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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Dian Ross" hosted by DJButterrock
Diana Ross (American English: /daɪˈænə ˈrɑːs/; UK: /ˈrɒs/; born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. They remain the best-charting female group in history,[2] with a total of 12 number-one pop singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Following her departure from the Supremes in 1970, Ross embarked on a successful solo career with the release of her eponymous debut solo album. Between 1972 and 1980, Ross recorded four top ten albums with her most successful studio release being the album Diana. In a fifteen-year span, Ross recorded twelve top ten singles with six — "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Touch Me in the Morning", "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)", "Love Hangover", "Upside Down" and "Endless Love" — topping the Billboard Hot 100, making her the female solo act with the most number-one songs in the United States at the time. Ross achieved international success with later songs such as "I'm Coming Out", "Chain Reaction", "If We Hold on Together", and "When You Tell Me That You Love Me".

Ross has also achieved mainstream success and recognition as an actress. Her first role was her Golden Globe Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Billie Holiday in the film Lady Sings the Blues (1972), which made her the first African-American actress to receive an Academy Award nomination for a debut film performance. The film's soundtrack became her only solo album to reach number-one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. She also starred in two other feature films, Mahogany (1975) and The Wiz (1978), and later appeared in the television films Out of Darkness (1994), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and Double Platinum (1999).

Ross was named the "Female Entertainer of the Century" by Billboard in 1976. Since her solo career began in 1970, Ross has sold over 100 million records worldwide.[3] Between 1964 and 1981, Ross sang on eighteen number one US singles. In 2021, Billboard ranked her the 30th greatest charting artist of all time on the Billboard Hot 100.[4][5] Her hits as a Supreme and a solo artist combined put Ross among the top-five artists on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart from 1955 to 2018.[6] She has scored a top 75 U.K. hit single for a record 33 consecutive years (1964–1996). In 1988, Ross was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Supremes, and is one of the rare performers to have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is the recipient of a Special Tony Award in 1977, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and 2023 (becoming the first woman to win the award twice, the latter as a member of the Supremes), and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Luther Vandross" hosted by DJButterrock  Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (/ˈvændroʊs/ VAN-drohss; April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer. Over his career, he achieved eleven consecutive RIAA-certified platinum albums and sold over 25 million records worldwide.[1] Vandross was recognized by Rolling Stone as one of the 200 greatest singers of all time (2023)[2] and was named one of the greatest R&B artists by Billboard.[3] NPR also included him among its 50 Great Voices. He won eight Grammy Awards,[4] including Song of the Year in 2004 for "Dance with My Father".[5] He has been inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[6][7]

Vandross began his music career in the late 1960s performing at the Apollo Theater in New York City as part of a local musical ensemble. The group later appeared on the television show Sesame Street in the early 1970s. He eventually established himself as a sought-after backing vocalist, contributing to albums by Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, Todd Rundgren, Evelyn "Champagne" King, Judy Collins, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Ben E. King, Stevie Wonder, Laura Branigan, Donna Summer, and Roxy Music. In 1980, he served as the lead vocalist for the post-disco group Change on their Gold-certified album The Glow of Love, released on Warner/RFC Records.

After Vandross left the group, he was signed to Epic Records as a solo artist and released his debut solo album, Never Too Much, in 1981. In 1982, he was credited as the primary producer on Aretha Franklin's album Jump to it, which topped the Billboard R&B Albums chart. His hit songs include "Never Too Much", "Here and Now", "Any Love", "Power of Love/Love Power", "I Can Make It Better", and "For You to Love". He also recorded several covers of songs originally performed by other artists, including "A House Is Not a Home", "Since I Lost My Baby", "Superstar", "I (Who Have Nothing)", and "Always and Forever".

