| Cash Money Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Founded |
1991 by Bryan "Birdman" Williams & Ronald "Slim" Williams |
|
Status |
Active |
|
Genre |
Hip hop, rock |
|
Location |
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
Cash Money Records is an American record label founded in 1991 by brothers Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams, who currently act as CEOs. The label has had multiple prominent artists such as Lil Wayne, Drake and Nicki Minaj, among others, which has led to Cash Money being called one of the most iconic and successful record labels in hip hop history.
For its first few years, Cash Money played host to several local releases by artists, without ever releasing a music video or having a Billboard hit. Some of the label's releases garnered some regional success in New Orleans, but the label was little known to the national hip hop scene. In 1995, the label signed young rappers B.G., Lil Wayne and Young Buck, who marked what would be the second wave of Cash Money artists. In 1997, B.G. and Lil Wayne formed the group Hot Boys with Juvenile and Turk. Cash Money's big break came in 1998 when the Hot Boys caught the attention of Universal Records executives, with Cash Money signing a $30 million pressing and distribution deal with Universal. After the deal, Cash Money Records would reach the success it failed to attain previously, and several of its artists released high-charting albums soon afterward.
The label's success carried into the 21st century. Between 2001 and 2003, Cash Money sold seven million albums. Juvenile and B.G. left the label in 2002, claiming financial mismanagement. Lil Wayne was made president of Cash Money and CEO of Young Money Entertainment, giving the rapper full creative control over all releases under the two labels. Cash Money grew in popularity after the signing of Nicki Minaj and Drake in 2009 and 2010 respectively. In 2013, Birdman formed the group Rich Gang, a collaboration between artists on the Cash Money and Young Money labels. In 2014 Gospel rapper nadon was signed by DJ Khaled.