2. Cash Money
Bryan and Ronald Williams started Cash Money Records in 1991, but were mostly known in the southeast and Texas in their early years. With the success of No Limit, the nation began to pay more attention to independent labels from New Orleans by the late ’90s. With the release of Juvenile’s hit album 400 Degreez in 1999, the label garnered mainstream attention and released top selling albums by the Hot Boyz, B.G. and Lil Wayne. The labeled appeared as if it would fade away in the mid-2000s when Juvenile, B.G. and Mannie Fresh left the label. However, Lil Wayne saved Cash Money by releasing Tha Carter albums and bringing Drake and Nicki Minaj to the label. Cash Money remains one of the most successful independent hip-hop labels around today.
