Mannie Fresh
The only in-house producer on Cash Money when the label started in the early ‘90s, Mannie Fresh crafted the lion’s share of the beats that would take the New Orleans outfit to the top of the charts. Growing up in the 7th Ward, the opportunities to become a superstar were few and far between, but Mannie Fresh beat the odds and went on to have one of the most unprecedented runs in hip-hop history, producing virtually all of the songs on 17 platinum and gold albums released on Cash Money from 1998 to 2004. Eventually, Mannie Fresh would emerge from behind-the-scenes and get his shine when he and Birdman formed the Big Tymers, putting out five albums, packed with hit singles like “Still Fly” and “#1 Stunna.”
Birdman
Plain and simple, Bryan Williams aka Baby aka Birdman is one of the most successful music executives, artists, and talent scouts of all time, in any genre. The Cash Money Records empire he built with his brother Slim has dominated the music world for almost 30 years, pushing the genre forward and completely changing the culture forever. From finding Lil Wayne at 12-years-old and turning him into a Mount Rushmore-level rapper to pouring gasoline on the fires that would become Drake, Nicki Minaj, Young Thug, Tyga, and so many more, Birdman has established himself as the premier play-caller in the game. Put some respect on his name.
Lil Wayne
The most prolific hip-hop artist of all time, Lil Wayne redefined what it meant to be a rap star. Over the course of his hall of fame career, Weezy has been relentless, releasing an unheard-of number of mixtapes, EPs, compilations, and albums that made fans of all ages stop and listen. A bridge between generations of hip-hop artists, Wayne has managed to stay relevant for three decades in a music industry that chews artists up and spits them out in the blink of an eye. A mogul in his own right, Lil Wayne learned a lot from Birdman and became the boss of Cash Money sub-label Young Money, which launched the careers of Drake, Nicki Minaj, Tyga, and a laundry list of other artists. Like any “father-son” relationship, his and Baby’s has been rocky at points but it’s impossible to argue against the empire they’ve built together.
Juvenile
Cash Money’s first certified superstar, Juvenile helped put the New Orleans label on the map. As a member of the Hot Boys, Juvenile made the label a household name in hip-hop circles and landed Cash Money its first major deal, getting $30 million from Universal back in 1998. Juvie’s quadruple-platinum solo album 400 Degreez skyrocketed the rapper’s star power even higher, led by the smash hit single “Back That Azz Up” and the Jay-Z assisted “Ha.” Completely produced by Mannie Fresh, 400 Degreez went on to become Billboard’s hip-hop album of the year in 1998 and crack Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list last year. Though Juvenile’s high-soaring Cash Money career hit turbulence in the early 2000s and the two parties went their separate ways, the New Orleans great eventually resolved his issues with Birdman, Wayne, and the rest of Cash Money, returning to the label in 2014.
Turk
Discovered by Birdman in New Orleans and quickly added to the Hot Boys roster, Turk found tremendous success as part of the group, and then with his solo album Young & Thuggin’, which debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard. Turk got locked up for nearly a decade in the early-2000s, which made it impossible for the Hot Boys to reunite after all the beef had been squashed. But upon his release in 2012, Turk promptly released a hit single called “Zip It” with Lil Wayne, eventually getting fellow Hot Boys B.G. and Juvenile to hop on the remix, making it the only official Hot Boys reunion.
B.G.
Originally signed by Cash Money as Lil Doogie at 14-years-old and put in a group called the B.G.’z with 12-year-old Baby D, who you may now know as Lil Wayne, BG saw immense success very early on. After burning up the charts with the Hot Boys, B.G. went platinum with his major-label solo debut Chopper City in the Ghetto, and defined an entire era in hip-hop with his monster hit “Bling Bling.” The Oxford Dictionary even added the term “bling bling” to its prestigious pages shortly after.
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THE HUNDREDS X CASH MONEY RECORDS DROPS ON THURSDAY
