Perhaps more importantly, Monday, Nov. 25, marked the fourth annual Cash Money
Turkey Giveaway, where label brass and artists gathered at A.L. Davis Park to
hand out 2,000 holiday dinners, complete with 25-lb. turkeys, green beans, cranberry
sauce, cake mix, dinner rolls and soft drinks. Cash Money producer Mannie Fresh
issued the statement, "Kids shouldn't go hungry on Thanksgiving, not in America.
Maybe someday the kids we help today will pay the love forward, and help out
another generation of kids."
The Cash Money Turkey Giveaway also coincided with the announcement of the
formation of "Cash Money Kids," an organization designed to reward local students
for academic achievement with VIP tickets to New Orleans Hornets' games. Those
two gestures are proof that brothers and label co-founders Ronald and Bryan
Williams haven't forgotten their roots, despite becoming a powerhouse enterprise
that has flown high since signing a $30 million national distribution deal with
Universal Music Group in 1998.
The release of Cash Money Records Platinum Hits Volume One is as good
a reason as any to assess the label's artistic and cultural impact to date.
And there are some noteworthy achievements, ranging from the clever wordplay
of Juvenile, whose "Back That Azz Up" (despite its blatant misogyny) became
a local and national catchphrase, and the innovative production of Fresh, whose
diverse beats drive the label's sound. (No less a visionary than New Orleans
jazz legend and composer Harold Battiste praised Fresh's vision and creative
chops in a 2001 Gambit Weekly interview.)
But listening to the lyrics of some of Cash Money's biggest hits raises larger,
more difficult questions about the label's influence. Consider these song lyrics
on Cash Money Records Platinum Hits Volume One:
From Juvenile's "Ha": "You see me with that gun, you better run for it ..."
From Big Tymers' "Big Ballin'": "Fight who you gotta fight/
Shoot who you gotta shoot/ Boot who you gotta boot/ Do what you gotta do ..."
And most graphically, from Turk's "It's In Me": "Quick to spill ya blood,
I'm real I ain't fake/Leave ya ass a murder scene in the middle of yellow tape/Put
a hole in your thinkin' cap, you won't be thinkin' no more/Nigga you'll be put
to nap."
The cold-blooded attitude and images of gangsta rap are a staple of Cash Money's
productions. Is it street poetry rooted in real-life experience, creative license,
or simply offensive? Whatever your opinion, it's freedom of speech protected
and guaranteed by the First Amendment, as it should be. The United States justice
system has previously ruled that the darker lyrics of Judas Priest and Ozzy
Osbourne can't be held directly responsible for teenagers' suicides, and Eminem
recently posing as Leatherface from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre isn't
a call to arms. Similarly, there's no direct link to Cash Money's songs and
the actions of its consumers.
There's no denying, however, that Cash Money Records has a large and devoted
local following. Local landmarks and culture are frequently cited in Cash Money
songs, including LaSalle Street, the Magnolia and St. Bernard housing projects,
Uptown second lines, and the "17th Ward to the 3rd Ward."
That makes it hard to listen to some of Cash Money's more chilling rhymes
in the current context of the alarming increase in New Orleans' murder rate,
which is approaching the scary statistics of 1994, the deadliest year in the
city's history. On the night of Nov. 22 alone, five men were shot to death in
separate incidents. One of the victims was a 15-year-old boy.
As 2003 approaches, Cash Money Records is at a crossroads of
sorts. Cash Money mainstays such as Juvenile and B.G. have left the label, and
Cash Money now has a revamped talent roster. Business as usual might be the
future. But the Williams brothers have shown their heart and love for New Orleans
through their Thanksgiving giveaways and new Hornets' ticket program -- why
can't those positive messages translate into future Cash Money lyrics? With
all their formidable rapping, production, and business skills, imagine the Williams
masterminding an album promoting non-violence, education and respect for women.
Cash Money Records' brass already has enough fame and wealth to last multiple
lifetimes; using their economic engine as an engine for positive social change
could be a priceless legacy.
