Mannie Fresh Praises “Marketing Genius” Birdman Over Blueface Signing

Birdman has become somewhat of a divisive figure in the current narrative, with his treatment of Lil Wayne’s Carter V doing him no favors. Yet the man is responsible for launching the Cash Money empire, and for that has cemented a permanent place in the annals of hip-hop history. During the rise of the Cash Money movement, Birdman was joined by a key player in developing their signature sound – producer Mannie Fresh. Responsible for crafting no shortage of bangers, including many of Lil Wayne’s finest tracks, Fresh has recently sat down with the folks at XXL for an extensive reflection on the current state of affairs.

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

While Fresh covers a variety of topics, one interesting moment arises when the producer is asked about Birdman’s latest signee, theoneand only Blueface. “I’m a fan of music in general and I’m a DJ. That’s one of the hottest songs right now. That’s one of the go-to songs. You gotta play that song,” admits Mannie, referring to “Thotiana.” “You can’t be somebody that’s bias to some shit or whatever. I’ve always been that way. Even when I was going through whatever with Cash Money, if it was a cool song I still played it.”

Insofar as Birdman is concerned, Fresh is ready to give credit where credit is due. “You have to give Baby his credit. He is a marketing genius,” says Mannie. “He knows how to find shit that happens that people want to hear. No matter what’s going on with him, Cash Money finds something. You can’t take that away from him.”

For more from the legendary beatmaker, check out the full interview right here.