Birdman (rapper)

Bryan Christopher Williams (né Brooks; February 15, 1969), better known by his stage names Birdman or Baby, is an American rapper and record executive. He is the co-founder and public face of Cash Money Records, which he co-founded with his older brother Ronald "Slim" Williams in 1992. Birdman released his eponymous debut album in 2002, and has released four studio albums—Fast Money (2005), 5 * Stunna (2007), and Priceless (2009)—to moderate commercial success despite mixed critical reception; in 2020, he announced the latter as his final. Aside from his solo career, he is also a member of the hip-hop duo Big Tymers along with producer Mannie Fresh, as well as the supergroup Cash Money Millionaires.

Along with his solo work and five releases as part of the Big Tymers, Birdman is best known for his mentorship of fellow New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne, whom he discovered and took under his wing at age eleven—also releasing a collaborative album in 2006. As the label-head of Cash Money Records, Birdman has been central to the career and commercial success of Wayne, as well as future signees including Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Tyga. Many artists were signed in conjunction with Wayne's Young Money Entertainment (branded as "YMCMB"), a label which ran as an imprint of Cash Money from its formation in 2005 until 2018. Birdman has also founded the spin-off project Rich Gang in 2014, a loose-knit collective assembled from core signees of both labels, which was joined and soon led by then-upcoming Southern rappers Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan, as well as other artists not directly signed to the labels.