Before They Were Famous: Lil Wayne

As you can probably guess from his lyrics and tough persona, Lil Wayne had it rough as a child. Before he hit it big in 2004 with his breakout album 'Tha Carter,' Weezy was just another kid struggling to get by in the rough neighborhood of Hollygrove in New Orleans. 

Lil Wayne, who was born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., grew up without a father. His mother was only 19 years old when she gave birth to Weezy. Although his home life wasn't all peaches and cream, Weezy excelled in school until he dropped out at the age of 14 to pursue a career in rap music -- Weezy knew he wanted to be a rapper at a very young age, considering he wrote his first song when he was 8.

However, Weezy's rap career never would've happened if it wasn't for the brave efforts of a policeman named Robert Hoobler. When he was 13, Lil Wayne accidentally shot himself in the chest with a handgun that was left at his home. Weezy was home alone, and after dialing 911 for help, Hoobler showed up to his house and rushed the teen, who was bleeding to death, to the hospital himself. Weezy still credits Hoobler with saving his life to this very day.

Next: Lady Gaga Before She Was Famous