Before all of the bad press, the head tattoos, and the kiss with Lil Wayne, Birdman was just Bryan Williams. Born in New Orleans in 1969, the rapper first made waves in the mainstream with Mannie Fresh as the duo Big Tymers. They had platinum albums, Grammy nominations, and a reputation that helped boost the careers of those on the Cash Money Records roster: Lil Wayne, Juvenile, and the rest of Hot Boyz.
Anyone who was diggin' rap music around 2002 knows what's about to go down when they hear the words, "What's up Fresh? It's our turn baby!" Tracks like "Still Fly" helped usher in a new generation of rap, and despite some of his sketchy business practices, Birdman was responsible for some bangers back in the day.
Big Tymers Feat. Juvenile & Lil Wayne - "Project Bitch"
One of the first big Cash Money collabs was "Project Bitch." Big Tymers, Juvenile, and Lil Wayne got together for the Baller Blockin' cut that took the Parental Advisory label to new extremes.
Big Tymers - "Get Your Roll On"
Before everyone in rap music was talking about MDMA, Baby was doing it. "Get Your Roll On" probably snuck underneath the radar in a time where "rolling" wasn't exclusively linked to taking ecstasy, but I think we all know Baby snuck some more potent crystals in his Cristal.
Big Tymers Feat. Juvenile & Lil Wayne - "#1 Stunna"
Young stunnas Juvie and Weezy add some raw firepower to classic bounce of Mannie Fresh's production on "#1 Stunna," one of many tracks that epitomized the "hood rich" lifestyle the Big Tymers made so alluring. Lil Wayne was just 17 at the time.
Big Tymers - "Still Fly"
Well you obviously weren't going to get through a Birdman TBT article without catching "Still Fly." Perhaps the best-known Big Tymers track is still as influential as ever in the culture today, and features some of the most memorable rapping from both our subject as well as Mannie Fresh.
Prada, Gucci, full-mink leather
Burberry's cool, Coogi sweater
Twenty inches, pop my feather
The Birdman daddy, I fly in any weather
Ginuwine Feat. Birdman - "Hell Yeah"
Ginuwine and Birdman seem like a rather unlikely pairing on paper, but it actually worked out perfectly on "Hell Yeah," the R. Kelly-produced club single that landed on Ginuwine's 2003 album The Senior. Say what you will about Birdman's rapping skills, but he's a master of the turn up.
B.G. Feat. Lil Wayne, Birdman, Juvenile & Mannie Fresh - "Bling Bling"
Now here's some classic Cash Money Records material. Long before Drake or Nicki Minaj ever came into the picture, the label was bringing strictly localized heat out of New Orleans, and the sound brought in millions. "Bling Bling" was one of the many tracks on which the posse put its riches on display for the public to eat up.
Birdman Feat. Clipse - "What Happened To That Boy?"
Earlier this month, Pusha T directed not-so-nice words at Birdman, but there wasn't always a lack of respect between the two. In 2002, Bird recruited Push and his brother Malice for a classic.
Birdman Feat. Diddy - "Do That"
Birdman and Diddy are a couple of bosses who have gone from rags to riches and become moguls in the rap world. Their collective boss ambition was enough to turn this '02 Jazze Pha-produced cut into a surefire banger.
Birdman Feat. Lil Wayne - "Get Your Shine On"
Hopefully these two can reconcile, because they collaborated with incredible chemistry once upon a time, such as on "Get Your Shine On," which appeared on Birdman's second solo album, 2005's Fast Money. Who knew that, 10 years later, they'd be on opposite sides of a $51 million lawsuit.