Image via Complex Original
Lil Wayne once rapped, "You know you're paid, when you got Baby with ya," and it might be the truest line he's ever said. With Birdman/Baby/#1 Stunna holding the umbrella, the artists under YMCMB (short for Young Money Cash Money Billionaires) basically have no choice but to revel in the same luxurious excesses that the man at the top does.
That includes, and is mostly limited to: fine women, mansions, clothes watches, and most important of all: cars. Birdman might be the most whip-obsessed rapper in the game, and it's trickled down to all members of Cash Money and Lil Wayne's imprint Young Money that can afford to keep up with him.
Since Young Money officially went into business with Tha Carter III and YMCMB became the oft-shouted label nickname not long after, the team consisting of the likes of father and son plus Drake, Nicki Minaj, Mack Maine and Tyga have had some incredibly vehicular stunt moments in music videos and elsewhere. Read on for YMCMB's Best Car Moments.
Written by Frazier Tharpe (@The_SummerMan)
Nicki's "Fly" Video
Car: Jaguar XKR
In the dystopian video for "Fly," Nicki arrives to survey the wreckage in a clean Jaguar, which, shockingly, has not been painted over in pink.
Shanell's "So Good" Video
Car: Porsche Panamera
The Young Money songstress had been seen here and there in previous videos and album cuts, but she called on Wayne and Drake for her first official single. After a typical introductory guest verse from Weezy, he pops the lid and unveils Shanell, who decided to make her grand debut ... in the back of a Porsche trunk.
Nicki Minaj's "High School" Video
Car: Ferrari FF
It only makes a brief appearance in the video, but the Ferrari FF is something special. It's Nicki's video, and she's definitely showing off in a different way, but Lil Wayne is the one with the car we're interested in.
Nicki's "Massive Attack" Video
Car: Lamborghini Murciélago
Forget any issues you have with Roman Reloaded and remember this horrific would-be first single as a reminder that it could've been way worse. The song was slightly redeemed by the video, in the same way that just about every Nicki song is. Adding to the eye candy is Amber Rose, who pushes a bright Barbie-pink Murciélago while Roman rides shotgun.
DJ Khaled's "I'm on One" Video
Car: Rolls-Royce Phantom
Just a half-decade before "I'm on One," Khaled was a Terror Squad supporting player, holding Fat Joe's umbrella for him in the "Make It Rain" video. Now look at him. We the Best Forever marked Khaled's first release on the YMCMB team, and what better way to start the business relationship than with this monster of a single, courtesy of Drake. The first image we see in the Colin Tilley & Drake-helmed clip: Khaled's holding his own umbrella now. And the model chick and expensive whip are all his, too.
Birdman's "Money to Blow" Video
Cars: Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, Maybach 57 S
If Birdman raps about having "Lamborghinis and the Bentleys on the v-set," then best believe he's damn well going to be rapping in front of those two cars for the video. We'll give him a pass for skipping the Bentley and going for the 'bach.
Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" Video
Car: CXT Stretched Limousine
"Lollipop" was Wayne's official, crossover-hit coming out party, and for the video, he and Static Major (R.I.P.) celebrate with a stretch limo party bus filled with suckers. And women.
Tyga's "Dope" Video
Car: Cadillac
Tyga leads the police on a high-speed chase from behind the wheel of a classic Caddy in the cinematic clip to his underrated, "Deep Cover"-sampling "Dope" single with Rick Ross.
Birdman's Pricele$$ album cover
Car: Bugatti Veyron
Birdman's album art for Pricele$$ fittingly features one of the most expensive cars in the world, while he mugs next to it with one of his trademark poses (he went Pensive Though in lieu of Handrub) and a duffel bag full of cash (yea, it's unopened but c'mon, what else would be in Baby's bag?).
Birdman buys Wayne and Mack Maine Bentleys
Car: Bentley Mulsanne
We have a feeling no one at the Cash Money/Young Money offices is plagued by "for the man who has everything" thoughts when it's gift-giving time. Their philosophy: there's no such thing as too much! No doubt, Wayne and Mack could probably buy their own Bentleys in summer 2012, but nevertheless Baby and Slim strapped two bows on and blessed the boys with one each just because they're making them boatloads of cash.
Birdman's "4 My Town (Play Ball)" Video
Car: Aston Martin DB9
Birdman, Rick Ross and Drake mug for the cameras in front of the DB9, name-dropped by the latter in the song's hook.
Tyga's "Switch Lanes" Video
Car: Lamborghini Murciélago
True to Young Money's confusing form, Tyga filmed a video for one of Hotel California's bonus cuts. "Switch Lanes" is a real west coast sounding duet with Game, and the duo take it to the block for a Fast & Furious-esque street race setting. Why do Tyga's videos always find him in a high-speed chase?
Lil Wayne's "Mrs. Officer" Video
Car: Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
"Doing a buck in the latest drop/I got stopped by a lady cop." Yea, pushing the 612 will have anyone saying "fuck a speed limit."
"Every Girl" Video
Car: Rolls-Royce Phantom
The moment that started it all. After Wayne hopped out of this Phantom, followed by Drake, Jae Millz, Gudda Gudda and Mack Maine, the 'YM' of YMCMB was in full, official effect. Young Money had arrived, and of course, in luxurious European automobile fashion. Birdman wouldn't have had it any other way.
