Terius Gray, better known by his stage name Juvenile, (born March
26, 1975) is an American rapper, He is also a former member of
hip-hop group the Hot Boys . At the age of 19, he began recording
raps, releasing his debut album Being Myself in 1995. The album
gave name to the southern rap style known as "bounce".
The album was followed by Solja Rags in 1997; its underground popularity
led to the major-label release of 400 Degreez in 1998. After
releasing Tha G-Code in 1999 and Project English in 2001, Juvenile
left Cash Money Records. On an interview with DJ Kay Slay, Juvenile
stated that Birdman "false claimed his hood", leading
to him departing from the record label.
In 2003, he returned to Cash Money to record Juve the Great, spawning
the number-one hit "Slow Motion". Following this album
he again left Cash Money, and in 2006 he was signed to Atlantic Records.
He released Reality Check under that label. He released his eighth
studio album, titled Cocky & Confident, on December 1, 2009.
He released his ninth studio album, titled Beast Mode, on July 6,
2010.
Juvenile first began recording his raps in the early 1990s. One
of his early recordings, "Bounce For The Juvenile", was
featured on DJ Jimi's 1991 release, "It's Jimi". The song "Bounce
for the Juvenile" was a minor local hit and gave the name "bounce" to
a new rap style emerging out of New Orleans. In 1995 he signed with
Warlock Records and released his debut album, Being Myself. The album
did not gain much national attention and did not chart, but did fairly
well on a local level.
[edit] 1997: Soulja Rags
After the regional success of his debut Juvenile signed to the larger
Cash Money Records. In 1997 Solja Rags, Juvenile's debut album with
Cash Money Records, was released. It became popular among local rap
audiences, and also saw some national success as it charted on the
Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[1] It was the first time
he worked with Cash Money in-house producer Mannie Fresh, who would
go on to produce all of Juvenile's albums on Cash Money in their
entirety except Juve the Great. Also in 1997 Juvenile joined the
group the Hot Boys with fellow Cash Money rappers B.G., Turk, and
Lil Wayne. They released their debut album as a group, titled Get
It How U Live!
[edit] 1998: 400 Degreez
Juvenile's next album, titled 400 Degreez was released in 1998.
It was his breakout to the national rap scene. The Cash Money label
now had joint distribution by Universal Records, which gave the music
much more national promotion. This along with much more critically
praised music made Juvenile a mainstream star. The album's first
single "Ha" and later "Back That Azz Up", both
became very successful songs charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and
the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[5] Powered by these two singles
400 Degreez was eventually certified 4X platinum by the RIAA. It
is his best selling album to date. However, there came a dispute
over who owned the rights to the title of "Back That Azz Up",
as another New Orleans performer DJ Jubilee claimed that Juvenile's
song sounded very similar to a song of his. In January 2005, the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans
denied the case.[6]
[edit] 1999-02: Tha G-Code & Project English
In 1999, capitalizing off Juvenile's popularity off 400 Degreez,
a remixed version of Being Myself and reissue of Solja Rags were
released.[1] The second Hot Boys group album, Guerrilla Warfare also
came out and was successful, being certified Platinum. Over the next
few years Juvenile released two more solo albums for Cash Money Tha
G-Code in 1999 and Project English in 2001. These albums each were
fairly successful as they both reached the top 10 of the Billboard
Hot 200, but they did not match the success of 400 Degreez. Juvenile
left Cash Money Records in 2002 to form his label, UTP Records.[1]
[edit] 2003-04: Juve the Great & UTP
After a meeting between Juvenile's manager Aubrey Francis and Cash
Money's Baby, a deal was worked out and Juvenile returned to Cash
Money in 2003 to release Juve the Great. It contained the number-one
hit "Slow Motion" featuring Soulja Slim, which topped the
Billboard Hot 100 chart on the week of 7 August 2004.[7] being the
first number-one hit for both Juvenile and Slim,[5] who died in November
2003.[8] The third and to date last Hot Boys album, titled Let 'Em
Burn also came out on Cash Money in 2003.
Also In 2004, Juvenile and his UTP crew went on to create the hit
song "Nolia Clap" produced by Donald XL Robertson, and
Juvenile was able to use this as leverage in getting a new deal for
himself and UTP at Atlantic Records.[1] In June of that year, he
performed his song "Booty Language" from the soundtrack
to the film Hustle and Flow at a party in West Hollywood, California.[9]
However, Juvenile's Slidell, Louisiana home was damaged but not destroyed
in Hurricane Katrina near the end of the summer.[1] In the aftermath
of the hurricane, he worked with fellow New Orleans rapper Master
P and other hip hop artists to raise funds and supplies for the victims
of the hurricane.[10] Thus, he moved to Atlanta to live until the
spring of 2006, when he moved back to New Orleans.[11]
[edit] 2005-06: Reality Check
Reality Check, Juvenile's 2006 album, debuted at number one on the
Billboard 200 chart, being his first number-one album.[12] Production
began in May 2005, most of it being done at a Holiday Inn hotel room
in New Orleans.[13] Its first single was "Animal", followed
by "Rodeo", "Get Ya Hustle On" produced by Donald
XL Robertson, "What's Happenin'" Produced by Terrence "Sinista" Freeman,
and "Way I Be Leanin'" featuring Mike Jones, Paul Wall,
Skip, and Wacko.[5] A portion of the album was recorded with engineer,
Stewart Cararas at his studio Paradigm Park Studios in New Orleans.
