Birdman is making millions off Cash Money’s masters.
During an interview with Wallo of “Where’s Wallo” (via Complex), the Cash Money Records boss revealed how much money he earns annually from Cash Money’s current and former roster of artists, which includes Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj.
“We license the music, I just started letting people sample my shit. So yeah, it’s a gang of ways you can make money with your masters,” Birdman said.
He went on to reveal that the figure is in the tens of millions. “We generate $20-30 million a year just on our masters,” added Birdman.
Cash Money has come under fire in the past from its own artists including Lil Wayne. In 2015, Weezy sued the label for $51 million. In 2018, they settled their legal dispute for an undisclosed amount. Tyga also filed a lawsuit in 2018 for millions in unpaid royalties.
Last year, Wayne sold his masters to Universal Music Group for a reported $100 million.
While he continues to make bank, Birdman is also giving back. Last May, amid the COVID-19 crisis, he and his brother, Cash Money co-founder Ronald “Slim” Williams, donated over $225,000 to help pay rent for hundreds of subsidized tenants and families in New Orleans.