All About Lil Wayne's Mom Jacida Carter

Lil Wayne’s mother, Jacida Carter, gave birth to the rap icon when she was 19 years old

Lil Wayne and his mother, Jacida Carter, have gone through a lot together.

The “Lollipop” singer was born to Jacida and Dwayne Michael Turner on Sept. 27, 1982. Jacida was 19 years old when she gave birth to the rap icon, and raised Lil Wayne — whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. — by herself.

Lil Wayne never took his mother’s sacrifices for granted. In a Mother’s Day letter that he wrote to her in 2010, Lil Wayne commended Jacida’s strength throughout the years.

“You are my heart and you are my soul. Please don't ever forget that,” he wrote, as reported by Vice. “With each obstacle that has come our way, you have handled it with the grace and dignity I can only hope to mimic.”

Jacida, often referred to as Ms. Cita by Lil Wayne, has had a constant presence in his music. She’s featured in the cover art of his Grammy-nominated album Tha Carter V, and she’s also featured in a number of the album’s tracks.

Jacida and Lil Wayne have had a strong relationship throughout his life. Here’s everything to know about Lil Wayne’s mom, Jacida Carter.

She raised him as a single mother

Jacida was born on Aug. 30, 1962, in New Orleans. She met Lil Wayne’s father, Dwayne Michael Turner, and gave birth to her son at 19. The pair went on to get married when Jacida was 21, but divorced when Lil Wayne was 2 years old.

Jacida got remarried to a man named Terry. However, they divorced in an unknown year when Lil Wayne was young.

Following her second divorce, Jacida began dating Reginald McDonald. At this time, Lil Wayne was interested in pursuing rap, and Reginald was an advocate for this.

Jacida was not initially supportive of her son’s passion for rap. Lil Wayne told Emmanuel Acho on his Uncomfortable Conversations YouTube series that he experienced mental health issues throughout his childhood. He recalled that after Jacida found out that he was lying to her about his school schedule, she said she was not going to let him continue to pursue rap.

“When I was told that I couldn’t have what I wanted, what I dreamed of and what I desired and that was to rap, I was willing to die for it," Lil Wayne explained.

One day, he found a gun in his mother's bedroom that belonged to Reginald and attempted suicide at the age of 12.

Lil Wayne rapped about the tragic incident on his track “London Roads.”

“Ms. Cita, I remember goin’ in your gun drawer / Puttin’ it to my chest and missin’ my heart by centimeters, oh Lord,” he rapped.

Jacida spoke about Lil Wayne’s attempted suicide on his 2018 album, Tha Carter V, in the song “Used 2.”

“I still don't know today. Was he playing with the gun or was it an accident? I still, I just don't, I be wanting to ask him but I never asked him after all these years. Was that an accident or did he, was he playing with the gun? So I never really found out about what, you know, really happened with him and that shooting," she said.

Lil Wayne recovered from the incident but soon faced another tragedy. In 1997, Reginald was murdered. Lil Wayne considered Reginald his father, and even got a tattoo to commemorate his life.

“Happy Bday Reginald ‘Rabbit’ McDonald,” Lil Wayne wrote in a Facebook post on March 9, 2016. “I miss u pops. Hope u proud.”

Jacida wed her now-husband, Avery Goff, on April 14, 2012. The ceremony was held in New Orleans, and they have been married since.

She asked Lil Wayne for a grandchild when he was 14

During his acceptance speech for the Global Icon Award presented by the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective, Lil Wayne revealed that his mother asked him for a grandchild when he was only 14.

After he started seeing early success and went on a six-month-long tour, Jacida was feeling lonely in the wake of Reginald’s death.

“I walked into my mama’s room when I was 14,” he said, per Hot New Hip Hop. “She asked me for a kid because my dad was killed. And her son had just blew up and went on his first tour, and we did not know that b---- was going to be six months. When I came home, she said, 'Son, I can’t live in this house by myself. We're going to have to figure something out.’ ”

She knew Lil Wayne would be a great father

Another snippet of Jacida on Tha Carter V features her talking about how she knew her son would make a great father. Lil Wayne’s ex-wife Antonia "Toya" Jackson got pregnant when she was 14 and he was 16 with their first daughter, Reginae Carter, who was born in November 1998. Though they were both young teenagers, Jacida was certain that Lil Wayne would find success as a father.

On Tha Carter V’s track “Open Letter,” Jacida talked about finding out that her son was going to be a father at such a young age. She said, “You know, when he told me that Toya was havin' a baby, I say, ‘Y'all young, you know y'all young,’ I said, ‘Be the best father you can be, you know.’ And truly, he is that.”

Lil Wayne’s daughter Reginae was named after his stepfather Reginald.

Jacida is featured on the cover of Tha Carter V and also in several of the album's tracks

Jacida is front and center with a young Lil Wayne on the cover of his 12th studio album, Tha Carter V. Lil Wayne told ESPN that it was important for him to include the picture of himself with Jacida for the album's cover art.

“It’s perfect. I always go with a baby picture and I wanted to go with one with my mom on it this time,” he said. “This album means a lot to me. People been waiting on this album and I’m just at the point in my life and stuff to have my mom on there. It’s more than an accomplishment, it’s an achievement.”

When revealing the cover art, he shared that his mother had no idea she would be featured on the front of the album.

“I didn’t tell her about the picture that I was using for the album cover,” he told ESPN. “I don’t think she’s going to be upset, but I know personally that she doesn't really like that picture of herself ’cause she’s not looking in the camera.”

Jacida is featured in multiple other songs on the album, mostly in speaking parts. Tha Carter V’s opening track, “I Love You Dwayne,” is a tribute from Jacida to Lil Wayne, commemorating his success and expressing how much she loves him.

“Lil Wayne, Mama proud of you. You done came so far, I can't wait for your album to come out,” she said on the track. “I'm just proud of you. You's my rock, you's always been my rock. Mama love you, I love you.”

Jacida has another son, Semaj Carter

Aside from Lil Wayne, Jacida has one other son, Semaj Carter, born in 2001. Jacida and Semaj’s lives are kept mostly private, though she did thank Lil Wayne for taking care of them in her track “I Love You Dwayne.”

“You take care of me and my son. Your little brother, we never wanted for nothing. I thank the Lord everyday for keeping us on this Earth,” she said.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.

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