Jay Jenkins, a.k.a. Young Jeezy originally planned on having a career behind the scenes of hip-hop. The Atlanta-based MC started his career as the CEO of Corporate Thug Entertainment. He promoted Cash Money releases and distributed mixtapes. Young Jeezy promoted himself to a label boss and an artist when he started releasing albums and his own mixtapes.
Jeezy’s first independent album, Thuggin Under The Influence, was released in 2001 under the name Lil J. He released one more independent album in 2003, Come Shop Wit’ Me, before signing with Bad Boy Records. He released his first album under Bad Boy with his group Boyz N Da Hood in 2005. Singles, “Dem Boyz,” and “Felonies,” helped the album peak at #50 on the Billboard 200. Also in 2005, Young Jeezy released a solo album under Def Jam Records, which was his major label debut as a solo artist. The album, Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101, debuted at #2. Singles include “My Hood,” and “Soul Survivor,” featuring Akon.
Throughout his career, Young Jeezy has worked with many great artists, including -- Gucci Mane on “Icy,” Ludacris on “Grew Up a Screw Up,” Christina Milian, Jay-Z, Bun B, Juelz Santana, and Lil Wayne to name a few.
The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102, was released by Young Jeezy in 2006. The album features T.I., Keyshia Cole, R. Kelley, Blood Raw, and Slick Pulla. Check out the video for the single “I Luv It.”