Vandross collaborated on several notable duets, including "The Closer I Get to You" with Beyoncé, "Endless Love" with Mariah Carey, and "The Best Things in Life Are Free" with Janet Jackson of which the latter two were hit songs in his career. The tribute album So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross was released shortly after his death. In 2024, Kendrick Lamar and SZA released the chart-topping single "Luther", paying homage to Vandross and sampling his rendition of "If This World Were Mine", a duet with Cheryl Lynn.[8] In January of that same year, he was the subject of the documentary Luther: Never Too Much, which chronicles his life, career, and legacy. In 2026, Vandross was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[9][10]

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Jay-Z" hosted by DJButterrock Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z,[a] is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive.[8] He was named the greatest rapper of all time by Billboard and Vibe in 2023.[9] Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, Jay-Z is known for his complex lyricism that often uses double entendres, wordplay, and braggadocio. His music is built on a rags to riches narrative. He is the wealthiest musical artist in history, worth US$2.8 billion as of 2026.[10][11]

A protégé of fellow New York City-based rapper Jaz-O, Jay-Z began recording music in the late 1980s. He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records in 1994 to release his first two studio albums, Reasonable Doubt (1996) and In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997), both of which were critically acclaimed. His 11 subsequent albums, including The Blueprint (2001), The Black Album (2003), American Gangster (2007), and 4:44 (2017), have each debuted atop the Billboard 200. Jay-Z has a total of 14 number-one albums on the chart, the joint-third most in history. He topped the Billboard Hot 100 on four occasions: once as a lead artist with his 2009 single "Empire State of Mind" (with Alicia Keys), and three times with his guest performances on the singles "Heartbreaker" (1999) by Mariah Carey, "Crazy in Love" (2003) by Beyoncé, and "Umbrella" (2007) by Rihanna.[12]

Jay-Z served as president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007,[13] during which he helped launch the careers of successful artists including Kanye West, Rihanna, and Ne-Yo. He co-founded Rocawear, a clothing retailer, in 1999,[14] and founded the 40/40 Club, a luxury bar chain, in 2003. As both grew into multi-million-dollar businesses, he launched Roc Nation, a multi-disciplinary entertainment agency, in 2008. In 2015, he acquired the technology company Aspiro and led the expansion of its media streaming service Tidal.[15][16][17] Through his business ventures, Jay-Z became the first hip-hop billionaire in 2019.[18][19] After Block, Inc. (then Square, Inc.) acquired a majority stake in Tidal in March 2021, Jay-Z joined its board of directors.[20][21]

One of the best-selling music artists with 140 million records sold, Jay-Z has won 25 Grammy Awards, the eighth-most of all time and the second-most of any hip-hop artist.[22] He is the recipient of the NAACP's President's Award and three Emmy Awards (including two Primetime Emmy Awards), in addition to being nominated for a Tony Award. Ranked by Billboard as the highest-grossing American hip-hop touring act, Jay-Z was the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame[23] and the first solo living rapper inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013.[24]

Early life and education

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of NBA YoungBoy" hosted by DJButterrock  Kentrell DeSean Gaulden (born October 20, 1999), known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again[1][2] or NBA YoungBoy, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Gaulden released eight mixtapes from 2015 to 2017, and garnered a regional following for his work. He signed with Atlantic Records and Artist Partner Group in the latter year to release the singles "Untouchable" and "No Smoke", both of which marked his first entries on the Billboard Hot 100. Released in January of the following year, his single "Outside Today" became his first to peak within the chart's top 40, and received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[3][4] It served as both his mainstream breakthrough and the lead single for his debut studio album, Until Death Call My Name (2018), which peaked at number seven on the US Billboard 200 despite mixed critical reception.

His 2019 single, "Bandit" (with Juice Wrld), became his first song to reach the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.[4] Released the following week, his commercial mixtape, AI YoungBoy 2 (2019), debuted atop the Billboard 200 and received 18 gold certifications by the RIAA for each of its tracks.[5] The release of its follow-up, 38 Baby 2 (2020), and his second studio album, Top (2020), made Gaulden the second hip hop act to peak the chart thrice within a single year.[a][6] His third album, Sincerely, Kentrell (2021), was released during an incarceration, and became the third project—behind Tupac Shakur's Me Against the World (1995) and Lil Wayne's I Am Not a Human Being (2010)—by an imprisoned artist to debut atop the Billboard 200.[7][8][9] His fourth album, The Last Slimeto (2022), peaked at number two on the chart and served as his final release with Atlantic.[10][11] Gaulden then signed with Motown to release his fifth and sixth albums: I Rest My Case[12] and Don't Try This at Home (both 2023),[13] both of which peaked within the top-ten of the Billboard 200 despite trailing critical reception. Gaulden's seventh studio album I Just Got a Lot on My Shoulders (2024), witnessed a steep commercial decline,[14] while his eighth and ninth albums, MASA (2025) and Slime Cry (2026), both peaked within the chart's top ten.[15]

