Birdman

**Bryan Christopher Williams** (né **Brooks**; February 15, 1969), better known by his stage name **Birdman** (also known as **Baby**), is an American rapper and record executive. He is the co-founder and public face of Cash Money Records which he founded with his older brother Ronald "Slim" Williams in 1992. Birdman has released a collaboration album and numerous tracks with fellow rapper and protégé Lil Wayne, whom he discovered and took under his wing at age twelve.

## Background

The two met in 1991 when Wayne was only eight years old. Wayne's mother was reluctant for her son to be associated with the notorious businessman, though in 1995 he was signed to Cash Money Records at aged 12. Wayne was part of the musical duo B.G.'z and quartet group Hot Boyz, before being signed a solo contract in November 1998. In February 2003, Wayne launched his own label, Young Money Entertainment, which joined Cash Money of which he owned 49 percent.

In 2006, the two were photographed kissing. Birdman told Q93 radio, "Before I had a child, Wayne and all of them were my children, you heard me? Wayne to me is my son—my first-born son—and that's what it do for me. That's my life, that's my love and that's my thing. That's my lil' son. I love him to death." He similarly said to Tim Westwood in 2009, "That's my son. If he was right here, I'd kiss him again. I just think people took that too far, man. That's my son. I'll do it again tomorrow, I'll kill for him. Ride and die for him." He also told REVOLT TV's *Big Facts* podcast, "First of all, my own son, I would kiss him. I always looked at Wayne as my son and I always looked at it like, 'cause I was in the streets, and I thought this might be the last time he ever see me." He added, "I was his father when he didn't have a father since he was 9 years old. And I love him like my own and I'd give my life for him."

In 2014, their fallout was publicized when Wayne tweeted out on December 4 of *Tha Carter V* being delayed by Cash Money because he wanted to be free from the label. He stated, "To all my fans, I want u to know that my album won't and hasn't been released bekuz Baby & Cash Money Rec. refuse to release it" and added that he was a "prisoner." His manager Cortez Bryant supported him via Instagram on January 13, 2015: "Wayne carried Cash Money on his back for over 10 years when he could have left and did this on his own [...] He don't deserve the shit he's going through at this point in the game." Wayne filed a lawsuit against Birdman and Cash Money on January 28, 2015, for $51 million.

In March 2015, Wayne dissed Birdman during a cypher. The following month in April, Wayne's tour bus was shot at, the suspected culprit to be Jimmy Winfrey. It was speculated that Baby was behind it, though he denied this to TMZ, saying, "No legal battle would ever make me try and kill or hurt my son." Eventually the lawsuit was settled in favor of Wayne in June 2018. Wayne's lawyer, Ron Sweeney, stated to *Billboard*: "He is his own man, a man that owns his assets, his music and himself. At some point, Wayne will let his fans know what's going to happen next."

On January 1, 2016, the two were spotted at Drake's New Year's Eve party in Miami. However, Wayne declared in September 2016 on *Undisputed* that he would never work with Birdman again: "No sir. Give me mine and I'll walk off free." In March 2018, the two reunited at Club LIV in Miami and in June 2018, Wayne was released from the Cash Money contract. Birdman also issued a public apology to Wayne on August 25, 2018 at Lil Weezyana Fest:

>
> It feel amazing, bruh, to be home fucking with my son. I love that n\*\*\*a to death. I don't know what y'all know but I know what the fuck I know and I know what I feel about what I know. I knew that day was gon' come, but I didn't know when it was gon' come. But this n\*\*\*a right here; the best n\*\*\*a, the realest n\*\*\*a, the illest n\*\*\*a. And I wanted to apologize to my n\*\*\*a worldwide to let him know that, you heard me? That n\*\*\*a put his life in my hands and I'ma keep it real with that n\*\*\*a and we gon' do this shit 'till the day we die. It's YMCMB for death. Fuck you, you heard me?
>
>
>
>

That same year in October, Wayne confirmed to *The Breakfast Club* that they were on good terms.

## References

1. ↑ Gilbert, Asha (September 22, 2021). "Birdman Explains Why He Kissed Lil Wayne on the Mouth in Infamous Viral Photo". *USA Today*.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rys, Dan (January 19, 2016). "A Timeline of Lil Wayne's Beef with Birdman and Cash Money". *Billboard*.
3. ↑ Coleman II, C. (August 30, 2018). "Here's a Timeline of Lil Wayne and Birdman's Relationship". *XXL*.
4. ↑ "The Truth About Lil Wayne and Birdman's Complicated Relationship". *Nicki Swift*. April 16, 2020.

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