Jadakiss | |
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 Jadakiss in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Montega Jada , Kiss Eastwood[1] |
| Born | Jason Terrance Phillips (1975-05-27)May 27, 1975 (age 50) |
| Genres | East Coast hip-hop |
| Occupations |
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| Works | Jadakiss discography |
| Years active | 1992–present |
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| Member of | |
| Website | www |
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Jason Terrance Phillips[2] (born May 27, 1975),[3] better known by his stage nameJadakiss (/ˈdʒeɪdəkɪs/,JAY-də-kiss), is an American rapper who began his career in the 1990s and formed the hip hop triothe Lox alongsideStyles P andSheek Louch in 1994. The group signed withPuff Daddy'sBad Boy Records, an imprint ofArista Records to release their debut studio album,Money, Power & Respect (1998); their second album,We Are the Streets (2000) was released byRuff Ryders Entertainment, an imprint ofInterscope Records. Both peaked within the top five of theBillboard 200 and yielded critical praise; their two subsequent albums,Filthy America... It's Beautiful (2016) andLiving Off Xperience (2020) were both released byJay-Z'sRoc Nation and met with continued praise.
After the Lox's second album, the trio each began pursuing solo careers, and Jadakiss signed with Ruff Ryders as a solo act to release his first two solo albums,Kiss Tha Game Goodbye (2001) andKiss of Death (2004). Both met with positive critical reception, the latter debuted atop theBillboard 200 and spawned his highest-charting single, "Why?" (featuringAnthony Hamilton). He then signed withDef Jam Recordings to release his third and fourth albumsThe Last Kiss (2009) andTop 5 Dead or Alive (2015), which peaked at numbers three and four on the chart, respectively. He has since released the collaborative albumFriday on Elm Street (2017) with hometown rapperFabolous, and his fifth solo album,Ignatius (2020) both to critical acclaim.
Jason Terrance Phillips was born on May 27, 1975, inYonkers,New York, and had an interest in hip hop from an early age. At age 12, he began hustling after his parents asked him to earn his own money. He beganfreestyle rapping for money after watching other people do it on the street corner. While freestyling, he eventually met longtime friendsSheek Louch andStyles P. The three would eventually go on to form the hip-hop trioThe Lox.
Phillips quickly developed a small underground fanbase and at the age of 12, entered himself into a freestyle competition in Florida where he attracted the attention of the owners ofRuff Ryders. Along with Styles and Louch, he formed a group known as The Warlox, and the trio began rapping together. They eventually metMary J. Blige, who, impressed with their lyrics, handed their demo toPuff Daddy, who signed the group to his labelBad Boy.[4] Phillips initially used the name J. Ski; "Jadakiss" originated as a mispronunciation orspoonerism of his name.[5]
Upon signing with Bad Boy, Puff Daddy shortened the group's name from The Warloxs to simply The Lox. They made their first appearance onMain Source's 1994 LPFuck What You Think on the track "Set it Off".[4] They immediately began writing and performing on hit songs with fellow Bad Boy artists, including Puff Daddy's "It's All About the Benjamins" and "I Got the Power",Mase's "24 Hrs. to Live",Mariah Carey's "Honey",Mary J. Blige's "Can't Get You Off My Mind" andThe Notorious B.I.G.'s "Last Day". The group developed a close relationship with B.I.G., during which time Jadakiss especially was taken under his wing. The Lox's first hit song was a tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. in the wake of his 1997 death, titled "We'll Always Love Big Poppa". The song was chosen as theB-side toPuff Daddy's smash hit B.I.G. tribute song "I'll Be Missing You", and received widespread commercial success, achievingmulti-platinum status from theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The success and reception of the song opened the door for them to write more of their own songs, and in 1998, the Lox released their debut studio album,Money, Power & Respect. The album was both a commercial and critical success, peaking at number 3 on theBillboard 200[6] and number 1 on the USTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[7] chart, and went on to achieve platinum status. Though the record was successful, The Lox grew unhappy withBad Boy and Puff Daddy's glossy, radio friendly production, feeling it conflicted with their grimier street aesthetic. Following the release of their debut album, the group left the label to sign withRuff Ryders.[8] They released their second album,We Are The Streets, in 2000, through Ruff Ryders. The album was once again a success, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.[6][7] It featured production fromSwizz Beatz andTimbaland, and spawned one single, "Ryde or Die, Bitch", featuring fellow Ruff Ryders artistEve.
