Rappers turned Executives #9: Lil Wayne

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

In 2005, Birdman gave Lil Wayne the keys to the castle, when he named him the president of Cash Money Records. Wayne's first move as head of Cash Money was the formation of his own subsidiary label, Young Money. While Lil Wayne was becoming one of rap's central figures, no one expected his next move.

After the release of Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne said he was going to develop the talent on the Young Money roster. Within a year, he had signed Drake and Nicki Minaj. In 2010, Lil Wayne was sent to prison, but he still had a chart-topping album out. Also, his artists dominated the game.

Out of nowhere, Young Money took over the radio during the summer of 2010. Now, a year later, Lil Wayne is free and his team still has a firm grip on things. With the summer here, the label is looking for more talent, preparing for new albums from Lil Wayne and Drake, along with releasing the debut albums of the other artists signed to the label.