Hip Hop/ Rap
Birdman Claims Cash Money Made Over $2 Billion from Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj
Some standout projects include Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III (8x platinum) and Tha Carter IV (5x platinum), Drake’s Views (8x platinum) and Scorpion (7x platinum), and Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday (3x platinum) and The Pinkprint (2x platinum). Their collective output led to 17 platinum albums, showcasing the trio’s unmatched commercial power.
Cash Money Records co-founder Birdman is once again in the spotlight, claiming his label generated more than $2 billion from the careers of Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj. In a recent interview on Nick Cannon’s Cannon’s Class podcast, the rap mogul, also known as Baby, described the immense financial impact the trio had on his label.
“Two billion dollars between Drake, Nicki, and Wayne,” Birdman said. “Two-plus billion dollars. Hundreds of millions of dollars, guaranteed.”
Not the First Time He’s Made the Claim
This isn’t the first time Birdman has publicly discussed the financial windfall generated by the trio. Back in 2021, during an interview on the Big Facts Podcast, he shared that after securing a deal with Universal Music Group, he paid the three artists a combined total of approximately $1.4 billion.
“I gave Lil Wayne about $400 to $500 million, Drake got about $500 million, and Nicki Minaj got about $300, $400 million out of my pocket,” Birdman said. “No cap. If you don’t believe them, ask ’em.”
The Big 3: A Multi-Platinum Run
From 1999 to 2018, Cash Money Records thrived, thanks in large part to what Birdman calls his “Big 3.” Together, Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj released 13 multi-platinum albums under the label. These records didn’t just dominate the charts—they helped define a generation of hip-hop.
Some standout projects include Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III (8x platinum) and Tha Carter IV (5x platinum), Drake’s Views (8x platinum) and Scorpion (7x platinum), and Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday (3x platinum) and The Pinkprint (2x platinum). Their collective output resulted in 17 platinum albums, showcasing the trio’s unmatched commercial prowess.
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Beyond Cash Money: A Lasting Impact
While Lil Wayne and Drake officially left Cash Money in 2018, the legacy of their time with the label remains profoundly influential. Each artist has since expanded their brand globally, but it was their early work under Birdman’s leadership that laid the foundation for their monumental careers.
Birdman’s recent claim, whether precisely accurate or not, highlights the undeniable truth that Cash Money Records helped birth and nurture three of the most successful artists in hip-hop history. By turning raw talent into global superstardom, the label didn’t just earn billions—it changed the music industry.
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