Lil Wayne has undeniably had a hall-of-fame-worthy career as an artist. He also cultivated an extremely popular collective in Young Money, boasting two more legends in Drake and Nicki Minaj. The New Orleans rapper could quite literally not do anything else within Hip-Hop and be more than certified, yet here he is again, introducing the world to a new crop of talent.
Last week, Weezy F Baby showed that he is still in the business of putting people on when he sat down with the new Young Money signees. The six signees included Jay Jones, Allen Cubas, Domiio, Euro, Poppy, and Lucifena. Each artist possesses a unique characteristic that is reflective of Wayne’s origins or his artistry, thus making their being under him make all the sense in the world.
As we have seen throughout Hip-Hop history, having a major co-sign can mean everything. It is ultimately up to the artists to make that seal of approval worthwhile and prove they can provide some return on investment. Thus, it is important to take a look at each artist, what they have already done, and gain an understanding of why they were handpicked by the self-proclaimed best rapper alive to carry on the Young Money legacy.
Learn more about the new YM below.
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Lucifena
Image Credit: YouTube screenshot Lucifena appeals to the side of Lil Wayne that explored rock music in 2010 on Rebirth, and his general disposition for having “high energy.” She hails from Los Angeles and was previously a member of the hardcore band You Only Live Once. Thus, it is no surprise that she favors moshpits, jumping, overall “crazy sh*t” and speaking to the “kids who have sh*t to release,” per her words on Young Money Radio.
Vocally, she takes after Turnstile, Deftones, and Nirvana, which Tunechi co-signed. Lucifena describes her genre as metal and alternative rock, drawing inspiration from the rock band Bring Me The Horizon and her trip to OzFest when she was just 11 years old. From there, she went on to compete on American Idol and performed at the long-running Warped Tour music festival.
Since going solo, she has released a slew of singles over the years, but hasn’t dropped a full-length project since 2019’s Mood Swings. Her most recent single, “Tyrant,” has been removed from all streaming platforms, but was a huge factor in Wayne’s decision to work with her. Her screams so moved him that he inserted both a verse and a guitar solo into the song. Ultimately, the Cash Money legend could only describe her music as “beyond unbelievable” and something that fans have to hear for themselves.
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Euro
Image Credit: YouTube screenshot Euro, hailing from Rhode Island, was described by Lil Wayne as being able to “chop you up from your f**king neck to your motherf**king ankles.” The Dominican-American rapper started his career doing Christian rap at the age of seven before transitioning into secular music. He shouldn’t be a stranger to those who were tapped in during Young Money‘s prime, as he has been officially signed to YM since 2013, appeared on Wayne’s Dedication 5, and had solo tracks on the label’s 2014 compilation album Rise Of An Empire.
He had all of the momentum in the world, but the issues between Weezy and Birdman caused the resources that would’ve gone into him to dissipate. He spoke a lot in the Young Money Radio interview about this phase of his career being a fresh start, and he has been keen on reconnecting with fans. Euro feels he has to battle people’s perceptions of him, and believes an easy fix for that is simply giving them his truth.
With this second wind of sorts, he is focused on pushing himself to be the best artist he can be while also working alongside the crop of new talent that YM has brought in. His last project was September 2024’s Lost Files, a compilation of older records he worked on but never put out. Euro described the process as an over-decade-long journey, especially with a long gap between this project and his 2019 debut effort, Don’t Expect Nothing. This year, he’s dropped two new singles with accompanying videos: “Vendetta” and “Patience.”
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PoppyH
Image Credit: YouTube screenshot PoppyH has a special place in Lil Wayne‘s life for a variety of reasons. The “Eastside Baby” hails from New Orleans, he sports dreadlocks, and the legendary artist views him as his “motherf**king son” because he helped raise him. Poppy eventually followed in Wayne’s footsteps and began to rap, giving him that credit during his appearance on Young Money Radio; upon hearing him, the “I’m Me” artist could only describe his skill level as “f**kin’ dirty.” His voice may be familiar to all of the gamers reading this, as his song “For The Win” with 504icygrl was featured on the NBA 2K25 soundtrack.
