Young Jeezy

57
Young Jeezy bigraphy, stories - American rapper

Young Jeezy : biography

September 28, 1977 –

Jay Wayne Jenkins (born October 12, 1977), better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He hails from Atlanta, Georgia. He is a member of Southern hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America (USDA) and a former bodyguard for BMF (Black Mafia Family). He began his career in 2001 under an independent label and joined Boyz n da Hood in 2005, the same year his solo major label debut Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 was released. Its lead single "Soul Survivor", which featured Akon, became a top-ten hit in the US. To date, he has received four Grammy nominations.

The Inspiration followed in 2006, and The Recession followed in 2008; both albums yielded chart-topping singles. Jeezy has also appeared on numerous other rap and R&B singles such as "Say I" by Christina Milian, "I’m So Paid" by Akon, "Hard" by Rihanna, and "Love in This Club" by Usher, the latter being a number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2008.

Discography

Studio albums
  • 2005: Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101
  • 2006: The Inspiration
  • 2008: The Recession
  • 2011: Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition

Personal life

He is a personal friend of fellow Atlanta rapper Yung Joc. After Hurricane Katrina, Jeezy opened his house to the victims in an effort to help them have a place to stay. In October 2005, the mother of his 9-year-old son used this as the basis to petition for child support. Early in the year, she had claimed that she had little income, no assets, and did not even have a house.

On March 11, 2005, Jeezy was arrested after an alleged shooting involving some of his friends in Miami Beach, Florida. He was charged with two counts of carrying a concealed firearm without a permit; however, prosecutors dropped his charges two months later over lack of evidence. In the early hours of September 29, 2007, Jeezy destroyed his Lamborghini when it was hit by a taxi crossing Peachtree Street, outside of Justin’s, Sean Combs’s restaurant in Atlanta. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported his claim that this gave him "a new appreciation for life".. SOHH. Retrieved October 10, 2007. In Atlanta on June 18, 2008, police arrested him for DUI.

On April 16, 2013, Brian Smith filed a copyright infringement complaint seeking an injunction, damages, and attorney fees against Jay W. Jenkins d/b/a Young Jeezy Music and others in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, concerning the work “Jizzle” which was released in July 2010.

Early life

Jay Wayne Jenkins was born in Columbia, South Carolina and relocated to Atlanta, Georgia when he was a toddler. Because his parents were separated, custody of him transferred between family members frequently. In an interview with XXL magazine, he described his childhood as "empty". In 1994, he spent nine months in YCA (Youth Challenge Academy), a boot camp in Fort Stewart, Georgia, for narcotics possession.

Jeezy released his first independent album, Thuggin’ Under the Influence (T.U.I.), in 2001 under the name Lil J. It featured artists such as Freddy J.,Kinky B, Fidank, and Lil Jon, who also produced some of the tracks. In 2003, Jeezy released (also independently) Come Shop wit Me, a two CD set featuring completely new tracks with some songs from T.U.I. Jeezy signed with Bad Boy Records in 2004 and joined the group Boyz n da Hood, whose self-titled album was released in June 2005 and peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 albums charts.

Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 (2005)

In May 2004, Jazze Pha’s manager Henry ‘Noonie’ Lee showed Young Jeezy’s demo to his friend Shakir Stewart, Vice President Artist and Repertoire (VP A&R) at Def Jam. Stewart "fell in love with it [the demo] the first time [he] heard it" and took it to L.A. Reid. Reid recognised the talent and gave Stewart the green light to sign him. As the "hottest thing on the street" at the time, various labels – including Warner and Interscope – were after his signature. However, Young Jeezy decided he wanted to be in business with Stewart and Reid. As a result, signed with Def Jam Records.