Jadakiss began embarking on a solo career in 2001 and his debut album,Kiss Tha Game Goodbye, was released in August 2001 on the Ruff Ryders/Interscope label. The album featured popular guests and producers such asDJ Premier,The Alchemist,DMX, Eve,Snoop Dogg,Nas andSwizz Beatz and was commercially successful, going on to be certifiedgold by the RIAA and selling over 200,000 copies during its first week of release. Despite commercial success, the album received negative reception from critics who criticised the album for being repetitive and uninspired. Jadakiss has acknowledged the criticism as valid, saying the record was done less out of inspiration but rather out of contractual obligations to Bad Boy.[4] The album produced three singles, "We Gonna Make It" featuringStyles P, "Knock Yourself Out" and "Put Ya Hands Up". Jadakiss followed this album withKiss of Death, released in June 2004. It features guest appearances from Snoop Dogg,Eminem, The Lox,Kanye West,Pharrell Williams,Nate Dogg,DJ Quik and more. His song"Why?", featuringAnthony Hamilton and produced byHavoc ofMobb Deep, became one of the year's biggest hits, spawning a remix featuring Styles P,Common andNas. "Why?" remains Jadakiss' biggest hit, peaking at #11 on theBillboard Hot 100. The song also garnered controversy for a line in which Jadakiss claims that he believesGeorge W. Bush planned the9/11 terrorist attacks. Another single from the record, "U Make Me Wanna", featuringMariah Carey peaked at number 21 on theBillboard Hot 100. The album was both a commercial and critical success, receiving better reviews than his previous album and debuted at number 1 on both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts. In late 2007, Jadakiss signed to Jay-Z'sRoc-A-Fella Records, a move Jay had been trying to arrange for a long time.[9][10] The move came on the heels of increased D-Block/Roc-a-Fella collaborations; in 2006, Jadakiss and former rivalBeanie Sigel collaborated onDJ Khaled's albumListennn... the Album, and in 2007, onFreeway's albumFree At Last. Styles P appeared on a radio freestyle with Freeway andSigel, and also appeared briefly in the video for Jay-Z'sAmerican Gangster single "Roc Boys", in which he throws up the famous Roc-A-Fella sign, "the Diamond".
In 2004, Jadakiss andFat Joe were featured on a song byJa Rule titled "New York". In this song, Ja Rule accuses50 Cent of being a snitch, and also takes shots atG-Unit. In turn, 50 Cent released a song titled "Piggy Bank" in which he disses Fat Joe and Jadakiss among others for performing on the song. This caused Jadakiss to release numerous 50 Cent diss tracks, including "Checkmate", "Problem Child", "Shots Fired" and "I'm Sorry Ms. Jackson". 50 Cent along with his G-Unit crew responded with songs such as "I Run New York", "Window Shopper", and "Death Wish" byLloyd Banks. Jadakiss challenged 50 Cent to an onstage battle in Madison Square Garden for 1 million dollars, but 50 Cent declined. The feud was later resolved, with Jadakiss and G-Unit performing together at 50 Cent's ThisIs50 Festival on October 3, 2009.[11]
In 2004,Bill O'Reilly called Jadakiss a "smear merchant" due to lyrics in his hit song"Why?", in which Jadakiss lyrically impliedGeorge W. Bush coordinated theSeptember 11 attacks, with the line "Why doniggas push pounds ofpowder? Why didBush knock down the towers?"[12] Jadakiss said the line was a metaphor for Bush administration not doing enough to stop the attacks.[12] In the music video for "Why?", a man holds up a picket sign reading "Buck Fush" (aspoonerism of "FuckBush"). O'Reilly took the position that the President should be allowed to sue Jadakiss forslander. The track was eventually banned on some radio stations or played with the lyrics in question censored.[13][12][14]
In 2005, Jadakiss released the50 Cent diss track "Checkmate" under Ruff Ryders and Interscope as a promotional single on March 9, 2005. Despite releasing a single in 2005, Jadakiss focused on appearing on other artists' records. He contributed on records forMariah Carey,Styles P,David Banner and also featured onCuban Link's albumChain Reaction, appearing on the track "Talk About It".[15]
In 2009, Jadakiss released his much-delayed and anticipated third studio album,The Last Kiss. The first single, "By My Side" featuringNe-Yo was released in October 2008. Two more singles, "Can't Stop Me" and "Death Wish" featuring Lil Wayne, were released in 2009. One more single, "Who's Real", featuringSwizz Beatz andOJ Da Juiceman released later that year. In 2010, Jadakiss left Roc-A-Fella records.[16] In 2011, he was featured on two DJ Khaled tracks, one of them titled "It Ain't Over Til It's Over", featuringMary J. Blige andFabolous, and the remix of "Welcome to My Hood", also featuringLudacris,Busta Rhymes,Twista,Mavado,Birdman,Ace Hood,Fat Joe,Game,Bun B andWaka Flocka Flame. On April 26, 2012, Jadakiss released his mixtapeConsignment, hosted byDJ Drama.[17]
On June 4, 2013, Jadakiss released the first single from his by then upcoming fourth studio album,Top 5 Dead or Alive titled "Big Boy Dialogue", featuring vocals fromThe-Dream.[18] The album was scheduled to be released during September or October 2013,[19] but after much delay, the album was finally released on November 20, 2015.[20] It features guest appearances fromAkon,Future,Jeezy, Lil Wayne, Ne-Yo,Nas,Nipsey Hussle, Styles P, Puff Daddy, Sheek Louch, Swizz Beatz,Wiz Khalifa andYoung Buck, and was supported by 2 singles, "Jason" featuring Swizz Beatz, and Ain't Nothin' New featuring Ne-Yo and Nipsey Hussle. The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200, and received positive reviews from critics.[21][22]
In 2016, The Lox released their first album in 16 years, title "Filthy America…It's Beautiful". The album featured guest appearances fromFetty Wap,Mobb Deep andGucci Mane, and peaked at number 42 on the Billboard 200.[23][24]
On February 29, 2016,Fabolous posted a picture onInstagram with Jadakiss with the caption, "Freddy vs. Jason coming soon", hinting at the release of a joint project with Jadakiss, titledFreddy vs. Jason.[25] On April 2, 2016, Fabolous and Jadakiss released a freestyle of Future's "Wicked" fromPurple Reign that was scheduled appear onFreddy vs. Jason, but did not make the final cut of the album. They also revealed that it would not be a mixtape, but instead a full album.[26] On October 31, 2017, the album's first and only single, "Stand Up" featuringFuture was released.[27] On November 21, 2017, it was announced that the album title was changed toFriday on Elm Street. The album was released on November 24, 2017, and features guest appearances from Future, Jeezy, Styles P,French Montana andYo Gotti.
