Mannie Fresh

• Genre: Producers Corner
• Hometown: New Orleans
• Mannie Fresh Website

About

The musical maestro behind Cash Money Records' tremendous success, Mannie Fresh is revered for his signature production style that has made superstars out of Juvenile and Baby the Birdman among others. One of New Orleans' original hip-hop DJs, Fresh has been living up to his name since the mid-'80s, when he was spinning at parties and clubs around the Big Easy. Hooking up with Cash Money, he soon became the in-house producer for every artist on the label, focusing on teenage rapper B.G., alligator-wrestler-turned-emcee Juvenile and the Hot Boys supergroup, plus comprising one-half of the Big Tymers. In the late-'90s, Mannie's syncopated, bottom-heavy beats had spread from the Dirty South to the mainstream on the strength of better distribution through Universal and a string of infectious, chart-topping hits such as "Ha," "Back That Azz Up," "Bling Bling," "We On Fire" and "Project Chick." Though several of Cash Money's marquee acts have since left the label, Mannie remains, continuing to craft hits for the team. In late 2004, he released his highly anticipated solo debut The Mind Of Mannie Fresh.

- Brolin Winning