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Little Wayne and The Rise of Young Money Print E-mail
Written by Jecquea Howsie   

Raise of Young Money - DrakePossibly the hardest working man in Hip Hop, Lil Wayne is busy positioning his burgeoning label for world domination.

To all of you star-crazed individuals looking to become a part of his empire- you have to be ready to follow his lead.

“These people all have a drive," Wayne told MTV News as he introduced his Young Money crew on his tour bus after an mtvU Spring Break performance."They all have the drive that I have, and that's 'never stop working.' We never get tired. Soon as I meet somebody like that, that never gets tired, let's do it. And when you ready, let's go,” he continued.

Rise of Young Money - Nicki MinajYoung Money’s roster reads like the who’s who of Hip Hop royalty, anchored by Lil Wayne himself. There’s the “first lady” Nicki Minaj, who’s setting her sights to resurrect the female voice in Hip Hop.
 "… It's validation. It's proof. It's empowerment. I represent every little girl in a hood near you. To everyone that supported me two years ago when I was on underground mix-tapes and DVDs and to the people that only caught on two weeks ago, I say thank you. Be proud of yourself. You've given girls all around the world the permission to change the face of female rap," Nicki said in a press release.

To say her lyrics are sexual is an understatement. Aside from being compared to other raunchy rappers like Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown, Nicki is unapologetic, asserting that her lyrics have been misinterpreted, citing that she’s not promoting promiscuity, but women being sexually liberated.

Young Money is a label that sheppard’s its artists, and no one’s getting more of that “special” treatment then the “Pied Piper” of Hip Hop, Drake. With his cult-like following, Drake is on his way to becoming a great MC. It also doesn’t hurt that Lil Wayne gave him a hefty signing bonus.

Rise of Young Money - Little WayneIn just three short years Young Money has become a label incomparable to any other in the business. In these tough economic times, Lil Wayne and his team prove that as long as you put out a worthy product, people will support you.

Growing up in New Orleans, Wayne wasn’t necessarily carved out to be Hip Hop’s “president”. When he wasn’t hustling on street corners, he was being guided by local superstars Bryan Williams, better known as Baby, and Ronald "Slim" Williams, as they struggled to put Cash Money Records on the map.

Becoming one third of rap group the Hot Boys, Wayne’s passion, tenacity and diligence were evident. After two successful solo albums, Wayne solidified his fate as one of the best in the business.
Even with his impending incarceration, Wayne’s still not comfortable with just being the best. He’s taking the same hard work and determination to help the next generation of Hip Hop’s elite.

Although, his crew consists of some familiar names like Tyga, Bow Wow, Jae Millz and Mack Maine, Wayne has also switched it up a bit and added some new blood into the mix. Artists like T-Streets, Lil Twist and R&B singer Shanell, also known as SNL, prove that Wayne looks beyond rap to seek out talented individuals in all genres of music.

"We gonna be that clique, that record company, that everybody wanna be with, everybody wanna be like," he said. "You remember Bad Boy, you remember No Limit, you remember Cash Money. ... We coming back with that. We bringing that back," he continued.

Whether he’s singing on tracks, selling out concerts, or just smiling, Wayne has likeability, and it’s that likeability that sells records.  Although, he may not be the best rapper alive, he is the biggest; hate him or love him, he’s here stay.