Cory Gunz
Year Signed: 2011
Noteworthy Releases: “6 Foot 7 Foot” verse, Datz WTF I'm Talkin' Bout
Who Is He? Cory has one of the oddest career arcs on this list. “6 Foot 7 Foot” was a false prediction of another classic, and Gunz’s guest verse was supposed to be a breakthrough verse for a bright career. He became one of the many artists whose talent as a rapper couldn’t translate into mainstream success. His 2013 mixtape Datz WTF I’m Talkin’ Bout got slept on before he played a supporting role to his father’s Love & Hip Hop controversies. Still, he stole the show on the otherwise lackluster Carter IV, and should have followed it up.
Where’s the Album? “I sure do have a hankering for some new Cory Gunz,” said no one. That’s the problem.
Karine Hannah
Year Signed: 2014
Noteworthy Releases: I’ll Be Alright, “Burning Up”
Who Is She? Born in Montreal, Hannah is a New York-based pop singer who counts singing at Celine Dion’s wedding at the age of 16 as a career highlight. Her lawyer happens to be Cash Money’s lawyer Edward R. Grauer, Esq. The label heard her music playing in his office, and the relationship grew from there.
Where’s the Album? She’s a recent signee who hasn’t really made a name yet. Hannah also recently told The Source that she expects her Cash Money debut to “drop late fall/early winter.” If only she knew.
Paris Hilton
Year Signed: 2013
Noteworthy Releases: Paris, “Good Time,” a video cameo on “Tapout”
Who Is She? You've probably heard of her: Heiress to Hilton Hotels. Reality television star. Sex tape person. Sometime singer. She didn’t need Cash Money because of that Hilton money, but the signing happened, and we have new age classic “Good Time” to thank her for. You probably remember the lyrics: “Are you having a good time / 'Cause I'm having a good time / And I might be a bit tipsy / But that's okay cause you're with me.” Sadly, the streets wasn’t feeling it. It peaked at No. 18 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs charts. “Come Alive,” her follow-up, didn’t do much better
Where’s the Album? A Paris Hilton album might sell; her debut sold 200,000 copies even though most already shrugged it off as a failure before its release. But there’s just no urgency for Hilton to put out another album. Hilton is getting six figures DJing. She’ll be fine.
Jacquees
Year Signed: 2014
Noteworthy Releases: 19 EP
Who Is He? Jacquees is a new R&B artist out of Atlanta with a sweetness that speaks to a few 1990s acts (like SWV, for one). He’s earned a co-sign from Chris Brown and managed to get features from Rich Homie Quan, Trinidad Jame$ and Lloyd on his 19 EP that he dropped last year.
Where’s the Album? Singers on Cash Money don’t do all that well, but he only signed a couple of months ago. Plus, Jacquees has been taking pictures with Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug and has an uncredited slot on Rich Gang's Tha Tour Pt. 1. So he has that going for him.
Sarah Lenore
Year Signed: 2013
Noteworthy Releases: N/A
Who Is She? Cash Money’s other reality star is a Florida-based pop singer from the 2008 season of America’s Got Talent. And Birdman knows talent. “Sarah is a star in every sense of the word,” Birdman said at the time. “She is a strong performer, has a beautiful voice and lights up the room. My brother Slim and I have big plans for her."
Where’s the Album? Pop and Cash Money don’t really mix.
Lil Twist
Year Signed: 2007
Noteworthy Releases: Class President
Who Is He? He used to be Young Money’s teen protégé out of Texas. Now he’s just Justin Bieber’s mans, who happens to be signed to Young Money.
Where’s the Album? Even Red-Bull-let’s-fly-away Gudda Gudda has a Billboard hit in “Bedrock.” Lil Twist managed to go through collaborations with Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes without one song cracking the Hot 100. You know what else doesn’t help? Calling his management team, “Worst management team in the history of management teams.”
Limp Bizkit
Year Signed: 2012
Noteworthy Releases: Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
Who Are They? There are plenty of ridiculous things that were popular back in the late-1990s and early-2000s: The Parkers, Lugz, 3XL shirts. Limp Bizkit is another example, and adolescents who grew up to Smackdown (shoutouts to The Undertaker) are all too familiar with the group. This is the band that made Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water and “Nookie”—both absurd titles, both Billboard charting releases.
Where’s the Album? It’s not only that Cash Money doesn’t know what to do with stars from disparate genres; Limp Bizkit has been bad in recent years. The two singles they released with Cash Money—“Ready To Go” and “Thieves”—had little success. Plus, there’s Rich Gang’s “Sunshine,” which is the worst song off one of 2013’s worst albums. Limp Bizkit might not even be with Cash Money anymore. Last October, frontman Fred Durst told Detroit rock station 101 WRIF that they’ve parted ways with Cash Money. However, the label’s website still lists them as one of their artists.
