Lil Wayne is widely known for his rapper skills and unique voice. At the peak of his career, he took global music by storm, dominating both the Global North and Global South.
His famous hits like “Lollipop” and “How To Love,” reportedly sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and 15 million in the United States, Universal Music Enterprises noted on its website. In 2012, Forbes estimated his net worth to be 27 million.
He also created multiple hit songs, with at least three of his songs making it to No. 1 and 24 others among the Top 10 on the Billboard charts. He got a total of 24 Grammy nominations and won five, collaborating with stars like Jay-Z and DJ Khaled.
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Besides music, the rapper is also a savvy entrepreneur and investor – creating and investing in other businesses.
Taking a peek into the rapper’s career off stage and in the business world, here are four businesses owned by Lil Wayne that you probably didn’t know.
Young Money APAA Sports Agency
As a radical sports fan, Lil Wayne’s love for the industry influenced his decision to venture into the sports business. He created the Young Money APAA Sports Agency; officially establishing the agency in 2016 after a conversation with his COO, Cortez Bryant. In 2017, the brand acquired PlayersRep Sports Agency.
Lil Wayne’s agency has signed a ton of NFL players, as well as basketball, baseball, and softball players. The agency signed high-profile names including New York Jets star, Quinnen Williams; WNBA player, Te’a Cooper; and Kansas City Chiefs, Demarcus Robinson; to name a few.
GKUA Ultra Premium
Lil Wayne is the founder of GKUA Ultra Premium, a cannabis brand that debuted in California. “I used to just want to get high, now I smoke to get inspired. With GKUA, I’m sharing a feeling that I love,” he said in a statement about his brand.
The company recently expanded to Michigan. According to Forbes, to expand in Michigan, he teamed up with Choice Labs, a grower, and processor of medical and adult-use marijuana in the state.
Tidal
Lil Wayne joined Jay Z’s music streaming site, Tidal, as a co-founder. In 2021, Jay-Z sold his majority ownership stake in Tidal to Square, a digital payment platform run by Jack Dorsey.
“TIDAL is a great way to share music directly with fans,” said Lil Wayne in a statement. “I’m hyped for people to hear my latest track and can’t wait to show fans love through a special TIDAL X.”
Young Money Radio
Lil Wayne is also the founder of Young Money Radio. In an interview with Variety, he vowed to take the radio station as far as it can possibly go;
“I’d love to take YM Radio as far as it can possibly go because I truly didn’t expect it to be so satisfying for the consumer and that’s always first. I damn sure didn’t think I’d enjoy the whole hosting thing but I’m having a blast with it. I also like helping get my guests’ opinions across on whatever the case may be. I know that they know it’s all love with me,” the rapper said.
