Music
The rise of Young Money in six essential songs
Get familiar with Lil Wayne’s world-dominating label before they hit Miami at Red Bull Guest House.
Lil Wayne on the mic
© Erik Voake / Red Bull Sound Select / Content Pool
Lil Wayne and Young Money Entertainment are one of the illustrious crews taking residence at the Red Bull Guest House in Miami, bringing your dreams of hitting up a pool party with Weezy just that little bit closer to reality.
To prepare, here’s a recap of Young Money’s biggest moments since its inception in 2007. Dive into six crucial songs from the label, and here’s hoping we get to hear them all blasting poolside this weekend.
Lil Wayne feat. Static – Lollipop (2008) Lil Wayne’s baby-faced Tha Carter III was the first major release on Young Money in 2008, and also one of its biggest ever, shooting straight to number one on the Billboard 100 on its release. The laid-back Lollipop was one of its hugest singles, and remains pretty much the most ubiquitous (and perhaps a competitor for most filthy) Lil Wayne joint. Watch it below.
Drake – Best I Ever Had (2009) After blowing up from his third mixtape, this was the first single Drake released officially on Young Money, setting him up to become the conflicted, woeful heartstring-puller he is today. Whether it’s the Nicki Minaj version from her mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty, the So Far Gone EP version, the Japanese bonus track version that came with Drake’s debut album or the radio edit blasting out with the windows rolled down, this song is an inescapable jam.
Young Money – Bed Rock (2009) This is the definitive Young Money posse cut, taken from their collaborative compilation We Are Young Money: goofy, loveable and filthy. It’s also a peek into a real Young Money pool party – SuperSoakers and all. Watch it below.
Nicki Minaj – Super Bass (2011) Certified platinum eight times over and having sold more than five million downloads in the US alone, Super Bass was a groundbreaking moment for a female rapper, going boldy where no female rapper had gone before. It also has an eye-popping UV video straight out of Nicki’s fearless Harajuku Barbie era.
Tyga – Rack City (2011) This single from Tyga’s second album Careless World: Rise Of The Last King was right back when DJ Mustard was just starting to creep to international dominance. But four years later, it still goes.
Drake – Started From The Bottom (2013) After Nicki emerged from 2014 victorious with the release of her second album The Pinkprint, Young Money’s young hero Drake is preparing to claim 2015 as his own. Having just dropped the surprise mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, he’s expected to round off the year with his new album Views From The 6, which will undoubtedly be one of the hugest releases to date given his mixtape alone broke Spotify streaming records in its first week. So it seems like an appropriate time to blast this track from his 2013 album Nothing Was The Same: “Started from the bottom, now we’re here.”
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