When Juvenile dropped 400 Degreez on November 3, 1998, Cash Money was a scrappy, insular New Orleans record label. Brothers Bryan “Birdman” and Ronald “Slim” Williams ran the business end, with Mannie Fresh on the beats. 400 Degreez was the first and only Cash Money album to go platinum (4X platinum, to be exact), and cemented a $30 million buyout deal with Universal just two months later.
On Thursday, Nov. 23, Juvenile will perform the hit record in full, an extra-rare experience sure to provide enough boosted bass and brown notes to help your Thanksgiving bird go down easy. The event will be hosted by local DJs 5th Ward Weebie, Rude Jude, Slab 1 and Raj Smoove, and promises special surprise guests.
After the Universal deal, things started moving very fast for Cash Money. Lil Wayne soon became Cash Money’s flagship artist, and Juvenile fell into relative obscurity at a national level. He remained a local legend, though, and 20 years later, he still carries more weight around here than just about anyone. 400 Degreez, which features tracks like timeless street anthem “Ha” and immortal club banger “Back That Azz Up,” still holds up as Juvenile’s best body of work, and one of the greatest New Orleans rap records of all time, so Thursday’s show is a can’t-miss event. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $20.