Young Jeezy

Jeezy is an architect of Atlanta trap music, but his fans see him more as a motivational speaker of the streets: when he bellows commands on synthy anthem “Hypnotize”, you don’t want to let him down. Jeezy (born Jay Wayne Jenkins in 1977) was first raised in South Carolina but moved to Georgia as a toddler and fell for the allure of street life as a teenager. He began making music in his 20s, joining Boyz N Da Hood before dropping his solo trap manifesto Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 in 2005. With booming, exultant Southern production (mostly by go-to collaborator Shawty Redd) and a smoky, echoed voice, Jeezy shared grim street tales and infused his songs with inspirational credos. Between his backstory, his music and his brilliantly branded Snowman logo, he earned impenetrable street credibility––and elevated trap bass, 808s and drums beyond the South. He added timely sociopolitical heft to his arsenal with 2008’s The Recession, where he empathised with the financial woes that plagued the U.S. (“The Recession”), celebrated the impending historic election of Barack Obama (“My President”) and turned up with Kanye West on the triumphant “Put On”. After Jeezy had established himself as one of rap’s biggest moguls with real estate, partnerships and record exec positions, 2020’s The Recession 2 showed his personal and professional growth while supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. On its opener, “Oh Lord”, he raps between clips of an electrifying speech by activist Tamika Mallory. “Went to sleep a Black man, woke up a Black king,” he raps. Thankfully, Jeezy motivates himself just as convincingly as he pushes anyone else.