Young Jeezy

About Young Jeezy

In 2005, suddenly you couldn't walk outside without seeing someone wearing one of Young Jeezy's trademark snowman T's. The scowling snowman seemed to pop up out of nowhere, and suddenly singles like "Soul Survivor" or "And Then What" were playing out of everyone's car windows. Certainly, Young Jeezy broke big in a big way, and his raps detail the intricacies and perils of crack slinging to survive. Jeezy's unique, deep voice makes it easy to listen to him go on about "snow" and "baking soda", even if you have heard it before from other MCs. In another refreshing twist, Young Jeezy will be the first to admit that he's not as clever as other lyricists, but he's got so much energy and such a personal perspective on his subjects that it doesn't matter. The raw production style of Young Jeezy's epic major label debut, Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 helped make the Atlanta native a household name nearly overnight. The 70+ minute disc was a tour of the South's rough trap game. While the album offered up a good dose of bangers, it was the wide scope of Snowman's narrative that really held the interest of fickle rap fans. Young Jeezy was born Jay Jenkins in Columbia, South Carolina, but him and his family ultimately ended up in Atlanta's struggling 4th ward. There, Young Jeezy fell in with the local drug culture. Fortunately, in 2001 he decided to trade in his corner for a mic and release 2001's underground hit Thuggin Under the Influence under the name Lil J. That and another independent record got Young Jeezy noticed by Def Jam Records and set the stage for Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101. With major label pull on his side, Jeezy called in guest rhymes form some of the hottest names in the rap world, including T.I., Akon, Trick Daddy, Young Buck and Lil Scrappy. Still, rather than being overwhelmed, Young Jeezy stands out even in that crowd of mega-stars.