When rap was still an underground phenomenon in Houston, Texas, Lil' Flip was learning the ropes of the business and gaining respect for his rhymes. Lil' Flip was born Wesley Weston and grew up in the Cloverland neighborhood in Houston. By the time that he was a teenager, Lil' Flip's skill had already drawn attention to the young rapper, and he was picked up by the hop-hop legend DJ Screw. Screw instated Lil' Flipas part of his Screwed Up Click, which spoke volumes to the Houston rap community about the potential that DJ Screw saw in Lil' Flip.It was in his early career that Lil' Flip would earn the nickname The Freestyle King, for his unmatched ability to rhyme. He released his debut album, Hustlaz Stackin Ends, with Sucka Free Records and the release gained popularity through word-of-mouth publicity. He followed it up with The Leprechaun, which sold 100,000 copies. With his popularity blossoming, Lil' Flip released almost a dozen mix tapes underground to keep the buzz going. The big record labels starting getting wind of this success from Houston, and Sony signed Lil' Flip in 2002. His first major-label debut dropped in 2002 with Undaground Legend, which reached number 12 on the Billboard 200.He took some time to do collaborations with friends before releasing the follow up U Gotta Feel Me in 2004. It beat the success of its predecessor by reaching number four on the Billboard 200. He found more success with his 2007 release I Need Mine, which climbed three different charts. He collaborated with Young Noble in 2008 and released All Eyez On Us. Along with his studio albums, Lil' Flip released multiple mix tapes and worked on many other artists' albums. It wasn't just his albums that made the charts as his mix tapes often found themselves onto the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.