Gaulden has sold over 109 million digital copies in the United States, ranking him among the highest certified artists in the United States. He has garnered 15 billion views on his YouTube channel, also ranking him among the highest-viewed rappers on the site.[16] He is the youngest artist in Billboard history to chart 100 singles on the Billboard Hot 100,[17] while also being the rapper with the most RIAA platinum certified albums from 2015 to 2025,[18] and the most certified rapper in RIAA history with 126 certified titles.[19] Gaulden has 34 albums that have charted on the Billboard 200 chart, the most of any rapper,[15] and has been nominated for three BET Hip Hop Awards and a Grammy Award while being the recipient of one ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Award and one BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Award. He founded the record label Never Broke Again in 2015, which has signed artists including NoCap and Quando Rondo.

Despite his success, Gaulden's career has been marked by a long history of legal issues that began in 2016. He has maintained a largely prolific output notwithstanding his incarcerations.[20] Gaulden has infamously spent several years on house arrest from 2021 to 2024. He was arrested in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2020 alongside sixteen others on various federal charges, including distribution and manufacturing of drugs and possession of stolen firearms.[21] The following year, he was arrested in Los Angeles, California, by federal agents stemming from his 2020 arrest, resulting in an additional federal firearm charge.[22] From March to October 2021, Gaulden was in jail before being released on&nb

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Tears For Fears" hosted by DJButterrock  Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath in 1981 by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the synth-pop bands of the 1980s, and attained international chart success as part of the Second British Invasion.[8]

The band's debut album, The Hurting (1983), reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, and their first three hit singles – "Mad World", "Change", and "Pale Shelter" – all reached the top five in the UK Singles Chart. Their second album, Songs from the Big Chair (1985), reached number one on the US Billboard 200, achieving multi-platinum status in both the US and the UK.[9][10] The album contained two US Billboard Hot 100 number one hits: "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"; both songs reached the top five in the UK, and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" won the Brit Award for Best British Single in 1986.[11] Their third album, The Seeds of Love (1989), entered the UK chart at number one and yielded the transatlantic top five hit "Sowing the Seeds of Love".

After touring The Seeds of Love in 1990, Orzabal and Smith had an acrimonious split. Orzabal retained the Tears for Fears name as a solo project, releasing the albums Elemental (1993) – which produced the international hit "Break It Down Again" – and Raoul and the Kings of Spain (1995). Orzabal and Smith reconciled in 2000 and released an album of new material, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, in 2004. The duo have toured on a semi-regular basis since then. After being in development for almost a decade, the band's seventh album, The Tipping Point, was released in 2022,[12] giving the band their sixth UK top five album and their highest chart peak in thirty years and reaching the Top 10 in numerous other countries, including the US.

In 2021, Orzabal and Smith were honoured with the Ivor Novello Award for 'Outstanding Song Collection' recognising their "era-defining Tears for Fears albums" and "critically acclaimed, innovative hit singles".[13]

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Lil Wayne" hosted by DJButterrock

Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982),[2] known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer and record producer. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all time.[3] Born and raised in New Orleans, he was discovered by hometown rapper Birdman in 1993 and signed with his record label, Cash Money Records, at age eleven.[4][5] He emerged as the label's flagship artist until his departure in 2018.[6]

Carter was first placed in a duo with Cash Money labelmate B.G. in 1994—known collectively as the B.G.'z—and they released the album True Story that year, although Carter (at the time known as Baby D) appeared on only three of its tracks.[7] Carter and B.G. then formed the Southern hip-hop group Hot Boys with labelmates Juvenile and Turk in 1997, and released their debut album, Get It How U Live! that year. The Hot Boys gained mainstream success after the release of their second album Guerrilla Warfare (1999) and their appearance on B.G.'s single, "Bling Bling."[8] The group briefly disbanded after the album due to each member (besides Carter) parting ways with the label, although one further album—Let 'Em Burn (2003)—was released.[9]

