Brooklyn-bred rapper lived a life as intense and raw as his music, going to jail for drug charges and diving headfirst into a life of hip-hop after he got out. He worked first as part of group Da Franchise in the late '90s, later breaking off to release music solo as well as working as a ghostwriter for other rappers. Multiple false starts and setbacks with major labels plagued , but he managed to maintain a strong presence with his mixtapes throughout the 2010s, releasing multiple volumes on the Shakedown Entertainment imprint. The guest list of legendary rappers who made cameos on his mixtapes spoke to his reputation among hip-hop's innermost circles, with 2018 releases Natural Born Hustler and Less Talk, More Hustle both featuring verses from big names like , , , , and many more.

Born in Guyana, Jermaine Denny immigrated to New York with his family when he was young, settling in the Caribbean-populated Flatbush section of Brooklyn. Hip-hop music suddenly became an obsession for him after he first heard the / classic "The Show." However, his real interest was the streets, where his life of crime eventually landed him in prison in 1992. Upon his release four years later, he formed a rap group named Da Franchise with neighborhood friends. The group signed with Violator Records and even appeared on several mixtapes and label compilations, but because the crew never really took off, they each went their separate ways. stayed with Violator and also began to rack up credits as a ghostwriter, including for 's verse on the Top 20 single "Pass the Courvoisier" in 2002. After he left Violator, a series of failed major-label deals and, consequently, shelved albums followed. During his stint with Capitol, to which he was signed via 's Hoo-Bangin' imprint, even recorded a number of well-received singles, including "All Night Long" (appearing on the Coach Carter soundtrack in 2005), "Yellow Bottle," and "Bling Blaow." Despite the label ups and downs, he was able to maintain a consistent presence in New York through its mixtape circuit, collaborating with , , , and . In 2007, the Brooklyn rapper joined rising star 's boutique label Konvict Muzik. He first dropped the -hosted mixtape The Co-Op in 2007. while 2009 saw him land a role in biopic Notorious. Mixtapes like 2010's No Witnesses and 2012's American Psycho followed, and in 2014 he released "The Pretty Gang" single, which featured a guest appearance from rapper . In 2015 he contributed vocals to ' album, but the performance was uncredited. The next several years found releasing a string of star-studded singles and mixtapes, including the 2017 single "God Wanted Us to Be Lit" featuring and , as well as the 2018 mixtape Less Talk, More Hustle, which featured spots from , , , , and many others. ~ Cyril Cordor

Red Café

Top Tracks