Cash Money Records

The first song from Cash Money I heard was "Bling Bling." I heard it on Hot 97 on a family trip to New York. I was 11 years old and I thought Lil Wayne was saying "Blink Blink." I thought it was genius. The beat was so fresh, and Lil Wayne killed the chorus. My brother bought Juvenile's 400 Degreez not too long after. Every album released on Cash Money Records had a page in the booklet  showing the album covers of every album released on the label. Little did I know that every album on the page was underground. I thought the cover to B.G.'s Chopper City looked cool so I decided to start there. I took a trip to Target Records with my father to look for it. The only tape they had was "It's All on You Volume 2." I bought it (for like $18.99) and played it in my fathers truck. As soon as the beat kicked in for "Don't Hate Me" I knew I had found what I was looking for. Songs like "Living Legend" and Get Your Shine On" were staples on a paperboy making money to buy candy.

Thoughts of success began to flood my brain. Making a million dollars didn't seem impossible as I listened to the rise of Cash Money Records. The video for "Bling Bling" inspired me to win. The scene where they're sitting at the table throwing money around is something I aspire to do. Might seem a little shallow, but I always saw it as a way of knowing that you made it. I spent my teenage years listening to every B.G. album I could possibly get my hands on. You couldn't tell me B.G wasn't one of the best to ever do it. Credit must be given to Mannie Fresh for the rise of Cash Money. His beats were the sound that put them on, and he kept cranking out hits after they blew up.

Mannie's beats tell a story. His beats aren't just loops that sound hot. You can tell he invests his time to really create the sound. On the song "Living Legend" by B.G. when B.G. says

"What make 'em think they can touch beats from Fresh i get"

you can hear how the piano makes a different sound from any other point in the song. How many producers really invest that much creativity into a song? Another great bet is B.G's "Ride 2nite" I really can't do justice writing about what makes Mannie Fresh's beats so special, but I will say that there things about his beats that change as the song progresses. It's as if tthe beat shapes every lyric to the song. I wish my ears could write what I hear in songs like "Play'n & Laugh'n" or "Clean Up Man." but you'll just have to hear it for yourself. Mannie's beats really stay Fresh the whole time you listen to the song.