Webbie
| Webbie | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Webster Gradney, Jr. |
| Also known as | Young Savage |
| Born | September 6, 1985 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States |
| Origin | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| Genres | Southern hip hop |
| Years active | 2000–Present |
| Labels | Asylum/Trill/Atlantic/Warner Bros./RBC |
| Associated acts | Lil Boosie, UGK, Foxx, Lil Phat |
Webster Gradney, Jr. (born September 6, 1985), who performs under the mononym Webbie, is an American rapper from New Iberia, Louisiana. He was signed to the independent Trill Entertainment label from 2003 to 2005.[1] In 2005 he came into the hip hop scene with "Gimme That" featuring Bun B. His songs "Bad Bitch" and "Swerve" were featured on Gangsta Musik, his 2003 group album with Lil Boosie, and in the 2005 movie Hustle & Flow. Webbie's second album, Savage Life 2, was released in early 2008 with the hit single "Independent" featuring Lil Boosie and Lil Phat.
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Early life[edit]
Webbie was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His mother died when he was nine years old so his parental care was split between his father and grandmother.[2] Ever since he was five years old, he had been writing rhymes, and throughout his childhood he had become an avid fan of hardcore rap artists including Southern hip hop performers Master P, Eightball & MJG, the Geto Boys, and UGK, as well as West Coast rap such as 2Pac, Eazy-E, and Snoop Dogg.[2] Although his grades were poor throughout school his math teacher said he did decently during math class.
Music career[edit]
Music beginnings[edit]
He began his career with Baton Rouge superstar Lil Boosie, being featured in Ghetto Stories in 2003 and Gangsta Musik in 2004. As Webbie's solo track "Give Me That" featuring Bun B was frequently featured in mixtapes, as a label Trill Entertainment was growing in popularity & was signed for a distribution deal at Asylum Records along with (Webbie).
2005: Savage Life[edit]
After he was signed there, his major-label debut Savage Life was released in 2005,[1] debuting at number eight on the US Billboard 200 chart.[3]
2008: Savage Life 2[edit]
Trill began a deal to sign Webbie to the subsidiary label Atlantic Records & was sucessful. Singles from his next album, Savage Life 2, include "Independent" featuring Boosie and Lil Phat. It is Webbie's most successful song to date,[when?] peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the top of the Rap Songs chart.
2011: Savage Life 3[edit]
Webbie released his third studio album Savage Life 3 on November 15, 2012 under RBC Records. The first single from the album was "What's Happenin'". The album has currently sold over 50,000 copies.
2013-present: Savage Life 4ever[edit]
Webbie is currently working & planning on the release of his upcoming album Savage Life 4ever which will be the fourth in the Savage Life album series. His first single from the album is entitled "What I Do".
Acting career[edit]
He has released an independent biographical movie, Ghetto Stories: The Movie in October 2010, with Lil Boosie, based on their lives and lyrical themes.[4] He also starred in the music film "Video Girl" which featured actress Megan Good.
Controversy[edit]
On the October 14, 2011 episode of BET’s 106 & Park, Webbie was banned from further appearances on the countdown show. Webbie appeared that day on the show as a guest judge for Freestyle Friday. The reason behind his ban was tied to allegations that he made sexually inappropriate comments to the show's hostess, Rocsi.[5]
On September 13, 2012 Webbie was arrested in Baton Rouge on suspicion of robbery and battery. He was alleged to have kicked and pushed a woman down the stairs, proceeding to steal $340 from her purse.[6]
On June 8, 2012, Trill Ent. artist Lil Phat was fatally shot in front of a hospital in Sandy Springs, Georgia according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Discography[edit]
- Studio albums
- 2005: Savage Life
- 2008: Savage Life 2
- 2011: Savage Life 3
- 2013: Savage Life 4ever
- Collaboration albums
- 2003: Ghetto Stories (with Lil Boosie)
- 2003: Gangsta Musik (with Lil Boosie)
- 2007: Trill Entertainment Presents: Survival of the Fittest (with Foxx, Lil Boosie and Trill Fam)
- 2010: Trill Entertainment Presents: All or Nothing (with TWAN, Lil Boosie and Trill Fam)
- 2013: Gangsta Musik 2 (with Lil Boosie)
Filmography[edit]
- Films
- Gangsta Musik (2005)
- On The Grind (2006)
- Ghetto Stories: The Movie (2010)
- Video Girl (2013)
- Savage Life: The Movie (2014)
References[edit]
- ^ a b Jeffries, David (2005). "Webbie - Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
- ^ a b "Webbie - Biography". Yahoo! Music. Atlantic Records. 2005. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
- ^ Harris, Chris (2008-03-05). "Janet Jackson Teaches Jack Johnson Discipline, Claims Sixth #1 Debut". MTV News. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
- ^ "Trill Fam - Survival of the Fittest". Asylum Records. 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-19.[dead link]
- ^ "Rocsi Speaks Out About Webbie Ban".
- ^ "Baton Rouge Rapper Charges Arrested on Suspicion of Robbery and Battery".
External links[edit]
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