Lil Wayne's "Rich as Fuck" Video
Car: Ferrari Testarossa
Weezy rides shotgun with a sexy model pushing the Testarossa through the desert, presumably the "white girl with big titties" and "flat ass, TV screen" he mentions in the verse.
Lil Twist vs. Justin Bieber's Fisker
Car: Fisker Karma
These days Lil Twist is making headlines less so for music (did he ever?) and more for his antics as Bieber's errant BFF. Not only did he get a DUI while behind the wheel of JB's chromed out Fisker, he crashed it too. At this point, why not just let Lindsay Lohan drive your whips, Biebs?
Drake's "The Motto" Video
Cars: Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu, Chevrolet Impala Convertible, Ferrari 458 Italia
Drake, Weezy and Tyga bring their A-game to floss in The Bay, with Young Money's top earners opting for classic Chevys while T-Raw stunts in a clean 458.
DJ Khaled's "No New Friends" Video
Car: Jeep Wrangler
The visual for Drake's DJ Khaled's "No New Friends" brilliantly harkens to the late 90s Cash Money era with a 1995 setting, complete with all the over-the-top accoutrements. Hummer limos! Helicopters! Dada! No one's having more fun than Drake (as per usual), who looks like he'd have been right at home in a Big Tymers video, loving life so much while behind the wheel of the Wrangler full of women that it just might crash if he shakes his head one more time.
Nicki's Aventador
Car: Lamborghini Aventador LP
Nicki's been rhyming about her Aventador since Roman Reloaded and most recently in an excellent guest verse on Meek Mill's "Dope Dealer." Here, she does the bars justice in real life, stunting through the streets of L.A. to a K-Mart press event, with the doors up no less.
Nicki's "The Boys" Video
Car: Campagna T-Rex cyclecar
We love Nicki. "The Boys," her bizarre duet with Cassie? Not so much. But the video is a whole other affair, because well, it's Nicki and Cassie, two of the most beautiful women in music. And as an added bonus, a few slick shots of the equally eye-catching T-Rex.
Nicki Twerks On Her Maybach Roof
Car: Maybach 62 S
This is stunting at its gloriously eye-pleasing finest. The Maybach 62, parked on the tarmac in front of the PJ is a power-picture already. And yet, Queen Minaj takes it a step further and blesses us with an Instavideo of her twerking on said Maybach's roof. That's one way to pass the time during plane delays.
Birdman's "Always Strapped" Video
Cars: Bentley Continental Flying Spur, Dodge Viper SRT-10, Ferrari F430 Spider, Ford F-250 Super Duty, Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster, Maserati Quatroporte V
On "Always Strapped" Wayne raps, "My driveway looks somethin' like a parking lot," and if nothing else, Birdman's track-to-video interpreations are always literal. Hence, father and son plus Mack Mizzle spend much of the video in a lot with a veritable checklist of Rapper Cars, plus an F-250 for good measure.
Ace Hood's "Bugatti"
Car: Bugatti Veyron
Ace Hood probably can't afford a Veyron yet (looks like he borrowed Birdman's for the video), but the anthem he Khaled, Future and Ross delivered at the top of the year for his first Cash Money release did the impossible: it made "Bugattis" ubiquitous.
Birdman's "Y.U. Mad" Video
Car: Maybach 62 S Landaulet
The video for Birdman's highly underrated "Y.U. Mad" banger is one big ode to his then recently purchased Maybach Landaulet, but we aren't complaining. We can't tell which is more gorgeous: the car, with its spacious interior on full display thanks to several high angle shots through that wide sunroof, or Nicki seated in it scantily clad rapping lyrics that are more than suggestive.
Weezy is the first rapper to cop a Bugatti
Car: Bugatti Veyron
These days every rapper well into eight figures has a Bugatti, but did you know Wayne was the first rapper to cop? Weezy got the Veyron way back in 2010 and can be seen pushing it in several Derick G clips or videos like the visual for "Single" pictured above.
Drake's "Started From the Bottom" Video
Car: Bentley Continental GTC
It's probably a good idea that Drake stopped using "Young Angel" as one of his rap aliases, since he seems to want to be taken seriously in the game. But that doesn't mean he can't still floss head to toe waiter white from time to time, like the instantly classic, begging to be gif'ed moment early on in the "Started" video where he hops out of a cocaine-colored GTC, dressed like he's headed to a party at the ski lodge. And of course, it's snowing too.
Birdman's Exelero
Car: Maybach Exelero
So what if he flaunted the purchase before he actually purchased it? The fact remains, Birdman can spend mansion money on a Maybach, and that's really all that matters. He copped Batmobile-esque vehicle back in 2011, not long after Jay Z's "baby money" taunt in HAM. Jay's been pushing the Exelero around since '06, maybe Stunna felt he had some catching up to do?
Drake's Nothing Was the Same Teaser
Cars: Bugatti Veyron, Maybach 62 S, Lamborghin Aventador LP, Rolls-Royce Phantom
Does it get any flyer than this? With anticipation for Nothing Was the Same at a fever pitch, Drake dropped this album teaser which, for all its simplicity and brevity, is cool as fuck. The OVO clique weaves through the streets in a presidential motorcade-like procession of expensive whips, all adorned with Canadian flags, to the tune of the still as-of-yet unreleased "Trophies" (You hear those Hit-Boy horns? What the fuck is he planning?!). Who's leading it but October's Very Own himself, in the Bugatti that he just spent "four Ferraris on because it was something to do." Word spread, an album is on the way, and The Boy is home. As Birdman would say, "Stunt, nigga."