Young Money Entertainment

An imprint of Cash Money and Republic founded by Lil Wayne in 2005, now operating under Republic with Mack Maine as president.

Young Money Entertainment is an American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne in 2005. Launched as an imprint of Cash Money Records and Universal Motown/Universal Republic (later Republic Records after a 2012 merger), it has since operated solely under Republic. The label was colloquially branded as Young Money Cash Money Billionaires (YMCMB) during its joint venture era. In 2009, Wayne's longtime affiliate Mack Maine was appointed the company's president. Since its formation, the label has signed and released projects for artists including Lil Wayne himself, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Tyga, Cory Gunz, Gudda Gudda, and Jae Millz.

Quick Facts

Parent

Universal Music Group

Founder

Lil Wayne

Distributor

Republic Records
Cash Money Records (2005–2018)
Universal Motown (2005–2011)

Genre

Various, mainly hip hop

Country

United States

Location

New Orleans, Louisiana

Lore & Background

The label's history includes significant shifts in leadership and ownership. In a 2007 Vibe interview, Lil Wayne detailed he stepped down as President to give the position to Cortez Bryant, though by 2009, Mack Maine was serving as president. The collective expanded beyond individual artists into a supergroup that released three studio albums: We Are Young Money (2009), Rich Gang (2013; with Cash Money Records), and Young Money: Rise of an Empire (2014). The 2009 collaborative album, We Are Young Money, debuted at number 9 on the US Billboard 200 (its peak), selling 142,000 copies in its first week. It was certified platinum by the RIAA for shipments of 1,000,000 copies. Its lead single, "BedRock," peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the group's first Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number nine.

Reader's Guide

Young Money has released 16 albums that topped the Billboard 200 chart. Lil Wayne contributed five: Tha Carter III, I Am Not a Human Being, Tha Carter IV, Tha Carter V, and Funeral. Drake secured eight number-one albums: Thank Me Later, Take Care, Nothing Was the Same, If You're Reading This It's Too Late, What a Time to Be Alive (with Future), Views, More Life, and Scorpion. Nicki Minaj added two: Pink Friday and Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. The label also saw releases from other artists like Tyga, who dropped Hotel California in 2013, and T-Pain, who signed in 2011 but later revealed the deal never concluded. Other signings included 14-year-old singer Torion Sellers in November 2011 and group We the Future in February 2013.

Did You Know?

The single "BedRock" from We Are Young Money became the group's first Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number nine on April 3, 2010.
In June 2018, Lil Wayne and Birdman settled their legal dispute, though the specific percentage of ownership transferred and the exact date were not publicly confirmed.
We Are Young Money was certified platinum by the RIAA for selling 1,000,000 units in the United States.