Young Jeezy

Young Jeezy is known for his kindness—he opened his house to the victims of Hurricane Katrina as a temporary shelter to stay. He also arranged for 12 trucks full of food, water, and clothing which he sent to the survivors.

In March 2005, he was arrested for carrying firearm without permit. However, his case was dropped due to lack of evidence.

In 2006, he launched his own clothing line and wanted to name it USDA. When the U.S. Department of Agriculture objected, he named it ‘8732’—the numbers associated with the alphabets USDA on a mobile phone.

Young Jeezy was born as Jay Wayne Jenkins on September 28, 1977, in Columbia, South Carolina. Soon after his birth, his parents, who were not married, separated. His mother took him to her home in Georgia, where she raised him with the help of her mother. He was often juggled between other family members as well.

As a young boy he was drawn to rap music as hip-hop songs were popular in the area he grew up.

He was raised in poverty, which led him to earn money through unlawful means like selling illegal cell phones and dealing in drugs. When he was a teenager, he moved to Atlanta where he continued to deal in drugs.

In 1994, he was sent to Youth Challenge Academy for nine months for possession of narcotics. During this time, he decided to let go of his dark past and rebuild his life.

Young Jeezy was good with words, and had a sense of melody that led him into the music industry. With a friend, he started a music company called Corporate Thugz Entertainment in 1998. But soon he was bored sitting behind the desk, and wanted to step into the limelight as a performer.

He released his first independent album, ‘Thuggin' Under the Influence’ in 2001. In 2003, he released ‘Come Shop wit Me’, independently. It featured new tracks with some songs from the first album.

In 2004, he signed with Bad Boy Records, and joined the group Boyz n da Hood. Their self-titled album was released in June 2005, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 charts.

In 2005, he signed with Def Jam Records, and released his debut single from his debut album, ‘And Then What’. It reached No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100. ‘Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101’ is his debut studio album, which was released on July 26, 2005. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

His second single, ‘Soul Survivor’, from the album ‘Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101’ peaked at No. 4 on Billboard Hot 100 and became the highest-charting single of his career so far. The third single of the album, ‘My Hood’, peaked at No.77 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Young Jeezy’s album ‘Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101’ sold 172,000 copies in the first week and was eventually certified Platinum by RIAA.

‘The Inspiration’ sold 352,000 copies in the first week, and was certified Platinum by RIAA. The album's first single ‘I Luv It’ peaked at No. 14 on Billboard Hot 100, and the second single, ‘Go Getta’ peaked at No. 18 on Billboard Hot 100.

His group U.S.D.A.’s debut album, ‘Cold Summer’ sold 95,000 copies in the first week. His third album, ‘The Recession’ sold 260,000 copies in the first week, and was certified Gold by RIAA. It topped the Billboard 200 as well.

His album ‘Thug Motivation 103’ sold 233,000 copies in the first week, and was certified Gold by RIAA.