Carter's debut studio album, Tha Block Is Hot (1999), was his breakthrough as a solo artist, quickly achieving commercial success. It was followed by Lights Out (2000) and 500 Degreez (2003). Carter is credited with revolutionizing the mixtape scene with his innovative approach in the 2000s.[10][11][12] His fourth and fifth albums, Tha Carter (2004) and Tha Carter II (2005), both debuted within the top five of the Billboard 200 and received critical acclaim. His sixth album, Tha Carter III (2008), yielded the pinnacle of Wayne's career, with first-week sales of over one million units domestically. It won the Best Rap Album at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards and was supported by his first Billboard Hot 100-number one single "Lollipop" (featuring Static Major), and the top-ten singles "A Milli" and "Got Money" (featuring T-Pain).

Carter's seventh studio album, Rebirth (2010), experimented with rap rock and was released to generally negative critical reception. A month after its release, he began serving an 8-month jail sentence for criminal possession of a weapon stemming from an incident in 2007. His eighth album, I Am Not a Human Being (2010), was released during his incarceration, while his ninth album, Tha Carter IV (2011), followed months after his release from prison. Despite mixed reviews, Tha Carter IV sold 964,000 units in its first-week in the U.S.[13] His twelfth studio album, Tha Carter V (2018)—preceded by I Am Not a Human Being II (2013) and Free Weezy Album (2015)—was released following long-term delays and label disputes, and was met with 480,000 in first-week sales. His thirteenth album, Funeral (2020), became his fifth non-consecutive number one album. He released his fourteenth album, Tha Carter VI, in June 2025.[14]

 

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Rick James" hosted by DJButterrock
ames Ambrose Johnson Jr. (February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004), better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer.

Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Rick James began his musical career in his teenage years. He was in various bands before entering the U.S. Naval Reserve to avoid being drafted into the Army. In 1964, James moved to Toronto, Canada, where he formed the rock band The Mynah Birds, who eventually signed a recording deal with Motown Records in 1966. James's career with the group halted after military authorities discovered his whereabouts and eventually convicted him of desertion related charges. He served several months in jail.

After being released, James moved back to Toronto for pull together a new version of the Mynah Birds, with whom he returned to Motown to record. When that lineup folded, he moved to California, where he took over an existing group of Toronto ex-pats, Merryweather, added a new bassist and changed the group's name to Salt and Pepper. After a strong start and some recording for the Atlantic label, the group split and Rick and the group's keyboardist returned to Toronto to form Heaven and Earth with local players. They later merged with a local horn group, Milestone, and continued under a new name, Great White Cane. That group went to Los Angeles, signed to MGM Records' Lion subsidiary. Their ensuing LP, released in 1972, was a minor rhythm and blues masterpiece but disappeared almost immediately.

After forming the locally popular Stone City Band in his hometown of Buffalo in 1977, James found success as a recording artist after signing with Motown's Gordy Records, releasing the album Come Get It! in 1978 which produced the hits "You and I" and "Mary Jane". In 1981, James released his most successful album, Street Songs, which included career-defining hits such as "Give It to Me Baby" and "Super Freak", the latter song becoming his biggest crossover single, mixing elements of funk, disco, rock, and new wave. James was also known for his soulful ballads such as "Fire & Desire" and "Ebony Eyes". He also had a successful career as a songwriter and producer for other artists, including Teena Marie, the Mary Jane Girls, The Temptations, Eddie Murphy, and Smokey Robinson.

James's mainstream success peaked by the release of his album Glow in 1985 and his appearance on the popular TV show, The A-Team. His subsequent album releases failed to sell as well as their predecessors. Rapper MC Hammer sampled "Super Freak" for his breakout 1990 hit, "U Can't Touch This", which won Best R&B Song at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards in 1991. James received his only Grammy for composing the song.[1] By the early 1990s, James's career was hampered by his drug addiction, and he was embroiled in legal issues. In 1993, he was convicted of two separate instances of kidnapping and assaulting two different women while under the influence of crack cocaine, resulting in a three-year sentence at Folsom State Prison. He was released on parole in 1996. His health problems halted his career again after he had a mild stroke during a concert in 1998, and he announced a semi-retirement.

