By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
Two decades ago, the New Orleans hip hop scene was still bubbling under. Three names helped present New Orleans hip hop scene to the rest of the world. Those three names were Cash Money Records, No Limit Records, and Mystikal. Out of all the labels and artists from New Orleans, they had the biggest buzz. As a part of No Limit Records, Mystikal rose to fame in the mid-1990s.
However, as his career progressed, Mystikal left No Limit Records and became one of the biggest artists from the South. Releasing albums in 2001 and 2002, Mystikal quickly became one of the most-popular artists out. During this period of time, every single released from Mystikal became a hit. In the middle of his run, Mystikal was sentenced to prison and remained there until his 2009 release.
No Limit Records also suffered, going bankrupt, after selling millions of records. Master P was forced to relaunch the label and things never quite got back on track. While No Limit Records went defunct for some time, Cash Money Records remained relevant and soon took over the game. Lil Wayne emerged as the biggest rapper in the game since Jay-Z’s domination from the late 1990s into the early 2000s. Due to his popularity, Lil Wayne ended up establishing his Young Money imprint and his popularity helped spark the careers of both Drake and Nicki Minaj.
Since 2009, Cash Money Records have signed several artists, both veterans and newcomers. The most-recent addition to the label was veteran New York rapper, Busta Rhymes. When Busta Rhymes’ signing was announced, it was also announced that Mystikal will be signing to the label. While Busta Rhymes spoke to the media about his signing and made public appearances with Birdman, there was no proof behind the rumors of Mystikal signing with Cash Money Records. However, the signing was made official with Mystikal’s debut single for Cash Money, properly called “Official,” which features Birdman and Lil Wayne.
Birdman spoke on adding Mystikal to his label, saying it is an honor to have him signed to his label. The Cash Money co-founder revealed he and Mystikal have a long history with each other. Mystikal also spoke on signing with Cash Money, saying it has been a long time since he has truly felt like a rapper and he credits Birdman and Slim for doing this for him. The newest addition to the label, Mystikal said he is ready to go out and begin releasing new records. With his Cash Money debut planned for a Spring 2012 release, Mystikal has also been working with former Cash Money producer, Mannie Fresh.
