The proudest moment of Birdman’s career: “Means the world to me”
Birdman’s success in the music industry has relied heavily upon that of Lil Wayne, whom he took under his wing at a young age. Their relationship has had its fair share of issues through the years, but ultimately, Wayne’s achievements have been a source of immense pride for the Cash Money Records exec.
Birdman has been a fixture of the vast majority of Wayne’s life. Weezy was only eight when he first met Birdman, who took him under his wing and acted almost as a father figure to the young aspiring rapper. It’s not for nothing that Birdman consistently refers to Wayne as his “son”.
Wayne, for his part, was lacking in father figures as a child. His biological father abandoned him while he was only a toddler, while his stepdad, whom Wayne considered to be his true father, was killed when he was a teenager. Birdman’s guidance, then, was helpful for the young Wayne.
Wayne started making music on Birdman’s Cash Money Records label from a young age, and it quickly became clear to Stunna that Wayne had a big future ahead of him. Even as Cash Money started to run into some difficulties, with artists beginning to abandon it, Wayne stayed put and developed into one of the most popular MCs around.
Watching Wayne’s progress during these years was something that made Birdman very proud, as he revealed during a 2012 conversation with Complex. “I’m proud of all our accomplishments,” he said, referring to Cash Money’s success, “but when I see my son do what he do, that shit means the world to me.”
Birdman recalled that Wayne really came into his own as an artist with 2004’s Tha Carter album, his fourth, which was released during a tricky period at Cash Money, with several artists leaving the label. This was when Birdman realised that its future lay with Wayne.
“I knew, however far this shit was going to go, it would have to be on Wayne,” he said. “So I just gave it all to him, ‘It’s your turn, homie. It’s your world. We’re going to follow your lead. Whatever you want to do is what we’re going to do.’”
Birdman’s instincts proved correct. Lil Wayne really was the future of Cash Money, with his success and subsequent launch of the Young Money Entertainment imprint proving so lucrative for all the main players involved. The Young Money Cash Money Billionaires joint venture was wildly successful.
Wayne and Birdman’s relationship would run into difficulties over the years, particularly around business matters, but Birdman has always retained a fatherly view of his one-time protégé. He watched this young boy transform into a cultural phenomenon, and that’s something he’s always been proud of.