Mannie Fresh is as responsible as anybody for the success of Cash Money. But the producer flew Birdman's coop in 2005 over a financial dispute.
Now Lil Wayne is trying to follow suit. In an interview with the AP, Mannie encouraged Wayne to leave like he did, because by staying with Cash Money Fresh believes Weezy is limiting himself.
"I just think Wayne is growing as an artist," Fresh said. "Wayne has given us some great albums, but he has never given us that album with like a Justin Timberlake on it — with features where like, OK, this is what we expect from an artist of your caliber. ... Like you went out and got Cher on the song, because you are that dude. You're on that level." "I think [Wayne] going — real talk — 'I could probably use Drake and Nicki, but I've done that so many times. Let's get out there and do things so I can show that I am bigger than life." I did do a song and I got Justin Timberlake on it, I got Justin Timberlake fans as well," Fresh continued. "I think Wayne is starting to see it in that way. Hip Hop can only bring you so far."To paraphrase, Mannie is suggesting that Wayne won't become the mega-star Fresh thinks he could be by continuing to get just features from his Young Money cohorts Drake and Nicki Minaj and the other type of artists who work with Cash Money.
But if Weezy goes to a new label and gets mainstream crossover features Fresh thinks he will blow up even bigger.
Do you agree with Mannie's logic?
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