The lawsuit history of Lil Wayne, the rapper born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., runs from a 2007 New York gun arrest that sent him to Rikers Island to a 2026 judgment in his favor after a former security guard’s assault suit was thrown out. In between sit a $51 million breach-of-contract fight with Cash Money Records, a separate $40 million claim against Universal Music Group, a seven-year fee battle with his former attorney, a $2.2 million loss to the producers of a documentary about him, a federal gun conviction pardoned by President Donald Trump, and a handful of assault and copyright claims that ended in settlements or without a clear public record.
The Cash Money Records and Universal Music Group Fight
The defining legal fight of Wayne’s career began in January 2015, when he sued Cash Money Records for $51 million. He accused the label of blocking the release of Tha Carter V, withholding an $8 million advance plus a $2 million completion payment, and registering copyrights without listing him as co-owner. The suit also sought to end his own contract and free his Young Money signees, including Drake and Nicki Minaj.1XXL. Lil Wayne Sues Cash Money Records for $51 Million2Complex. Lil Wayne Cash Money Beef Timeline
In March 2016, Wayne opened a second front with a $40 million lawsuit against Universal Music Group and SoundExchange. He alleged Universal had seized 100% of his royalties and blocked SoundExchange payments to recoup a $100 million advance the company had given to Cash Money, a debt Wayne said he and Young Money were never part of.3Courthouse News. Lil Wayne Sues Universal Music for $40 Million
The Cash Money case settled in June 2018, with a notice of dismissal filed in late May. Terms were confidential; one report placed the payout at “well over $10 million,” a figure Wayne’s spokeswoman disputed.4Ambrosia for Heads. Lil Wayne Cash Money Settle Carter V His then-attorney Ron Sweeney said Wayne was released from his deal and owned his assets and music.1XXL. Lil Wayne Sues Cash Money Records for $51 Million Tha Carter V was released on September 28, 2018. Two years later, in June 2020, Universal reportedly acquired the Young Money catalog for more than $100 million.5Music Business Worldwide. Universal Music Group Acquired Young Money Catalog for Over $100M
The Ronald Sweeney Attorney Fee Dispute
Ronald Sweeney represented Wayne for 13 years, including the Cash Money negotiations, under a verbal agreement giving him 10% of Wayne’s profits. Wayne fired him in 2018 and sued in New York Supreme Court the following year (Index No. 151067/2019), calling the 10% fee roughly double the industry standard and unenforceable because it was never in writing. The complaint sought $20 million on claims for fraudulent inducement, legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment.6Billboard. Lil Wayne Wins Legal Victory in Ex-Lawyer Fee Lawsuit7New York Law Journal. Lil Wayne’s $20M Suit Against Prominent Entertainment Attorney Knocked Down by NY Appeals Court
Sweeney countersued for $20 million, arguing he was owed fees from deals that closed after his termination, including the Cash Money royalty settlement and the Young Money catalog sale to Universal.
The case moved through California and New York courts for more than seven years. In January 2023, a New York appellate court called Wayne’s malpractice, fraud, and fiduciary-duty claims “devoid of any merit” and stripped most of them from the complaint.7New York Law Journal. Lil Wayne’s $20M Suit Against Prominent Entertainment Attorney Knocked Down by NY Appeals Court8NY Courts. Carter, Jr., Dwayne M. v. Sweeney, Ronald E., Index No. 151067/20199Hot 97. Lil Wayne Wins $20 Million Legal Battle Against Former Lawyer
One claim survived: quantum meruit, which lets Sweeney pursue what a court decides is a reasonable fee for his years of work. The case was proceeding to discovery on that question, and Sweeney said he intended to take it to a jury trial.6Billboard. Lil Wayne Wins Legal Victory in Ex-Lawyer Fee Lawsuit
The Carter Documentary Judgment
In September 2012, Wayne sued the producers of the 2009 documentary The Carter, including Quincy Jones III, saying they had used his music without permission and calling the film “scandalous.” Jones countersued, alleging Wayne had wrongfully limited the film’s profits. Wayne’s deposition drew attention because he gave unrelated answers and repeatedly said he could not recall information, and he missed court dates because of hospitalizations.10FindLaw. Lil Wayne Loses Lawsuit, Must Pay $2.2M to Quincy Jones III11Pitchfork. Lil Wayne Loses The Carter Documentary Lawsuit On November 5, 2012, a jury ruled against him on both his claims and the countersuit and ordered him to pay $2,195,000 in damages to Jones.12HuffPost. Lil Wayne Quincy Jones Case
Assault Lawsuits From a Security Guard and a Bouncer
Two civil suits accusing Wayne of assault ended without a liability finding.
