The interlocking “YM” logo was synonymous with Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment during the label’s prime in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
The classic red and black logo infiltrated pop culture, and NBA star J.R. Smith even got it tattooed on his neck. However, Weezy was allegedly forced to change the vintage Young Money logo.
During Wednesday’s (Sept. 16) episode of The Joint Venture, Wayne claimed that the New York Yankees sent him a cease-and-desist letter, threatening him to retire the logo due to similarities to the famed Yankees “NY” insignia.
The New Orleans icon and his cohost, Craig Carton, reflected on Wayne having the vintage Young Money logo emblazoned on the elevator doors — which were a gift — of his first Miami condo.
“Before the Yankees sued me, I had a YM and it looked too much like the Yankees. They just sent me a cease-and-desist,” Wayne said.
The “A Milli” rapper said he respected the move and was just glad to receive a letter from the Yankees, because that meant his label was doing something right. “I stopped using the logo and I just changed my logo. I respected it. They’re legends,” he noted. “I felt more cooler getting a letter from the Yankees.”
Billboard has reached out to the Yankees for comment.
The Yankees founded an early version of its interlocking NY logo in 1909, about a century before Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment rose to prominence, when Weezy steered a talented roster led by Drake, Nicki Minaj, Tyga, Jae Millz, Gudda Gudda and more.
Young Money has released three compilation albums, including 2009’s We Are Young Money, Rich Gang with Cash Money Records in 2013 and 2014’s Rise of an Empire. All of the projects peaked inside the Billboard 200’s top 10.
Watch the full episode below. Wayne talking about the early Young Money days takes place around the six-minute mark.
