LOS ANGELES, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Cash Money Records) - Rap superstar
Lil Wayne proved to be "
A Milli"-onaire when his Cash Money Records album, Tha Carter III, sold one million copies in a single week on its release in June, with a current total of more than 2.4 million, making it 2008's best-selling record.
Now, Lil Wayne is poised to become a multi-millionaire as he re-signs with the only label he's ever known, the New Orleans-based Cash Money Records, the groundbreaking company founded by brothers Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Baby" Williams 16 years ago out of the city's New Orleans housing projects.
Lil Wayne has literally grown up as a Cash Money artist, from the time he was a young teenager and part of the legendary hip-hop group Hot Boys with fellow label artists B.G., Juvenile and Turk. He is credited with introducing the term, "bling," into the rap vernacular in the Big Tymers' 1998 track, "Millionaire Dream." He went on to score platinum albums with Tha Block Is Hot as well as the first two installments of Tha Carter trilogy.
"We were introduced to him when he was just a little, little kid," recalls Slim. "He told us he wanted to be a rapper. He just called us every day, and at one point, even came to live with us. He just outworked everybody. He had that drive to succeed."
Added Baby: "Working with our son, Lil Wayne, throughout the many years has helped us build Cash Money into the empire it is today. Cash Money is a family and Lil' Wayne has been part of our family since day one."
And now the partnership between Cash Money and Lil Wayne will continue, with a multi-album pact that takes them into the future together.
"Tha Carter III is just the tip of the iceberg with Lil Wayne," continues Slim. "The best is yet to come."
Since its historic deal with Universal Music Group in 1998, which guaranteed Cash Money all revenues from record sales and music publishing, as well as ownership of its masters, the label has been distributed by Universal Motown Records Group.
And with Lil Wayne still in the fold, that should promise even more success to come.