Year Signed: 2011
Noteworthy Releases: “6 Foot 7 Foot” verse, Datz WTF I'm Talkin' Bout
Who Is He? Cory has one of the oddest career arcs on this list. “6 Foot 7 Foot” was a false prediction of another classic, and Gunz’s guest verse was supposed to be a breakthrough verse for a bright career. He became one of the many artists whose talent as a rapper couldn’t translate into mainstream success. His 2013 mixtape Datz WTF I’m Talkin’ Bout got slept on before he played a supporting role to his father’s Love & Hip Hop controversies. Still, he stole the show on the otherwise lackluster Carter IV, and should have followed it up.
Where’s the Album? “I sure do have a hankering for some new Cory Gunz,” said no one. That’s the problem.
Karine Hannah
Year Signed: 2014
Noteworthy Releases: I’ll Be Alright, “Burning Up”
Who Is She? Born in Montreal, Hannah is a New York-based pop singer who counts singing at Celine Dion’s wedding at the age of 16 as a career highlight. Her lawyer happens to be Cash Money’s lawyer Edward R. Grauer, Esq. The label heard her music playing in his office, and the relationship grew from there.
Where’s the Album? She’s a recent signee who hasn’t really made a name yet. Hannah also recently told The Source that she expects her Cash Money debut to “drop late fall/early winter.” If only she knew.
Paris Hilton
Year Signed: 2013
Noteworthy Releases: Paris, “Good Time,” a video cameo on “Tapout”
Who Is She? You've probably heard of her: Heiress to Hilton Hotels. Reality television star. Sex tape person. Sometime singer. She didn’t need Cash Money because of that Hilton money, but the signing happened, and we have new age classic “Good Time” to thank her for. You probably remember the lyrics: “Are you having a good time / 'Cause I'm having a good time / And I might be a bit tipsy / But that's okay cause you're with me.” Sadly, the streets wasn’t feeling it. It peaked at No. 18 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs charts. “Come Alive,” her follow-up, didn’t do much better
Where’s the Album? A Paris Hilton album might sell; her debut sold 200,000 copies even though most already shrugged it off as a failure before its release. But there’s just no urgency for Hilton to put out another album. Hilton is getting six figures DJing. She’ll be fine.
Jacquees
Year Signed: 2014
Noteworthy Releases: 19 EP
Who Is He? Jacquees is a new R&B artist out of Atlanta with a sweetness that speaks to a few 1990s acts (like SWV, for one). He’s earned a co-sign from Chris Brown and managed to get features from Rich Homie Quan, Trinidad Jame$ and Lloyd on his 19 EP that he dropped last year.
Where’s the Album? Singers on Cash Money don’t do all that well, but he only signed a couple of months ago. Plus, Jacquees has been taking pictures with Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug and has an uncredited slot on Rich Gang's Tha Tour Pt. 1. So he has that going for him.
Sarah Lenore
Year Signed: 2013
Noteworthy Releases: N/A
Who Is She? Cash Money’s other reality star is a Florida-based pop singer from the 2008 season of America’s Got Talent. And Birdman knows talent. “Sarah is a star in every sense of the word,” Birdman said at the time. “She is a strong performer, has a beautiful voice and lights up the room. My brother Slim and I have big plans for her."
Where’s the Album? Pop and Cash Money don’t really mix.
Lil Twist
Year Signed: 2007
Noteworthy Releases: Class President
Who Is He? He used to be Young Money’s teen protégé out of Texas. Now he’s just Justin Bieber’s mans, who happens to be signed to Young Money.
Where’s the Album? Even Red-Bull-let’s-fly-away Gudda Gudda has a Billboard hit in “Bedrock.” Lil Twist managed to go through collaborations with Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes without one song cracking the Hot 100. You know what else doesn’t help? Calling his management team, “Worst management team in the history of management teams.”
Limp Bizkit
Year Signed: 2012
Noteworthy Releases: Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
Who Are They? There are plenty of ridiculous things that were popular back in the late-1990s and early-2000s: The Parkers, Lugz, 3XL shirts. Limp Bizkit is another example, and adolescents who grew up to Smackdown (shoutouts to The Undertaker) are all too familiar with the group. This is the band that made Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water and “Nookie”—both absurd titles, both Billboard charting releases.
Where’s the Album? It’s not only that Cash Money doesn’t know what to do with stars from disparate genres; Limp Bizkit has been bad in recent years. The two singles they released with Cash Money—“Ready To Go” and “Thieves”—had little success. Plus, there’s Rich Gang’s “Sunshine,” which is the worst song off one of 2013’s worst albums. Limp Bizkit might not even be with Cash Money anymore. Last October, frontman Fred Durst told Detroit rock station 101 WRIF that they’ve parted ways with Cash Money. However, the label’s website still lists them as one of their artists.