In December 2023, former security guard Christian Carlos sued Wayne in Los Angeles Superior Court over an alleged December 1, 2021 confrontation at Wayne’s Hidden Hills home. Carlos said Wayne pointed a semiautomatic rifle at him and punched him in the ear, causing physical injury and PTSD. Wayne denied the allegations.13Rolling Stone. Lil Wayne Wins Judgment in Security Guard Lawsuit In April 2026, the court issued terminating sanctions, finding that Carlos and his attorney had “willfully refused to comply with three discovery orders over nearly ten months” and made “affirmative misrepresentations to the court.”14Complex. Lil Wayne Judgment in Christian Carlos Lawsuit The judge dismissed the suit and canceled the August 2026 trial. On June 10, 2026, the court signed a $29,225 judgment against Carlos and his attorney, holding them jointly responsible for $26,000 in earlier sanctions plus $3,225 awarded at dismissal, along with Wayne’s legal fees. The court made no finding on the underlying assault claim.
Earlier, in June 2017, Hyde Sunset nightclub bouncer Andrew Nunemacher sued Wayne over a June 27, 2016 incident, saying the rapper punched him, knocked him down, threw a cup of alcohol on him, and yelled a racial epithet. He brought claims under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act and Ralph Civil Rights Act, plus assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Wayne’s lawyers said security footage showed no assault and that Nunemacher continued his shift afterward. The parties settled confidentially in April 2022, and the case was dismissed shortly after.15Variety. Lil Wayne Accused of Racially Motivated Attack by Bouncer16Complex. Lil Wayne Settles Lawsuit With Bouncer Who Accused Him of Assault
Weapons Convictions and the Presidential Pardon
Wayne has two felony weapons cases on his record. The first began on July 22, 2007, when police recovered a loaded .40-caliber handgun from his tour bus after a New York concert. DNA evidence linked him to the firearm, and he pleaded guilty to felony gun possession in October 2009.17Rolling Stone. Timeline: The Criminal History of Lil Wayne18The Guardian. Rapper Lil Wayne Begins Prison Term at Rikers Island He reported to Rikers Island on March 8, 2010 to serve a one-year sentence, was placed in solitary confinement that October after guards found headphones, a charger, and an MP3 player in his cell, and was released on November 4, 2010 after about eight months.19New York Times. Lil Wayne Sentenced to One Year at Rikers Island
The second case came a decade later. On December 23, 2019, federal agents acting on a tip searched a private jet arriving at Miami’s Opa Locka Executive Airport and found a gold-plated Remington 1911 .45-caliber handgun loaded with six rounds, plus personal-use quantities of cocaine, ecstasy, and oxycodone. Because of the 2007 New York felony, Wayne was barred from having firearms. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition (Case No. 20-cr-20222, Southern District of Florida) and pleaded guilty in December 2020, facing up to ten years.20U.S. Department of Justice. Lil Wayne Pleads Guilty to Miami Federal Gun Charge
On January 20, 2021, his last day in office, President Donald Trump pardoned Wayne. The White House cited support from entrepreneur Brett Berish and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, along with Wayne’s charitable work and his “platinum plan” aimed at Black business owners.21CBS News Miami. Presidential Pardons for Rappers Lil Wayne, Kodak Black in Miami Weapons Cases22BuzzFeed News. Trump Pardons Lil Wayne
Copyright Infringement Claims
Two copyright suits from the same era targeted Wayne and Cash Money. In May 2008, singer Karma-Ann Swanepoel filed a federal case in New Orleans alleging her song “Once” was sampled without permission for Wayne’s track “I Feel Like Dying,” with Cash Money having tried and failed to negotiate a license.23Billboard. Lil Wayne Accused of Copyright Infringement Producer Darius “Deezle” Harrison and The Royalty Network filed a separate $2.5 million suit over “Mrs. Officer,” claiming ownership of the song’s rights and profits. Public reporting available here does not show how either case ended.