Cash Money Records is an American record label founded in 1991 by brothers Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Birdman" Williams. Distributed by Republic Records (formerly known as Universal Republic), the label has been home to a roster of mostly hip hop artists, including Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj. The company is regarded as one of the most successful record labels of the 2000s–2010s. Artists signed to Cash Money Records have achieved a combined 12 number one albums on the Billboard 200 chart and 8 number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (Juvenile's "Slow Motion", Lil Wayne's "Lollipop", Jay Sean's "Down" and Drake's "One Dance", "God's Plan", "Nice for What", and "In My Feelings", and Nicki Minaj's "Super Freaky Girl"). The label's name alludes to the Cash Money Brothers, drug kingpin Nino Brown's gang from the 1991 crime film New Jack City. History 1991–97: Beginnings Bryan Williams told some of his close friends the motivation for starting the label: I was hoping it would get us out of the projects and into a positive way of life. And we wanted to help other people get out of this poverty... Kilo G was Cash Money's 1st artist and releases "The Bloody City" which features Ms Tee & UGK. U.N.L.V came shortly after and released "6th & Baronne", "Uptown 4 Life" & "Mac Melph Calio". They were a group of 3 rappers named Lil Ya, Tec 9, & Yella Boy. They were some of the original bounce rappers that help create a sound in New Orleans along with Mannie Fresh. Along the way he met a lot of influential people on the road with the Hot Boys. Wendy Day negotiated the deal between Cash Money and Universal Music Group's Universal Records (now Republic Records), which became a 70%-30% distribution deal. Later, UMG acquired a portion of Cash Money Records, making it a UMG subsidiary. Starting in 1996, Cash Money signed a slew of new artists such as Lil Wayne, B.G., & Juvenile, who already had a buzz in the streets in the mid-1990s. At this time, Turk and another local rapper by the name of Bulletproof (aka Lil Derrick) (Derrick Williams Birdman's nephew) joined the roster. In May 1997, Birdman organized a rap group that included Juvenile, B.G., Turk and Bulletproof. After his father's death, Lil Wayne joined the group, which became known as the Hot Boys. Shortly before the