 

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Prince" hosted by DJButterrock

Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), known mononymously as Prince, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, dancer, actor, and filmmaker. Often being credited as one of the greatest musicians of his generation, he pioneered the Minneapolis sound and was influential in the evolution of various other genres.[7]

Prince was raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records at the age of 18, and released his first album, For You, two years later. He achieved critical success with his albums Dirty Mind in 1980, Controversy in 1981, and 1999 in 1982. In 1984, Prince became the first singer to simultaneously have a number-one film, album and single in the United States, with the film Purple Rain, the Purple Rain soundtrack, and the year's best-selling single, "When Doves Cry". The album, recorded with his new backing band the Revolution, spent 24 consecutive weeks atop the United States Billboard 200 chart[8] and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. After disbanding the Revolution, Prince released his first solo double LP in 1987, Sign o' the Times, widely considered his greatest work and one of the greatest albums of all time.[9][10][11]

In 1993, in the midst of a contractual dispute with Warner Bros., Prince changed his stage name to the unpronounceable symbol Logo. Hollow circle above downward arrow crossed with a curlicued horn-shaped symbol and then a short bar, known to fans as the "Love Symbol". Prince was often referred to as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince (TAFKAP), or simply the Artist.[12] After signing a contract with Arista Records in 1999, Prince reverted to his original name in 2000 and continued releasing albums, including the double Grammy Award-winning Musicology in 2004. He released 39 albums during his life, while still having a vast array of unreleased material.[13] On April 21, 2016, at the age of 57, Prince died at his Paisley Park home and recording studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota, after accidentally overdosing on counterfeit hydrocodone/paracetamol pills which were laced with fentanyl.

Prince sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists. His awards include the Grammy President's Merit Award, the American Music Awards for Achievement and of Merit, the Billboard Icon Award, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2016, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024, and twice into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in 2022.

Early life
Prince Rogers Nelson was born at Mount Sinai Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 7, 1958, to jazz singer Mattie Della (née Shaw) and pianist and songwriter John Lewis Nelson.[14][15] All four of Prince's grandparents were from Louisiana.[16] The jazz drummer Louis Hayes was his paternal cousin.[17]

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Louis Farrakhan" hosted by DJButterrock  Louis Farrakhan (born Louis Eugene Walcott, later Louis X; May 11, 1933) is an American religious leader who has been the head of the Nation of Islam (NOI) since 1981, an organization which combines black nationalism and Islamic teachings.[2][3][4] Prior to the NOI, Farrakhan was a calypso singer who used the stage name Calypso Gene from 1950 to 1955 and a violinist from 1939 to 1955. The longest-serving NOI leader, he also served as minister of several mosques in Boston and Harlem in the 1950s under the leadership of Elijah Muhammad. Farrakhan is most prominent for antisemitic statements and racist remarks directed at white people.

After the death of Elijah Muhammad, his son Warith Deen Mohammed reorganized the original NOI into the orthodox Sunni Islamic group American Society of Muslims. Farrakhan began to rebuild the NOI as "Final Call". In 1981, he officially adopted the name "Nation of Islam", reviving the group and establishing its headquarters at Mosque Maryam. In October 1995, Farrakhan organized and led the Million Man March in Washington, D.C. Due to health issues, he reduced his responsibilities with the NOI in 2007.[5] However, Farrakhan has continued to deliver sermons[6] and speak at NOI events.[7] In 2015, he led the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March: Justice or Else.

