Lil Wayne's Original Rap Name Was Completely Different

Thanks to hit songs like "Lollipop," "A Milli," and "How to Love," Lil Wayne has become one of the most popular rappers of our generation to the point where he has been able to amass a net worth of $170 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. But where does Lil Wayne's stage name come from? 

"Lil" is believed to be a nod to his relatively small stature (the rapper is 5 feet, 5 inches tall), while "Wayne" derives from his legal name, Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. "I dropped the D because I'm a junior and my father is living and he's not in my life and he's never been in my life," Lil Wayne said in a 2005 CBS interview with Katie Couric (via NME). "So I don't want to be Dwayne, I'd rather be Wayne." 

Before he became the rap superstar we know and love, however, Lil Wayne had a completely different stage name — and it might surprise you.

At the very beginning of his career, Lil Wayne's stage name was actually Shrimp Daddy. Yes, you read that right. Why did he pick such a funny name, you might ask? Apparently, the name was inspired by one of Lil Wayne's favorite New Orleans rappers.

"Pimp Daddy was a cash money artist and he used to have this song out called 'Gots to Be Real,'" Wayne told Nardwuar in 2011. "It was a real big song and this guy [Pimp Daddy] was such a classic in New Orleans and such a hit that my actual first rap name was Shrimp Daddy. I named myself that because I was short so I took the shrimp and I wanted to be like this guy." Pimp Daddy's career was cut short, however, as he was tragically killed in 1994 by his girlfriend's relative, according to the Red Bull Music Academy. 

It's unclear what made Lil Wayne want to drop the Shrimp Daddy moniker. What's certain, however, is that the rapper has a long list of nicknames, including Lil Tunechi and Weezy F Baby.

Lil Wayne has gone through a transformation of looks and nicknames over the years. According to Rap Genius, Wayne's nickname list exceeds 160, from well-known monikers such as Lil Tunechi and Weezy F Baby to more hilarious ones like, Bellboy, Big Body, Brick Cannon, and Mr Water Coolers. 

Out of all his nicknames, however, Lil Wayne seems to have a favorite one: Lil Tunechi. Not only is it his official Instagram and Twitter handle, but the nickname was given to him by a beloved family member. "My nickname is Lil Tune — my grandmother named me that," Wayne explained in a 2010 MTV interview. "My grandmother, her name was Mercedes Carter. She named me Lil Tune." So, the next natural question is, where did the "-chi" come from?

Apparently, he just liked the sound of it. "We just threw the 'Chi' on there. Like Gucci, I say 'Tunechi!'"