Birdman closed accounts before paying $1 million debt: court

A Miami-Dade circuit judge ruled that rap mogul Bryan “Birdman” Williams must pay a former employee roughly $1 million, according to court documents.

There’s just one problem: court records show the Cash Money Records CEO closed seven bank accounts two days after the judge’s final ruling.

Nicolas Jose Penzo sued Williams in April 2018 for unpaid wages, the complaint alleges. Penzo, who Williams hired as a property manager, worked for the record executive from 2015 to 2017.

In August, a judge ruled that Williams must pay Penzo $1,069,876 plus interest. After more than a month without payment, records show Penzo subpoenaed CitiBank to seize the Miami native’s accounts.

Birdman once bragged he was “richer than the richest.” But new documents, filed Wednesday, paint a different picture of Williams’ financial situation.

“CITIBANK N.A. has no tangible or intangible personal property of the defendant in its possession or control,” the document reads.

While closing accounts might be a new wrinkle, the essence of these allegations are not new. Birdman has a history of stiffing his business associates. Just ask Lil Wayne or J. Prince.

With a significant portion of his money going to his legal defense, it makes sense that Birdman might have some cash flow issues. That, however, doesn’t bode well for Penzo.

C. Isaiah Smalls II is a reporter covering breaking and trending news for the Miami Herald. Previously, he worked for ESPN’s The Undefeated as part of their inaugural class of Rhoden Fellows. He is a graduate of both Columbia University and Morehouse College.