Lil Wayne 2004 -

: " Go D.J. ," produced by Mannie Fresh, became his first major solo hit, reaching the top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100 .

For years, Wayne was known primarily as the youngest member of the Hot Boys, a prodigy under the wing of Cash Money co-founder Birdman. But 2004 marked a pivot. The Hot Boys had disbanded, and the weight of the Cash Money empire rested heavily on his shoulders. His previous solo efforts— Tha Block Is Hot (1999) and 500 Degreez (2002)—were successful, but they were very much "Cash Money records" projects, adhering to the label's established bounce formula. They didn't quite capture the singularity of Wayne’s voice. lil wayne 2004