In the first of a two-part interview with Nah Right, industry insider Wendy Day explained to writer Jimmy Ness how she helped broker deals like the signing of No Limit Records to Priority and a $30 million distribution deal with Universal for Cash Money.
Running down a number of behind-the-scenes stories, Day, who founded the non-profit organization Rap Coalition in 1992, detailed how Cash Money long operated as a shady business by not paying employees, rent, and associated business operations expenses. When the company and Birdman continually refused to pay her for her services, Day explained that Birdman was forced to apologize by gunpoint by rapper Freddie Foxxx.
“They just cut off communication,” she said when asked about not being paid by the label. “At one point, one of my artist friends bumped into Birdman and put a gun to his head and made him call and apologize to me, which he did. He [Birdman] called me up and said “oh, your friend just pulled me out of Hot 97 and I’m here on the street, on my knees and I want to apologize to you. I really didn’t care about the apology. I wanted to know, why would somebody shit on someone that changed their life for the better? I just couldn’t wrap my head around that and he couldn’t really give me a good answer. Maybe because he was a little scared himself based on the situation.”
Day added on, “He [Birdman] said to me, ‘sue me, when I have to pay you, you’ll get paid.’ He said it very nonchalantly and very matter-of-factly, and as time wore on I saw that he didn’t pay anybody. He didn’t pay the t-shirt manufacturers, he didn’t pay the Fruit of Islam for security, he didn’t pay security guards for security, he didn’t pay his staff, he didn’t pay his office rent. They didn’t pay anybody.”
AD LOADING...
When asked about the artist that forced the apology, Day admitted that it was Freddie Foxxx.
“It was actually Freddie Foxx and I think that he has spoken about it so I don’t think it’s incriminating,” she said, “plus more than seven years have passed.”
Elsewhere in the interview Day detailed her work with Tupac Shakur—”it was for his company to set up day-care centres, a record label and community centres” she said—and dealings with G-Unit, Slick Rick, Master P, and more.
The second part of Jimmy Ness’ conversation with Wendy Day will include details of her role in helping Dr. Dre discover Eminem and more about her experience in the industry.
AD LOADING...
RELATED: Wendy Day & Kim Ellis Launch ‘In The Know’ Seminars
