Inside the Cash Money Empire as Buzz Builds for the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards
The countdown begins, with just one week remaining until the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards take over the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. The excitement continues to build as BMI staff, presenters, artists and honorees Cash Money prepare for the big night. A lot of prep work goes into hosting an awards show of this magnitude and the BMI staff has been diligently laying the groundwork and fine-tuning the show. Nicole Plantin, Director, Writer/Publisher Relations says, “The planning process is always demanding, but it’s rewarding to be a part of producing a show that means so much to the careers of our icons and it’s just great to see our guests enjoy celebrating their hard work with their peers.”
When Cash Money was informed that they would be receiving this prestigious award, co-founder Ronald “Slim” Williams had this to say: “To be recognized by the industry like this, it’s humbling and it’s inspiring. We want to thank BMI, every artist on our roster, Universal and anyone else who’s been a part of Cash Money Records’ success.”
Additionally, Bryan “Birdman” Williams, co-founder of Cash Money commented: “We also want to thank BMI and everybody who’s ever believed in this dream that my brother and I first had over 20 years ago. We’re going to keep everything going even stronger for the next 20.” And that’s no understatement. With the next generation of Cash Money, joint venture Young Money Entertainment, the trend in chart and market command continues. Young Money boasts label founder and best-selling artist Lil Wayne, superstar lyricist Drake and trendsetting artist Nicki Minaj among its top sellers. And they are not limited to hip-hop; the labels also have artists in the pop, rock, R&B and gospel genres.
Cash Money is not just a powerhouse music company. With the advent of Cash Money Content, a book publishing company distributed by Atria/Simon & Schuster, domination in this area is evident. With the Cash Money “Midas touch,” the company has released three New York Times best sellers and signed a deal to release Reverend Al Sharpton’s new book. Already receiving tremendous accolades with its roster of best-selling urban storytellers, street lit and gritty fiction writers, authors penning their own stories, and owning the rights to release urban literary legend Iceberg Slim’s writings, Cash Money Content has done exactly what Bryan “Birdman” Williams had in mind. He says, “We have so much influence on the music world, I just wanted to convert it to books.” On the Cash Money Content website, a section catered to the Young Readers Force displays the words, “read, write, articulate.” Ronald “Slim” Williams summarizes the company’s founding mantra: “The kids follow us for our music. I want them to follow us for our reading. It’s about educating and expressing our minds.” The company is poised for sustained success and shows Cash Money cannot be contained, no matter where they put their focus.
BMI Senior Director, Writer/Publisher Relations Wardell Malloy expresses, “BMI is excited to honor the movement that is Cash Money! Since their start in 1991, they have become a household name, taking over the airwaves and charts, and building stars in the process. They are game changers in the music industry, musically and as businessmen. That must be recognized!”
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