NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/ Def Jam) - As Young Jeezy's "
Go Getta" (featuring R. Kelly) bullets its way up the pop, Urban, and Rhythmic charts this week - inside the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay list with a 32 million-plus audience - the time has arrived for the Def Jam Recording artist to launch the first release from his Corporate Thugz Entertainment co-venture. Jeezy's group USDA - United
Streets D-Boys of America, comprised of ATL spitter Slick Pulla, Panama City's Blood Raw and the
Snowman himself - is set to release its as-yet-untitled major label debut early this spring. The album's first single, "Check," is being released to radio this week.
Gearing up for the release of the USDA album, and in support of the platinum-certified The Inspiration, Jeezy is now set to headline his first major national tour.
"I am the Street Dream," proclaimed the Atlanta Snowman's 2006 mix-tape, and now he hits the road on the 2007 "Street Dream Tour," with Jim Jones, Baby, Lil' Wayne, and Fat Joe (on various dates). The tour opens on Saturday night, March 3rd at the Cricket Arena in Charlotte, and wraps up seven weeks later on April 29th in Los Angeles. (Please see tour dates below.)
After delivering one of 2005's biggest debut albums, the RIAA platinum No 1 Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, Corporate Thugz/Def Jam Recording artist - and Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards Best New R&B/Hip-Hop Artist - Young Jeezy returned to the fast track with THE INSPIRATION, which arrived in stores on December 12th. The first single, "I Luv It," jumped inside the Top 15 across-the-board on the Hot 100, R&B/Hip-hop, and Digital Songs charts, and lit up the Hot Rap Tracks at No 7.
The "I Luv It" video, directed by Jessy Terrero, debuted on BET with an 'Access Granted' special back in November. The video for "Go Getta" made it to 'Access Granted' last Wednesday, and was dubbed 106 & Park's 'New Joint' two days later. Young Jeezy hosts BET's 'Top 25 countdown' on Saturday, February 17th. On top of that, it was announced that the "Go Getta" video has moved into Elite 8 Rotation on MTV2.
Jeezy was a huge presence on BET's inaugural Hip-Hop Awards in November, where he performed a show-topping three times - on the opener, "Welcome To Atlanta," his own performance of "I Luv It," and joining fellow Atlantan and label mate Ludacris on "Grew Up A Screw Up" from Luda's platinum Disturbing Tha Peace album Release Therapy. The week before THE INSPIRATION was released in December, Jeezy gave the first live network performance of "I Luv It" at the televised Billboard Music Awards, where he also reprised his guest appearance on Luda's "Grew Up A Screw Up."
Jeezy heated up the streets as well, when he and DJ Drama dropped the latest install.ment of the Gangsta Grillz mixtape series on November 14th. I AM THE STREET DREAM brought Jeezy back to where his legend was born: The Trap. It was the massive popularity and major-label sales of mixtapes like '04's Trap Or Die that brought Jeezy to national attention.
Working in Atlanta's legendary Patchwerk Studios, Jeezy welcomed a who's who of close friends and collaborators to the recording sessions for THE INSPIRATION, including (among others) Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, Keyshia Cole, Three 6 Mafia, Timbaland, T.I. and G-Unit's Young Buck. With monster production from DJ Toomp (on the smash single "I Luv It"), Timbaland on "3am," the Runnerz and more, Jeezy's still got both feet firmly in the Trap, but shows incredible growth as an artist. On the sweeping, epic "Child Of God (Bury Me A G)," Jeezy envisions his own death and judgment. "Child Of God" has been shot as a 'mini-movie' long-format video and will be included as bonus content on the upcoming limited edition of THE INSPIRATION.