On March 6, 2020, Jadakiss's fifth studio albumIgnatius was released. On June 29 of the same year, Jadakiss defeated Fabolous in a battle onTimbaland andSwizz Beatz'Verzuz held virtually because of theCOVID-19 pandemic. The following year, Jadakiss returned for another Verzuz battle, this time alongside the Lox againstThe Diplomats (DipSet) live with an audience at theHulu Theater atMadison Square Garden. The Lox were widely regarded as winning decisively, with decisive moments including Jadakiss calling out the Diplomats for using full songs including their own vocals instead ofTV tracks and then performing his freestyle over The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Who Shot Ya?", originally released on his 2010 mixtapeThe Champ Is Here, Pt. 3, and answeringCam'ron's remark before performing "Welcome to New York City" that the Lox did not have a New York record that could not beat it with his verse on "New York" (Jadakiss also performed the verse when Fat Joe – who was in the audience for the Lox-Diplomats Verzuz – and Ja Rule faced each other in the subsequent Verzuz at the same venue).
Following their victory, streams of Lox music increased by 215%, including Jadakiss' "Who Shot Ya?" freestyle (both studio and live versions) being added to the iTunes Store and Apple Music 11 years after its initial release.[28] Jadakiss was also dubbed "Mr.Verzuz" after becoming the first artist to win two battles and was able to restructure his Def Jam contract.[29][30] Just over a year after the battle while they were performing atLL Cool J's Rock The Bells festival atForest Hills Stadium in Queens, Jadakiss presented Styles P and Sheek Louch with Lox championship rings and unveiled his.[31]
Along with longtime friend and business associate, Jay Jackson and Jadakiss launched an online multimedia creative collective called SoRaspy[32] that also serves as an umbrella company for his business endeavors which include an online publication, record label, apparel, and a YouTube channel.[33]
Reinvesting in their community, in the summer of 2014, Jadakiss andStyles P opened a juice bar in Yonkers, New York, called Juices For Life.[34] Together, they have gone on to open two more branches inThe Bronx and one inBrooklyn.[35]
In October 2022, Jadakiss launched a family-owned coffee company called Kiss Café with his father and son.[36]
On July 5, 2004, Jadakiss was arrested inNorth Carolina on marijuana and illicit gun possession charges.[37][38] Several months later, he reached a plea agreement on misdemeanor charges and was ordered to pay a $900 fine.[38][39]
On October 7, 2006, Jadakiss was once again arrested in his hometown of Yonkers, New York on gun and drug possession charges.[38][40] A Yonkers Police Department spokesperson said Jadakiss was one of four men sitting in a 2006 Toyota Camry that was parked near the intersection of Nepperhan Avenue and Elm Street in Yonkers at around 5 a.m. Saturday. Officers said the vehicle's driver was behaving oddly and said they noticed a strong odor of marijuana while approaching the car. Inside the vehicle, police found a .38 caliber revolver that had been reported stolen. According to The Associated Press, the weapon was loaded.[38][40] All occupants were charged with possession of a stolen firearm; Jadakiss was also charged with possession of marijuana (a small amount was found on his person).[38][40] The driver, Darnell Frazier, was charged with driving under the influence. The other two men in the vehicle are listed as Benjamin Lockhart and Kristian Smith. All were remanded to Westchester County Jail and were held until at least Tuesday of the following week, when they were due in court.[40]
Police arrested two men on multiple felony charges after they raided Jadakiss' Yonkers, New York apartment and found heroin (5 grams) and marijuana (6.5 pounds).[41] Jadakiss was neither present during the investigation, nor wanted by the law enforcement agencies. The incident took place on the morning of August 24, 2009, and started when an investigation revealed the presence of marijuana inside the vehicle driven by two men. Both men were reportedly in police custody and had been criminally charged.[42]
Studio albums
Collaboration albums
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