Birdman (rapper)
Bryan Christopher Brooks was born on the 15th of February 1969 at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana. His mother Gladys Brooks died when he was five years old. The family lived on top of a bar owned by his father Johnnie Williams. After her death, Bryan and his siblings were taken in by their uncle. They spent two years living in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada before returning to New Orleans. A legal battle ensued over custody that ended with Johnnie gaining full control of the children. Bryan changed his name from Brooks to Williams during this process. He moved into the Magnolia Projects in Central City within the third ward of Uptown New Orleans. There he developed a close friendship with his step-brother Eldrick Wise. Together they committed robberies and sold heroin while still teenagers. Both were arrested at age 16 for these crimes. At 18 they faced another arrest for drug possession and received three-year sentences at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center. Bryan served 18 months before being acquitted of all charges.
After leaving prison Bryan and his brother Ronald Slim Williams turned their attention to the emerging bounce sub-genre of hip-hop. This sound was quickly becoming popular in nightclubs across New Orleans. In 1992 Bryan came up with the idea to form their own record label named Cash Money Records. They traveled to nightclubs throughout Louisiana to recruit artists for the fledgling label. Their first signed artist was a local rapper named Kilo G who released The Sleepwalker in 1992. This horrorcore album became the labels first project. Bryan convinced his friend DJ Mannie Fresh to become Cash Moneys in-house producer. By the mid-1990s Cash Money had grown into a popular independent label in the south. Most fans lived in New Orleans and surrounding areas. In 1995 Cash Money artist Lil Slim introduced 12-year-old Dwayne Carter at a block party. After hearing him rap they brought him to Babys attention. Carter was signed as the youngest artist on the label. He formed a group called Baby D with another young rapper known as Lil Doogie. These two were part of a group called The B.G.'z. During this time Baby rapped as a member of 32 Golds under the name B-32. Despite regional popularity the label suffered setbacks in the mid-1990s. Many first-generation artists left citing financial issues. Kilo G, Pimp Daddy and Yella Boy were all murdered during that period. Only Baby D and Lil Doogie remained. They renamed themselves Lil Wayne and B.G. respectively in 1997. That same year Baby and Slim recruited Turk and Juvenile. The four formed a new group called the Hot Boys. The Hot Boys took Cash Money to new heights. The label secured a $30 million deal with Universal Records in 1998.
After Cash Moneys nationwide success Baby and Mannie Fresh formed their own group dubbing themselves the Big Tymers. They debuted in 1998 with the album How Ya Luv That? The duo went on to release I Got That Work in 2000 and Hood Rich in 2002. I Got That Work contained popular singles Get Your Roll On and #1 Stunna. Although these singles failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over one million copies in the United States. Hood Rich contained the hit single Still Fly which was nominated for a Grammy award and peaked at number 11 on the Hot 100. Hood Rich was also certified platinum in the US. Big Money Heavyweight followed in 2003 and was again successful being certified Gold in the US. The group went on hiatus soon after Mannie Fresh departed from Cash Money Records. They have since reunited for live performances most recently in 2017. This era established them as major players in Southern hip-hop before focusing on solo careers.
Lil Wayne achieved worldwide success with his critically acclaimed and commercially successful album Tha Carter in 2004. Birdman appeared numerous times on that record. Wayne became the flagship artist of Cash Money. Birdman and Lil Wayne were viewed as the two public faces of the label. Their first collaborative album Like Father, Like Son released on the 31st of October 2006. It peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold. The project spawned two singles Stuntin Like My Daddy and Leather So Soft. The former peaked at number twenty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. That song won the 2007 BET Viewer's Choice Award. Rolling Stone magazine named it the 94th best song of 2006. Birdmans third solo studio album 5 * Stunna released on the 11th of December 2007. It debuted at number 18 on the US Billboard 200 selling 80,000 copies in its first week. The hit single Pop Bottles featured Lil Wayne and peaked at number 38 on the Hot 100. To date the album has sold 372,000 copies in the United States. This partnership defined modern hip-hop business models for decades to follow.
Birdman ventured into various industries outside music including fashion spirits and oil exploration. In early 2010 he formed an oil and gas exploration company called Bronald Oil and Gas LLC. The name combined Bryan and Ronald from his and Slims first names. Evidence of actual business operations remained scant limited mostly to a website and a pumpjack tattoo on his bald head. The website indicated strategies to develop existing land holdings and seek new leases. In February 2010 Birdman told Ozone magazine he had been making very good money off that sector. By March 2010 he had almost completely covered the pumpjack tattoo sparking speculation the project stalled. An investigative report from Bloomberg revealed regulators never heard of Bronald. In 2006 Birdman and Lil Wayne launched YMCMB Young Money Cash Money Billionaires as a streetwear label. On the 27th of April 2016 Birdman launched merchandise line Respek featuring catchphrases from a viral interview. He also invested in a spirit company called GTV Vodka. Forbes estimated his personal fortune at US$125 million in 2012. He placed fifth on the Forbes list of wealthiest music industry figures in 2015 with $155 million net worth.
In November 2007 Birdman was arrested in Kingsport Tennessee charged with possession of nearly a pound of marijuana. October 2009 saw Birdman Lil Wayne Cash Money Records and distribution outlets sued for copyright infringement by Thomas Marasciullo. Claims stated his voice was used without permission during Italian-styled spoken word recordings in 2006. Lyrics allegedly appeared on Respect and other tracks from Like Father Like Son and 5 * Stunna. A major feud erupted starting the 4th of December 2014 when Wayne issued a statement saying Tha Carter V would not release due to displeasure with Birdman. Wayne felt held prisoner by their arrangement. He filed a lawsuit claiming mismanagement of Young Money including unpaid artists. Free C5 became the mantra to get money to those owed. In late January 2015 Lil Wayne filed a $51 million lawsuit against Birdman over delays. Prosecutors alleged July 15 that Birdman and Young Thug conspired to murder Lil Wayne involving an April 26 shooting. On July 16 Birdman filed a $50-million lawsuit against Jay-Zs Tidal streaming service alleging exclusive rights ownership. Wayne tweeted in 2016 he planned retirement feeling mentally defeated. Many rappers pleaded with him not to quit including Kendrick Lamar one of the delayed albums featured performers.
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Common questions
When and where was Birdman born?
Bryan Christopher Brooks was born on the 15th of February 1969 at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana.
What happened to Bryan Brooks after his mother died when he was five years old?
His family lived on top of a bar owned by his father Johnnie Williams before he and his siblings were taken in by their uncle. They spent two years living in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada before returning to New Orleans for a legal battle over custody that ended with Johnnie gaining full control of the children.
How did Cash Money Records start and who was its first signed artist?
In 1992 Bryan Brooks formed Cash Money Records with his brother Ronald Slim Williams to promote the emerging bounce sub-genre of hip-hop. Their first signed artist was a local rapper named Kilo G who released The Sleepwalker in 1992 as the labels first project.
Which albums did Big Tymers release and how successful were they commercially?
Big Tymers debuted in 1998 with the album How Ya Luv That? followed by I Got That Work in 2000 and Hood Rich in 2002. Both I Got That Work and Hood Rich were certified platinum in the US for selling over one million copies each.
What business ventures did Birdman pursue outside of music starting in 2010?
In early 2010 he formed an oil and gas exploration company called Bronald Oil and Gas LLC which combined names from him and his brother Ronald. He also launched a streetwear label called YMCMB Young Money Cash Money Billionaires in 2006 and invested in a spirit company called GTV Vodka.