Simply put, hip-hop might not be the same without Juvenile.
Over nearly three decades, the multi platinum record-breaking New Orleans icon served up a string of classic albums, influenced two generations of stars, and pioneered a sound rooted in Louisiana bounce, yet carried by worldwide rap appeal and ambition. Like all timeless stories though, his stretches back to humble beginnings in the neighborhood his music put on the map: the Magnolia Projects. As if predisposed by destiny to pick up a microphone, he heard Melle Mel’s verse on “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, commenced spitting, and never stopped since…
After his Cash Money Records debut Solja Rags, he crafted an era-defining opus in the form of 400 Degreez. Not only did it go quadruple-platinum, but it also became “the best-selling album in Cash Money Records History.” It produced staples such as the title track, “Ha” (which JAY-Z notably remixed), and “Back That Azz Up.” The latter would be sampled by everyone from Drake to City Girls. The Ringer lauded 400 Degreez among the “20 Best Southern Rap Albums Ever” behind only UGK’s Ridin’ Dirty and OutKast’s Aquemini. Pitchfork bestowed a rare 9.4-out-of-10 rating upon the record, and Kendrick Lamar cited it as one of his “Favorite Albums” in Complex and went so far as to claim, “They had the West Coast on smash. We definitely tried to be like them.” The heat spread far and wide across the United States.
Around the same time, Juvenile comprised The Hot Boys alongside Lil Wayne, B.G., and Turk. Together, they smashed charts with the Get It How U Live! [1997] and the platinum Guerilla Warfare [1999]. His next solo offering, Tha G-Code, went double-platinum followed by the platinum Project English. Meanwhile, 2003’s Juve The Great emerged as another unsung platinum classic as “Slow Motion” [feat. Soulja Slim] topped the Billboard Hot 100 at #1 for two weeks. He maintained a prolific pace in the ensuing years and collaborated with everyone from Future to Yo Gotti before reuniting with Cash Money Records.
The chemistry thrives on their 2019 first full-length collaborative album, J.A.G.It boldly extended Juvenile’s own legacy with unanimous praise from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and Billboard as the singles “Just Another Gangsta” and “Dreams” [feat. NLE Choppa] tallied over 20 million total streams and views. Moreover, it preceded the stage for another collaborative effort and an O.G. Cash Money Records reunion on “Ride Dat” [feat. Lil Wayne].
Juvenile also inspires the next generation as his song Young Juve picks up the microphone for a bevy of upcoming singles. In the end, Juvenile continues to shape and spearhead the future of hip-hop.
