carter was referring to his stepfather, Reginald “Rabbit” McDonald, who the rapper credits for showing him how to hustle. “It wasn’t like he was my influence to do it,” he said. “I was on the edge of doing it, but when he came in as a father figure, and he was doing it, that was my excuse.”
Carter was signed by Birdman when he was just 12 and released his first album, “Tha Block Is Hot” when he was just 14.
McDonald was murdered outside a gas station in New Orleans in 1996. Carter got his first tattoo, “R.I.P. Rabbit,” when he was 14.
Carter fathered his first child, actress and social media influencer Reginae Carter, at 16 with Antonia Johnson. The 40-year-old also has three sons, 14-year-old Dwayne Carter III with radio host radio Sarah Vivan, 13-year-old Kameron Carter with actress Lauren London, and 13-year-old Neal Carter with singer Nivea.
Fans had mixed reactions to the speech. One fan wrote, “He’s telling the truth he and Toya were babies and she wanted them to have a baby themselves. Just wild. He was just getting started with his career mama Carter needed a piece of him with her at all times.”
Another fan replied, “Um… I’m glad Reginé is here but, this is crazy.” One fan wrote, “Bruh, she couldn’t get a pet?!”
One fan replied to the negative comments. “It’s the judgment and negativity for me. Yea telling your kid have a child at 14 ain’t cool but look how he turned out and his children? This is real emotion and the way he thanked Toya…that was REAL!!! Find the positive in inspirational stories instead of the negative all the time.”
Wayne recently performed at the 2023 Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5.
