Birdman is once again shedding light on the massive financial investment he says Cash Money Records made into three of the biggest stars in hip hop history — Drake, Lil Wayne, and Nicki Minaj.
During a recent conversation with Nick Cannon, Birdman, also known as Baby, reflected on the enormous figures tied to their success. Around the 55-minute mark of the interview, Birdman stated that Cash Money invested more than $2 billion collectively into the careers of the Young Money trio. It remains a little ambiguous whether he was speaking about upfront investments, generated revenue, or a combination of both — but either way, the amount is staggering.
“Two billion dollars between Drake, Nicki, and Wayne,” Birdman told Cannon, according to Complex. “Two plus billion dollars. Hundreds of millions of dollars, guaranteed.”
This isn’t the first time Birdman has made bold financial claims regarding his artists. Back in 2021, during an appearance on the Big Facts podcast, the New Orleans mogul made similar remarks, explaining how much money he personally distributed to Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj after Cash Money secured a deal with Universal Records.
“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,” Birdman said, according to HipHopDX. “No cap. If you don’t believe [me], ask them.”
By 2018, all three superstars had moved on from releasing albums under the Cash Money label. Lil Wayne retained control of Young Money, reestablishing it under Republic Records, while Drake and Nicki Minaj launched their next chapters — both achieving continued success beyond their original label home.
Birdman’s comments underscore the often-unseen financial dynamics behind hip hop’s biggest brands — and remind fans just how much was invested behind the scenes to build what would become global empires.