Huey (rapper)

Huey
Birth name Lawrence Franks, Jr.
Also known as Baby Huey
Born (1986-09-12) September 12, 1986
Kinloch, Missouri, United States
Genres Hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper
Years active 2006–present
Labels Bricksquad Monopoly (2013-2013)[1]
Hitz Committee, Jive (2006-2009)
Que, EMI (2010-Present)
Associated acts T-Pain, Bow Wow, Dorrough, Lloyd, Yo Gotti

Lawrence Franks, Jr. (born September 12, 1986), better known by his stage name Huey, is an American rapper from St. Louis, Missouri. He is signed to Jive Records and is best known for his 2006 debut single, "Pop, Lock & Drop It".

Early life

Franks was born and raised in Kinloch, Missouri. He moved to Walnut Park neighborhood of St. Louis when he was five and returned to St. Louis County as a teenager. In an interview, he remembered his community as having "a lot of drugs going on and, of course, a little bit of violence" and said that his experiences growing up in a tough area inspired his rap lyrics.[2]

Music career

Music beginnings

At age 15, Franks began creating hip hop beats.[3] His older brother referred Franks to producer Angela Richardson, who was creating a rap group. Franks began performing as Huey, and his songs "Oh" and "Pop, Lock & Drop It" became local favorites among DJs and promoters. Huey was featured on a series of mixtapes, one of which, Unsigned Hype, sold out of its run of 8,000 copies and was noticed by producer TJ Chapman, who introduced the rapper to Vice President of A&R at Jive Records, Mickey "MeMpHiTz" Wright, in 2006.[4]

2006-07: Notebook Paper

Huey's debut album for the label, Notebook Paper, was released in mid-2007, described by Allmusic as sounding like a mixture of Nelly, Chingy, and Ludacris.[4][5] The album reached #26 on the Billboard 200 chart and #10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[6] "Pop, Lock & Drop It", its lead single, peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his biggest hit to date. Nelly's refusal to work with Huey on his debut album prompted 2 diss tracks "Down, Down, Baby" featuring Tha Camp Boyz and "Back at Cha'".[7] Notebook Paper's next single is "When I Hustle" featuring singer Lloyd.

2010: Redemption

Huey's second album, Redemption, was released on September 14, 2010 after many delays. The first official single from the album was "Smile and Wave", which features Dorrough and was released on June 15, 2010. In "Smile and Wave", Huey criticizes his critics.[2]

2013-present: TBA

In 2013 Huey announced that he had officially signed with Waka Flocka Flame's label Brick Squad Monopoly & is currently working on his third album.[8] On May 14, 2014 Huey released his mixtape entitled Project H.[9][10]

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US US
R&B		 US
Rap
Notebook Paper 26 10 4
Redemption
  • Released: September 14, 2010
  • Label: Que, EMI
  • Format: CD, digital download
 — — —
TBA — — —

Mixtapes

Huey's mixtapes and details
Title Mixtape details
Who The F*ck Is Huey?
  • Released: January 5, 2011
Project H
  • Released: May 14, 2014

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US US
R&B		 US
Rap		 NZ
"Pop, Lock & Drop It" 2006 6 6 2 10 Notebook Paper
"When I Hustle"
(featuring Lloyd)		 2007 — 80 — —
"Payow!"
(featuring Juelz Santana and Bobby V)		 2009 — 88 — — Non-album single
"Smile & Wave"
(featuring Dorrough)		 2010 — — — — Redemption
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

  1. ↑ http://atrilli.net/2013/03/bricksquad-monopoly-signs-huey/
  2. 1 2 Hamilton, Keegan (August 18, 2010). "Rapper Huey looks to shake off the past with a mature outlook and a new album". Riverfront Times. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  3. ↑ Jones, Steve (June 21, 2007). "Huey: Someone new from 'the Lou'". USA Today. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
  4. 1 2 Wilson, MacKenzie. "Huey Biography". allmusic. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
  5. ↑ Jeffries, David. "Notebook Paper review". Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation.
  6. ↑ "Huey: Billboard Albums". allmusic. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
  7. ↑ Starbury, Allen (July 3, 2007). "Beef In St. Louis: Rising Rapper Huey Takes On Nelly". BallerStatus. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
  8. ↑ St. Louis rapper Huey signs with Waka Flocka Flame's Brick Squad : Entertainment
  9. ↑ Huey "Project H" Release Date, Cover Art, Tracklist & Mixtape Stream | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales | HipHop DX
  10. ↑ Huey - Project H // Free Mixtape @ DatPiff.com
  11. ↑ "American single certifications – Huey – Pop, Lock". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 20, 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

External links

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