Within one month, the studio suffered the wrath off Hurricane Katrina.
Stewart now lives and operates in Los Angeles. On signing to Atlantic,
Juvenile criticized his former label Cash Money for not giving him
enough creative freedoms as well as Federal Emergency Management
Agency over his perceptions over their handling of Hurricane Katrina.
Shaheem Reid noted "Get Ya Hustle On" as a criticism of
the George W. Bush administration.[14]
[edit] 2009-2010: Cocky & Confident & Beast Mode
In a 2009 interview with Allhiphop.com writer Han O'Connor, Juvenile
stated that his album Cocky & Confident would take a totally
different direction from his last project, which was made when he
was still "mourning Katrina." He also revealed that he
decided to work only with fresh, young producers on the album and
discussed his respect for younger artists like Soulja Boy.[15]
Cocky & Confident was released in December 2009. It peaked at
#49 on the Billboard 200. It was Juvenile's lowest charting album
since 1997. It featured one charting single, "Gotta Get It",
which peaked at #53 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.
Following this album's release Juvenile began work on his next album,
Beast Mode. This album was released in July 2010. Its first single
is titled "Drop That Thang"
[edit] 2011-present: Untitled album
Juvenile has just finished shooting a feature length film starring
Christian Slater and Anthony Anderson called Power of Few. In 2011,
Juvenile will perform at the Gathering of the Juggalos.[16] Juvenile
is also currently working on his new album which will be distributed
by Rap-A-Lot Records. It is also rumored that his first single will
feature The Hot Boys.
[edit] Personal life
Juvenile had a daughter, Jelani, with Joy Deleston. On 29 February
2008, Juvenile's 4-year-old daughter Jelani was shot and killed in
her home, along with mother Deleston and older half sister. It was
reported that Deleston's oldest child, 17-year-old son Anthony Tyrone
Terrell Jr., returned to the home after police arrived and implicated
himself in the murder of his mother and siblings. Terrell was charged
with three counts of murder and three counts of aggravated assault.
Due to his age, he cannot be held to the death penalty in Georgia,
and has since been held in the DeKalb County jail. Though Juvenile
received some criticism for not attending the funeral for his daughter
and her mother, several statements were released that the rapper
was "shocked and devastated" by the event, and also "was
extremely saddened to hear the reports. As a private matter he has
no further comment."[17] The rapper stated that he made the
decision to not appear at the funeral to prevent subsequent media
attention, and was concerned that it would divert attention away
from the ceremony.[18][19]
[edit] Legal issues
In the summer of 2002, he was arrested for assaulting his barber
over charges that the barber was bootlegging his music.[20]
He was arrested January 2003 in New Orleans on drug charges.[21]
The next month, he was sentenced to 75 hours of community service
for a fight outside a nightclub in Miami, Florida from 2001.[22]
Juvenile was involved in a legal dispute regarding failure to pay
child support for his daughter Jelani with Joy Deleston, a deputy
sheriff in Gwinnett County, Georgia. A paternity lawsuit was issued
by Deleston in 2004, resulting in a DNA test and both parties agreeing
that Juvenile was the father of the child. Attorney Randy Kessler
represented Juvenile in the case, and stated that the case was resolved
peacefully by consent order in 2006.[23]
On February 25, 2010, Juvenile was arrested in Arabi, Louisiana.
While Juvenile was recording music at a house there, a neighbor called
police to report smelling marijuana smoke. He was cited on a misdemeanor
charge of marijuana possession and later released on bond.[24] For
that charge, he pled guilty in August 2010 and received a suspended
three-month jail sentence and six months of probation and paid a
$250 fine and court costs.[25]
On February 26, 2011, he was arrested in Sterlington, Louisiana
for simple possession and speeding. He asked the officer if he recognized
him and the officer replied, "If you were George Strait, I would
have known you." He is due to appear in court in Ouachita Parish
in April.[25]
[edit] Discography
Main article: Juvenile discography
Studio albums
1997: Solja Rags
1998: 400 Degreez
1999: Tha G-Code
2001: Project English
2003: Juve the Great
2006: Reality Check
2009: Cocky & Confident
2010: Beast Mode
2011: 800 Degreez
Independent albums
1995: Being Myself
Collaboration albums
1997: Get It How U Live! (with Hot Boys)
1999: Guerrilla Warfare (with Hot Boys)
2003: Gotta Get It (with JT the Bigga Figga)
2003: Let 'Em Burn (with Hot Boys)
TBA: Hot Boys reunion album (with Hot Boys)
[edit] Filmography
Baller Blockin' (2000)
Juvenile: Uncovered (2001)
UTP Live In St. Louis (2002)
Hood Angels (2003)
Juvenile: Street Heat (2005)
New Orleans Exposed (2005)
Baller Blockin 2 (2011)
Treme (2011)