Birdman and the Cash Money empire

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

What began as a dream some twenty years ago has become a major reality. Bryan "Birdman" Williams and his brother, Ronald "Slim" Williams, have been running Cash Money Records for some time. Through their success with music, they have been able to branch out into other businesses.

Often times, there is plenty of talk surrounding Jay-Z and Diddy as hip hop's top businessmen. Much of their fortune comes from endorsement deals. While the New Yorkers do own several businesses, their primary pay comes from their work with other companies.

Birdman recently entered the $100 million discussion without having any endorsement deals. Early in the 2000s, he did, but they have run out. Through his company and the lucrative distribution deal with Universal Records, Birdman has built an incredible empire. Cash Money Records helped launch this business and it is currently on top of the music scene with several sub-labels.

Recently, Birdman launched Cash Money content and released a book for Wahida Clark called Justify My Thug. This deal is the first of its kind for a hip hop company and will likely be emulated by several other hip hop entrepreneurs in the future.