Birdman claims Young Money gave Drake and Nicki Minaj $2 billion
New Orleans native Birdman recently began reminiscing about the start of Cash Money and the formation of Young Money. As such, during a recent appearance on the Cannon’s Class podcast with Nick Cannon, the Louisiana legend discussed the founding of Cash Money and detailed how its world-famous offshoot, Young Money, was formed.
After its creation, Young Money (often styled YMCMB) was one of the most prominent hip-hop labels in the world for new, exciting rap talent. With Lil Wayne at the helm, Weezy became an A&R and was quintessential in spotting talent for the label.
In the late 2000s, the Cash Money imprint boasted the likes of Drake, Nicki Minaj, Lloyd, Tyga and many more. With so many high-calibre MCs, it makes sense that Cash Money would get a big budget for promotion. However, nobody knew how big it was until Birdman’s recent podcast appearance.
While speaking with Nick Cannon, Birdman revealed the money he put into promotion, unveiling, “Two billion dollars between Drake, Nicki, and Wayne! Two plus billion dollars. Hundreds of millions of dollars, guaranteed.”
This isn’t the first time Birdman has insisted he poured vast amounts of money into acts such as Drake and Nicki Minaj while they were on the Young Money label. During a 2021 appearance on the Big Facts podcast with Big Bank & DJ Scream, Birdman stated, “When Universal gave me a bag, brother, I could honestly say I gave Wayne about $400 to $500 million, Drake got about $500 million, and Nicki got about $300, $400 million out of my pocket!” He continued, “No cap. If you don’t believe [me], ask them.”
Despite Young Money’s iconic status, Lil Wayne and Birdman, the label’s two pillars, had a tumultuous relationship. By 2018, what was once a peaceful business relationship had turned ugly. This year marked the final year Weezy, Nicki Minaj, and Drake released albums under the Cash Money umbrella.
These days, Birdman is linked to other less-known Louisiana artists, such as his brother “Gangsta” Williams. But he is undeniably no longer in his business prime with music powerhouses under his label.