Bryan Christopher Williams (né Brooks; February 15, 1969), better known by his stage names Birdman or Baby, is an American rapper and record executive.

[2] Along with his solo career, he is a member of the hip hop duo Big Tymers with producer Mannie Fresh, as well as the supergroup Cash Money Millionaires.

As label-head of Cash Money Records, he has been central to the career and commercial success of Wayne, as well as future signees including Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Tyga.

[6][10][11][12] He and his siblings moved in with Johnnie and Patricia and lived in the Magnolia Projects in Central City in the 3rd ward of Uptown New Orleans, where Bryan developed a close friendship with his step-brother, Eldrick Wise.

[14][6] After Bryan was released from prison, he and Slim both began paying attention to the emerging bounce sub-genre of hip-hop, a sound that was quickly becoming popular in nightclubs all over New Orleans.

Their first signed artist was a local rapper named Kilo G, who released the label's first ever project, a horrorcore album titled "The Sleepwalker" in 1992.

By the mid-1990s, Cash Money had grown to a popular independent label in the south, with most of their fanbase located in New Orleans and the surrounding areas.

After Cash Money's nationwide success, Baby and Mannie Fresh formed their own group, dubbing themselves the Big Tymers.

Although the singles failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, I Got That Work was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over 1 million copies in the United States.

The group went on hiatus soon after and remained inactive following Mannie Fresh's departure from Cash Money Records, though they've since reunited for live performances, most recently in 2017.

He released his major label debut, Birdman on November 26, 2002, and by January 15, 2003, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for the shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States.

The album peaked at #24 on the Billboard 200, and featured guest appearances from Jazze Pha, Mannie Fresh, Lil' Wayne, Toni Braxton, Clipse, Jermaine Dupri, Cam'ron, T.I., Keith Murray and Puff Daddy among others.

Birdman's second album, Fast Money, was released in 2005 and was once again a success, debuting at number 9 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 65,000 copies in the United States.

The former peaked at number twenty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, won the 2007 BET Viewer's Choice Award,[22] and was named the 94th best song of 2006 by Rolling Stone magazine.

[23] Birdman's third solo studio album, 5 * Stunna, was released on December 11, 2007, and debuted at number 18 on the US Billboard 200, selling 80,000 copies in the first week.

He collaborated with Mack Maine as a duo named White Boys to release a mixtape titled Billionaire Minds on November 2, 2011.

[32] A new compilation album, titled Rich Gang: Flashy Lifestyle, hosted by Birdman, was previously set to be released June 25, 2013.

[36] Birdman and Lil Wayne had supposedly reconciled from their beef in 2016 after being seen at Drake's NYE Party, at Miami's Club Liv, and in studio.

[8][9] His father, Johnnie Williams (September 20, 1920 – July 13, 1996), owned a number of small businesses in the New Orleans area, including multiple bars and a laundrette.

Due to their mother passing away at a young age, Birdman primarily raised his younger sister and referred to her as his daughter.

In addition to his biological children, he formed a close parental-like bond with protégée Lil Wayne, whom he has often referred to as his other son, despite no familial connection between the two.

[48][49] In October 2009, Birdman, Lil Wayne, Cash Money Records and various music distribution outlets were sued for copyright infringement by Thomas Marasciullo, who claims his voice was used without permission.

In June 2015, Wayne joined Jay-Z's Tidal as an artist owner and exclusively released a single on the service titled "Glory".

Prosecutors alleged on July 15 that Birdman and Young Thug conspired to murder Lil Wayne and were involved in an April 26 shooting.

Many rappers rushed to his defense and pleaded with him not to retire, including Kendrick Lamar, one of the delayed album's featured performers.

Evidence of the company's actual business operations was scant, limited mostly to a website and the appearance of a "pumpjack" tattoo on the side of Birdman's head.

[55] However, by March 2010, Birdman had almost completely covered the pumpjack tattoo, which sparked speculation that the Bronald Oil project had stalled.

[56] An investigative report from Bloomberg revealed that official regulators in charge of oil and gas permits had never even heard of Bronald.

[57] On April 22, 2016, Birdman disparaged the hosts of hip-hop radio show The Breakfast Club during a live interview, telling them to "stop playing with my fucking name".