In an appearance on the Big Facts podcast, Cash Money founder Birdman addressed allegations he scammed his artists.
“I don’t get my feelings in it, but I ain’t never took from no n***a,” he said at the 18 minute-mark. “I always bless n****s. I had some incidents early on because I was really young in this shit. I ain’t know no better. But, any problem I had I cleared it up. I paid my n***a. Remember because I was young. I’m telling you 20 years old. So, a lot of shit happened early on, I just ain’t know. And I’m with these white folks and they not attending to the business.”
Birdman appeared to be referring to Lil Wayne, who was signed by Birdman in 1995 when he was just 12, and made his issues with the label head clear prior to the release of Tha Carter V.
“Any problem from my son on down, and I gave him 50 million, I cleared it up,” Birdman added. He and Wayne were set to go to court over label and publishing issues, but it was settled out of court for an unspecified amount. “I ain’t want my name like that, especially with Wayne… I’m nothing without this dude,” he said.
When Birdman was asked which artist he regrets not signing, he was quick with his pick. “Kanye West was with me before he was Kanye West,” he said at the 45:00 mark of the interview. “I knew he was special, I let him go because I had Mannie Fresh. Kanye came to me as a producer, and I wasn’t ever going to disrespect Mannie Fresh because I started with Fresh. It was either gonna be Fresh or ‘Ye, so I had to let ‘Ye go. He went to Roc-A-Fella, I flew him to Roc-A-Fella. We always kept a bond, but he was living with me at my house.”
Later in the interview, he addressed the photo that was taken around 2006 of Birdman kissing Wayne on the lips. “First of all, my own son, I would kiss him,” he explained at the 59:20 mark.
"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 continued. "Cause I was living like that. That's what that shit really started from 'cause I thought that every night I leave, I might not ever come back. And I always today look at Wayne as my child. I was his father when he didn't have a father since he was nine years old. And I love him like my own and I'd give my life for him and I'd take a life for him."
Birdman also suggested that if Wayne was to ever get involved with a Verzuz event, it would be an easy win for him. “Himself, Wayne versus Tunechi,” he answered at the 55:00 mark when asked who he could go up against. “He got too much shit going on, nobody could touch that. Come on, brother, this is Tunechi. This n***ga had 100 singles in one year. He passed Elvis in one year. 100 songs on Billboard, so I don’t think an individual could top that. I’m talking about 100 hit songs. The work Wayne put into it, I wouldn’t even play with that shit.”
Watch the full interview above with Birdman above.
