Th-Th-Th-Throwback

When Cash Money Records Ruled the World

Drop it Like it’s Hot by Lil’ Wayne ft. BG and Mannie Fresh

1999. Cash Money Records was at the height of its powers. Everything it produced turned to gold.

They didn't make a video for this song, so you'll have to make do with a mashup of some Weezy clips.

I’m still amazed from the brazenness of this song. Did no one else catch that CMR would just take one line from one song and turn it into an entirely new one. Remember Back that Azz Up? The song that got all those awkward middle school dances on and popping? Not only is that a good song, it also marks Lil’ Wayne’s lyrical debut. Or at least I don’t remember him being on anything else before that. And I’m too lazy to research the fact. So I’m calling it his debut.

Drop it Like Its Hot, Wayne’s single, is just his verse from the Juvenile song. He literally took the verse from the Juvenile song, extended it to 5 minutes, and pawned if off as something new. That’s atrocious. It’s like copying and pasting an essay and resubmitting it to the same professor. Terrible. But guess what?

I fucking love this song. I love almost everything CMR did during the 1998-2001 glory years. I know it wasn’t that great, technically or lyrically. It doesn’t matter. They had to have had at least 10 platinum records in that time span. I even liked Young Turk. I like Baller Blockin’ even though the E-40 verse SUCKS. I like Southern hip-hop, so I’m used to bad rapping, but that is one of the worst verses I have ever heard.

Aside: I met a homeless looking bum who claimed to be BG while traipsing around DC a few years ago. I couldn’t tell if it was him or not. But what a perfect cover story. “Hi, I’m some rapper you’ve heard of but hasn’t been relevant in a couple years. Please give me some change”

Aside 2: Wayne was only 17, yes 17, when he released the single

Aside 3: Why was it called Back that Azz Up. What was the point of Azz? He was really saying “ass,” just title it Back that Ass Up. Did Juvenile physically want me to delete the spaces in my sentences and Back that “As” up? You trying to give me some syntactical assistance, Juvey? Because it sure sounds like it.

And for the hell of it, here is the song that put Cash Money on the map. Unarguably the best song to come from the label. Compare Wayne's verse to the one above... This song still makes me want to party.