Wayne and Birdman are not blood relatives. But early on in his career, Birdman served as his role model and father figure. Wayne's own biological father abandoned the family when Wayne was only two years old. Then his mother remarried a man named Rabbit, but he was murdered when he was still a teenager. This was right around the time that Wayne was getting serious about his rap career. Birdman noticed his talent very early on and became a surrogate father figure. Birdman has often said that he looks at Wayne as his own son, a sentiment that Wayne has also expressed. In 2006, the two dropped a joint album called Like Father, Like Son and there was even a photo that went viral showing the two kissing at an event. In response to the photo, Birdman said in an interview “I always looked at Wayne as my son and I always looked at it like, ’cause I was in the streets, and I thought this might be the last time he ever see me. Despite their differences over the years, the two still have a strong relationship and are close to this day.