S. Samuel
Weeks after rap executive Birdman shocked the world by signing reality star Paris Hilton, the Cash Money Records CEO has pulled another unexpected move by adding Reverend Al Sharpton to his team.
Cash Money fans will likely not hear Sharpton and Lil Wayne trade verses on new music as the civil rights activist has joined the book publishing side of Birdman’s empire.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is working on a book to be co-released this fall by the publishing arm of Cash Money Records, home to Lil Wayne, with whom Sharpton has feuded over some of the rapper’s lyrics. Sharpton’s “The Rejected Stone” is scheduled for release Oct. 8. The book will be published by Cash Money Content and Massenburg Media, in partnership with the Simon & Schuster imprint Atria. The book will track Sharpton’s “personal evolution” from New York street activist to political candidate and civil rights spokesman. Sharpton told The Associated Press on Thursday that the book would include his thoughts on Lil Wayne and other rappers and that he was anxious to have a positive dialogue. He added: “Just because we disagree doesn’t mean we have to be disagreeable.” (Newsday)
Four years ago, Weezy F. Baby and Sharpton made headlines over their differences in controversial language.
Sharpton told The Associated Press on Thursday that the book would include his thoughts on Lil Wayne and other rappers and that he was anxious to have a positive dialogue. For those short on memory, the reverend and Lil Wayne sparred in 2008 over the use of the b-word and n-word in the rapper’s lyrics and Weezy ceremoniously referred to Sharpton as Don King with a perm. Sharpton explained to the AP that “Just because we disagree doesn’t mean we have to be disagreeable.” (The Smoking Section)
Last year, Cash Money Content’s Wahida Clark talked to SOHH about her relationship with Baby and why she sided with his publishing company.
“It’s going excellent,” Clark told SOHH, referring to her business relationship with Birdman and Cash Money Content. “One of the reasons why I signed to them was for creative control. I didn’t want to be pigeonholed. They promised me complete creative control. They said, ‘Wahida, you can do you.’ I had creative design over my book covers [release through Cash Money Content]. They’re like, ‘Wahida, just go in the lab and do you.’ So far, it’s all been going good.” (SOHH)
The hip-hop mogul previously dished out plans to put together his own Cash Money films including the upcoming Rich Gang project.
“We start shooting that in the fall,” Birdman revealed to XXL. “That’s the whole team, that’s like a 2012 Balla Blocking. The Rich Gang movie is about the team. Everybody is going to be the star of it, but Wayne will be the center of it. It’s about the team, everybody that’s on the label. … I would like them [to] just be themselves. I’m not gonna tell no n*gga to go to acting school. Just be yourself. We’re excited as a brand about it. Tyga, everybody is like, ‘Stunna, let’s do a movie.’ We got a few of them lined up and we gonna shoot them.” (XXL Mag)
