You can't deny the impact of Cash Money Records. Since the 90s, they helped establish a standard for rappers and labels in hip-hop. However, Birdman believes that himself, and Cash Money at large, created the blueprint for "this hustle."
The Cash Money co-founder hopped on Instagram Live this week where he issued a statement for the world to hear. With Lil Wayne's "Money On My Mind" playing in the background, he explicitly declared that he was the one who began the rap hustle that a legion of Southerns after him follow to this day.
"I'm the creator of this hustle. I taught these n***as how to hustle in this game," he said. "I don't give a fuck about other n***as that did it before me. They didn't plant the seed of the hustle. We southern n***as, we created this sh*t. I created this shit. I'm the n***a that made these n***as rich."
He further reiterated that he created the "plan" for the Cash Money takeover which undoubtedly opened the doors for other artists from the South to prosper. Birdman's game plan, in turn, ushered in new, more lucrative eras of hip-hop, during Lil Wayne and Drake's reign.
"I created the hustle plan. It was my thoughts, it was my plan. Something that I wanted to do. Get us out the streets and make the studio our streets," he continued. "And I told the n***a the game. And now, we control and we run it. Hip-hop is us. We run hip-hop."
In addition, Birdman said that he was the one that provided gems for the artists and executives underneath him to find their own footing in hip-hop.
"I taught n***as that shit. I went state-to-state-to-state teaching n***as that shit," he said. He said that the success of cities like Miami and Atlanta came as a result of his influence and guidance.
Of course, his comments led to backlash from fans of No Limit, who feel Master P deserves just as much credit, if not more. Though No Limit might not have had the same longevity, they undoubtedly played a huge role in the foundation of the South's influence in hip-hop today.
Check out Birdman's comments below.