Poppy describes himself as an artist who can be vulnerable, but also have fun. He suggests that fans who want to get a feel for his music should check out “Ain’t Sweet,” which also has a Mardi Gras Mix edition available on all streaming platforms. He recently moved back to New Orleans to build more of a foundation, acknowledging that he had an advantage coming up under Wayne and performing on the same stages as him.
His latest single, “Stuffing The Trunk,” came out earlier this year, and his last project was January 2024’s Rollin’ With The Krewe alongside 504icygrl. Poppy’s official streaming releases go back to 2019’s Voodoo Baby, and he also has a few music videos on his YouTube channel. Funny enough, there is also a vlog of his experiences at Lil WeezyAna Fest 2022 on his channel.
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Domiio
Image Credit: YouTube screenshot Lil Wayne described Domiio, nicknamed “Drizzy P,” as a young talent who hasn’t even fully unlocked his potential yet; however, he believes that his through-the-roof confidence will ultimately help him to get there. The Broomall, PA. artist has no limits, and thus he has picked the right place in Young Money to continue developing.
His next project, currently unnamed, is focused on getting him to step out of his comfort zone and do a bit more singing, having previously dabbled in the pop genre. Domiio even told Wayne that he had recently worked on a country song, which is fitting given the recent surge of Black and Brown artists tapping into that sound. Through touring and his previous releases, his biggest lesson has been locking in and continuing to perfect his craft. Wayne showed a bit of how involved a mentor he is to Domiio in the Young Money Radio interview, explaining how certain crowds gravitate toward his melodic music, and how he should consider ending his sets with those records.
His last full-length project was October 2023’s Mental Warfare, a 12-song effort that featured Freeway and Cory Gunz, showing more of his rap side. Singles-wise, he shared “Need U” featuring Big China last February.
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Jay Jones
Image Credit: YouTube screenshot Jay Jones, much like Lil Wayne, brings a legacy with him to Young Money. The New Orleans rapper is the son of J-Dawg, who was a member of the legendary NOLA rap group Black Menace. Jones, per Wayne, marks the first time an artist from Hollygrove has been signed to the imprint.
Jones describes himself as “hardcore, raw, and melodic,” presenting his real-life experiences through the music in a variety of ways. He first introduced the world to his artistry in 2011 with the project Only If You Kool Enough and joined the group 0017th two years later. His work with 0017th put him on Mack Maine’s radar and got him signed to Young Money in 2017.
Jones’ latest mixtape, Almost Forgot Who I Was, came out this past January and was a mostly solo effort outside of “For Real” featuring Punn Da Pusha. Another special aspect of the Hollygrove rapper is that he comes having already built chemistry with a few of the new Young Money signees. In 2018, he worked with Euro on a track called “La Whoadee” and he and Allan Cubas have a joint project on the way titled Flight 504. Jones described the project as a blend of their diverse styles and, fittingly, said it was like “gumbo.”
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Allan Cubas
Image Credit: YouTube screenshot Allan Cubas, much like Lil Wayne, can’t be put into a box. The New Orleans-born artist is of Honduran descent on his father’s side, and lived there shortly after being born until he was seven years old before returning to NOLA. Coincidentally, 504 is both New Orleans’ area code and Honduras’ international code. On his mother’s end, he has roots in Mississippi.
Growing up, Cubas would hear his father, who could barely speak English, playing the guitar. When he stepped outside, he would hear jazz and bounce music, all of which helped shape his sound. Unsurprisingly, Cubas doesn’t just rap; he can easily switch things up and start singing or deliver bars in a whole other language. Much like Lucifena and her metal music, Cubas’ type of artistry is unprecedented in Young Money.
He has also taken it upon himself to push his Honduran culture forward as a second-generation Latino, especially with the acknowledgment that the biggest population of Hondurans in the United States happens to be in New Orleans. His latest release was the May 2023 YouTube-exclusive single “No Pressure,” but he hasn’t released a proper project since his 2016 self-titled mixtape. Cubas also appeared on “Cameras” from Weezy’s Sorry 4 The Wait (Re-Release). Of course, fans can expect Flight 504 with fellow Young Money signee Jay Jones to be out soon.
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