The Truth About Lil Wayne's Mom Jacida Carter

Strong mothers have been a major inspiration for countless successful artists. Take the classics, for example: Beyoncé, who has paid tribute to her mother in songs like "Ring Off," and Tupac Shakur, whose emotional song "Dear Mama" is always a goosebump-giver. Newer and rising artists, like Megan Thee Stallion, have also credited their mothers for being the driving force behind their success. 

Another artist who's vocalized his mother's influence on his life is none other than Lil Wayne, who even penned a heartwarming letter from prison to Jacinda Carter. The letter, which he wrote for Mother's Day in 2010, described how his mom radiates "immeasurable strength, beautiful patience and infinite wisdom." 

"You are my heart and you are my soul," the rapper wrote. "With each obstacle that has come our way, you have handled it with the grace and dignity I can only hope to mimic." So, let's take a closer look at how Jacida has added meaning to Lil Wayne's life, as well as the obstacles they've faced together, shall we?

Like Lil Wayne (or as he's known to his mother, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.) mentioned in his letter, these two have been through a lot together. When the artist was still just a teenager and expecting a child with his then-girlfriend Antonia "Toya" Johnson (who he later married before their divorce in 2006), Jacida Carter was seemingly calm and encouraging about it. 

Jacida's account is recorded as a spoken-word segment on Lil Wayne's Tha Carter V, according to Hot New Hip Hop. "You know when he told me that Toya was having a baby, I said, 'Y'all young. Y'all young, but be the best father you can be," she says on the album. "And, truly, he is that." 

Indeed, Lil Wayne went on to raise his daughter, Reginae, with his ex-wife despite their split. Now an adult, Reginae has gone on to take talents from both her mother, who's a television personality, and her father. With Reginae's appearances within her father's record label Young Money and her appearances on reality television, it seems Mama Carter's advice on parenting turned into the truth. 

Another challenge came early on in Lil Wayne and his mother's lives. Lil Wayne, then only 12 years old, knew he wanted to rap at a very young age. But when his mother advised against it, he took to a gun in a suicide attempt. The two even touch on his survival story on the album Tha Carter V, where Mama Carter shared her thoughts about it.

"I still don't know today. Was he playing with the gun or was it an accident? I be wanting to ask him but I never asked him after all these years," Jacida says on the record. "I never really found out about what really happened with him and that shooting."

But Lil Wayne has cleared up any speculation that it was an accident. In his appearance on Solange's track "Mad," rapping, "And when I attempted suicide, I didn't die / I remember how mad I was on that day / Man, you gotta let it go before it get up in the way."

In his own song "Let It All Work Out," Lil Wayne details his experience of that day: "I aimed where my heart was pounding / I shot it, and I woke up with blood all around me / It's mine, I didn't die, but as I was dying / God came to my side and we talked about it / He sold me another life and he made a prophet."

Assuming that the "another life" mentioned is the one he's living now, Lil Wayne has certainly made the most of this second chance. He has grown to become a familiar name in the music industry and produced many hits like "How To Love" and "Lollipop." He has a pile of five Grammys and counting, and has sold over 100 million records worldwide. Lil Wayne's skills translate to a net worth of $150 million. 

Despite the challenges in their lives, it's obvious that Jacida Carter loves and is proud of her son, just like so many other mothers. "He's a very a smart child," she says in Tha Carter V. "And I just say he was a genius, you know what I'm sayin? Which I used to pray — I asked the lord to send me one. And he did. He's so smart, I can't teach him nothing. He done been there before." Their close bond clearly means a lot to both of them.

If you or someone you know are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to speak with a trained counselor who can help.