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 public face of the record label Cash Money Records, which he co-founded with his older brother Ronald "Slim" Williams in 1991. Birdman released his eponymous debut studio album in 2002, and released three follow up albums—Fast Money (2005), 5 * Stunna (2007), and Priceless (2009)—to moderate commercial success and mixed critical reception; in 2020, he announced the latter as his final. Along with his solo career, he is a member of the hip hop duo Big Tymers with producer Mannie Fresh, as well as the supergroup Cash Money Millionaires.

Apart from his solo work and five releases as part of Big Tymers, Birdman is best known for his discovery and mentorship of fellow New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne, with whom he released the collaborative album, Like Father, Like Son (2006). As label-head of Cash Money Records, he 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 also founded the spin-off project Rich Gang in 2014, a loose-knit collective assembled from core signees of both labels; it 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.