Green’s Dictionary of Slang

to advance either money or any other commodity (esp. drugs) as a loan or a sample of goods on offer; when buying drugs the seller may ask for the money to be ‘fronted’ so he in turn, can make a bulk purchase from his superior in the sales chain.

1961		Rigney & Smith Real Bohemia xx: The addict makes payment in advance for the drugs (‘fronts the necessary’).
1971		E.E. Landy Underground Dict. (1972).
1977		E. Bunker Animal Factory 187: Are you gonna have any bread to invest or do you want it fronted?
1987		(con. 1970s) J. Pistone Donnie Brasco (2006) 290: He said that he could do business if our source would ‘front’ 200 pounds and wait for payment for a week.
1989		(con. 1982–6) T. Williams Cocaine Kids (1990) 34: Suppliers may say they give cocaine ‘on credit’ or as a ‘loan’ to distributors; at all levels, it is called ‘fronting’. Each week, Max is fronted three to five kilos.
1999		N. Cohn Yes We Have No 66: He wouldn’t front her the skin off his arse.
2004		C. Hiaasen Skinny Dip 153: It was Red’s fault for not fronting him some cash.
2010		(con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 153: After convincing Nancy to front him one thousand dollars to cover his gambling nut, Louis spent the rest of his day [etc.].
2010		Codella and Bennett Alphaville (2011) 119: A pair of upper tier main dealers [...] are stepping on already cut dope he fronts to them.
2012		M. McBride Frank Sinatra in a Blender [ebook] I used to front him money for this thing he had goin’ on.
2019		N. Walker Cherry 249: Manny owed Cookie $600 for the dope Cookie’d fronted him.