Entrepreneurship

Bryan Williams aka BIRDMAN

If I went up to someone today and asked them if they knew who Bryan Williams was, they would most likely respond by saying, “I have no idea”. Bryan Williams is most famously known by his stage name “Birdman” and is also know as Baby and Stunna Man. He is the co founder of Cash Money Records which is one of the leading record labels in the music industry with a net worth of $400 million as of 2010. It is projected to reach $700 million in the next year. He founded the company in 1991 with his brother Ronald “Slim” Williams. Bryan grew up in uptown New Orleans, Louisiana with his brother and they pursued a career in music.

Bryan’s record label didn’t become big until he teamed up with rapper Mannie Fresh to form the duo Big Tymers. Their debut album was released in 1998 called “How ya luv that?” and two other records after that. Bryan adopted Dwayne Carter when he was roughly nine years old and became part of cash money records. Dwayne’s stage name is Lil’ Wanye and treats Birdman as his real father. Wayne’s real father left him and his mother when he was only two years old. He decided to drop the D in Dwanye because he wanted nothing to do with his father who abandoned him as a child. Birdman had no idea Lil Wayne was going to make him so much money, but in 2008 when his award winning album “Tha Carter III” came out it was a massive success and he received rapper of the year. This album made Lil Wayne roughly $80 million, which Birdman received a massive chunk of as President and CEO of Cash Money Records. To truly understand how much money Birdman has, during Katrina he lost 50 homes, 45 cars, 2 Ferrari's and a Maybach. Many people lost everything during this tragic event, while Birdman didn’t even see a change in his bank account.

“It don’t ever stop, you got to be able to wear as many faces as your range can go,” this is a quote from Birdman and I would compare him as a company that has multiple brands. He...