Farrakhan's antisemitic statements and views have been condemned by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL),[8][7] and other organizations.[9] Farrakhan has also been criticized for being homophobic and sexist.[10][11] He has denied assertions that he is antisemitic, racist, sexist, or anti-gay.[12][13][14][15] Farrakhan was banned from Facebook in 2019 along with other public figures Meta considered to be political or religious extremists,[16][17] and the official Nation of Islam YouTube channel was removed for "hate speech" in 2020.[18]

Early life and education
Farrakhan, who is Black,[19] was born Louis Eugene Walcott on May 11, 1933 in The Bronx, New York City.[1] He is the younger of two sons of Sarah Mae Manning (1900–1988) and Percival Clark, immigrants from the Anglo-Caribbean islands. His mother was born in Saint Kitts, while his father was Jamaican. The couple separated before their second son was born, and Walcott says he never knew his biological father.[20] Walcott was named after Louis Walcott, a man with whom his mother had a relationship after becoming separated from Percival Clark.[1] In a 1996 interview with Henry Louis Gates Jr., Walcott speculated that Percival Clark, "a light-skinned man with straight hair from Jamaica", may have been Jewish.[21][22]

After Walcott's stepfather died in 1936, the Walcott family moved to Boston, where they settled in the largely African-American neighborhood of Roxbury.[20]

Walcott received his first violin at the age of five. By the time he was 12 years old, he had been on tour with the Boston College Orchestra.[20][23] A year later, he participated in national competitions and won them. In 1946, he was one of the first black performers to appear on the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour,[23] where he also won an award. Walcott and his family were active members of the Episcopal St. Cyprian's Church in Roxbury.[20]

 

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Bobby Shmurda" hosted by DJButterrock kquille Jean Pollard (born August 4, 1994),[3] known professionally as Bobby Shmurda, is an American rapper and songwriter. Along with Rowdy Rebel, Shmurda is considered a pioneer of Brooklyn drill music.[4][5] He rose to international fame in 2014 when his single "Hot Nigga" peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100.[6][7] Its success led him to sign with Epic Records to release his debut extended play (EP), Shmurda She Wrote (2014).

In December 2014, New York City Police arrested Shmurda and charged him and several other members of GS9 with conspiracy to murder, weapons possession, and reckless endangerment.[8] In 2016, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in prison, which was reduced to five years after he received credit for the two years he served awaiting trial.[9] After over six years in prison, Shmurda was released from Clinton Correctional Facility in February 2021.[10] His release was celebrated in the hip-hop community.[11]

Early life
Ackquille Jean Pollard was born on August 4, 1994, in Miami, Florida.[2] His mother is Vincentian and his father is Jamaican.[12] He and his mother moved to East Flatbush, Brooklyn, after his father was incarcerated.[13] Pollard had run-ins with the law in Brooklyn, including 15 months spent in detention for probation violation and an arrest on gun charges that were later dropped. According to his 2014 indictment, Pollard was the ringleader of a criminal enterprise called "GS9" that regularly entered into disputes with criminal gangs, was responsible for murders and non-fatal shootings, and engaged in drug trafficking[14] along Kings Highway to East Flatbush.[15]

Career
The first song Pollard remixed was Crime Mob's "Knuck If You Buck",[13] but he received little attention until the 2014 release of his song "Hot Nigga".[1] The song uses the instrumental from Lloyd Banks's 2012 song "Jackpot".[16] The song and its accompanying video went viral shortly after being uploaded to YouTube in the spring of 2014.[13] Shmurda's signature "Shmoney dance", which he performs in the video, became an internet meme and featured in numerous popular Vines from the latter half of 2014;[17] Beyoncé and Jay-Z replicated it during their On the Run Tour[18] and Canadian rapper Drake did so while hosting the 2014 ESPY Awards.[19][20] Several rappers freestyled over its instrumental, including Juicy J,[21] French Montana,[22] Lil' Kim,[23] Gunplay,[24] and T.I.[25] Shmurda signed with Epic Records, which released "Hot Nigga" as his debut single.[26] The song topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart, and peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The video had over 649 million views on YouTube as of July 2020.[27] The song's official remix—featuring guest vocals from Fabolous, Chris Brown, Jadakiss, Rowdy Rebel, Busta Rhymes, and Yo Gotti—was released on September 4, 2014.[17][28] Also in August 2014, a reggae remix of the song was released that featured Junior Reid, Mavado, Popcaan, and Jah X.[29] Shmurda also became known for his song "Bobby Bitch", which peaked at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut EP, Shmurda She Wrote, was released on November 10, 2014.

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