Turk (rapper)

Turk (shortened from "Young Turk"), born Tab Virgil, Jr. in 1981 in New Orleans, Louisiana, is an African-American rapper.

Turk was first discovered was in 1996 when he was rapping for Cash Money Records (brothers Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Baby" Williams ) Later that same year, he made his debut with a cameo on Juvenile's solo debut, "Solja Rags". He was welcomed into the newly formed Hot Boys (who also included Juvenile, B.G., and Lil' Wayne), issuing "Get It How You Live!" in 1997 and "Guerilla Warfare" (which would eventually go platinum) two years later.

He continued to make cameos on other rapper's recordings, including Juvenile's big hits "400 Degreez" and "Tha G-Code", Lil' Wayne's "Tha Block Is Hot" and "Lights Out", as well as B.G.'s "It's All on You, Vol. 1" and "It's All on You, Vol. 2". June 2001 saw the release of Turk's solo debut, '"Young and Thuggin'"' on Universal Records. His first solo album also coincided with the dissolution of the Hot Boys and the departure of B.G. and Juvenile from the Cash Money label over a royalties dispute with CEO Bryan Williams . While He cut another album, "Untamed Guerilla", for Cash Money as a follow-up to "Young and Thuggin'" but it was never released as he became embroiled in a similar contractual conflict as Juvenile and B.G.

In 2003, Turk followed B.G. to Koch Records, where he recorded "Raw and Uncut", technically his second solo album.

Most Recently, Turk announced that once he is released from prison he plans on returning to his former label, Cash Money Records stating that CEO's Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Baby" Williams have showed unconditional financial and moral support throughout his legal troubles.

Legal Troubles

In January of 2004, Turk was in a Memphis, Tennessee apartment when narcotics officers and SWAT team members stormed in. According to police, Turk shot an officer during the drug raid, but the rapper claimed he was hiding in the closet without a gun. In the shootout, SWAT team member Deputy Chris Harris had been shot in the jaw, hip, arm and calf.

At a preliminary hearing a charge of first-degree attempted murder was reduced to second-degree attempted murder but Turk was not granted bail. He was awaiting trial in prison as his third album, the aptly-named "Penitentiary Chances", hit the streets in April of 2005. Attorneys made their final arguments on August 9, 2005 and the jury took just five hours to convict him.

Virgil’s attorney expressed disappointment at the time the jury spent deliberating and has vowed to appeal. Virgil faces between five and 10 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 26, 2005. He is still facing an attempted-murder trial stemming from the shooting, but a trial date has not been set.

Virgil was sentenced to 30 years in prison on April 1, 1999 by a Memphis judge after entering a "best interest plea" in the 2004 shooting of a sheriff's deputy.

Virgil entered an Alford plea, also known as a best-interest plea, in which a defendant may dispute some of the allegations but accepts an agreed-upon sentence, to avoid a longer sentence if convicted at trial. The plea has the same legal effect as a guilty plea.

Turk pleaded to attempted second-degree murder and was handed the 12-year sentence. He faced up to 25 years if convicted as charged of attempted first-degree murder.

The sentence was then later reduced to 10 years after a series of court battles that worked out a bargaining deal that ran Virgil's state court charges with his federal court charges concurrently.

Drug Testing

Turk was tested for drugs at 15. He addmited to useing crack when he was 14 and 15. When he was first discovered he was tested and came out negitive. Since then he has been tested every two months and when he made his hit "Solja Boy" he was 10 years in to it. Now he is now off drugs and is done testing but is under close watch.

Turk is also married to his girlfriend who was also in the apartment at the time of the raid.

Discography

Young & Thuggin' (June 5, 2001) Cash Money Records

Untamed Guerrilla (Unreleased)

Raw & Uncut (October 21, 2003) Koch

Penitentiary Chances (April 27, 2004) Koch

Still A Hot Boy (September 13, 2005) Select-O-Hits

Convicted Felons (September 5, 2006) Laboratory

Featured On

1993 - Smell Like Fish - Platinum Status

1996 - Our Thang - Durdy Jack Lex Ball/Baby - Platinum Status

1998 - Hypnotize Cash Money - Tear Da Club Up Thugs/Hot Boys - Crazyndalazdayz

1999 - Ballas- Project Pat /Hot Boys - Ghetty Green

1999 - Bring Da Pain - Blaxuede/Lil' Wayne - Dey Don't Kno

1999 - Tha Hood (It's All Good) - Hot Boys/Big Tymers - The Wood

1999 - Make 'Em Break It - Lil' Keke/Hot Boys/Big Tymers - It Was All A Dream

1999 - Play That Sh*t (Remix) - DJ Clue/CNN/Hot Boys - Queens Day Part 1

1999 - Rock Ice - Hot Boys/Big Tymers - Blue Streak

1999 - Servin' It Hot - Servin' Da World Click/Hot Boys/Big Tymers - Shippin' N Handlin'

1999 - Tear The Club Up (Remix) - DJ Whoo Kid/Tear The Club Up Thugs/Hot Boys - DJ Whoo Kid Goin Platinum

1999 - U Don't Wanna - J Prince/Hot Boys/Big Tymers - Realest Niggaz Down South

2000 - Baller Blockin' - E-40/Baby/Juvenile - Baller Blockin'

2000 - Uptown - B.G. - Baller Blockin'

2000 - Let Us Stunt - Big Tymers/B.G. - Baller Blockin'

2000 - Hey Ya - Strings/Hot Boys/Big Tymers - Tongue Song

2000 - Told U - Malone/Baby - Hustler 3 - Hustler 3

2000 - Dirty World - T.C/Lil' Derrick/Juvenile - 3rd Coast Finest

2000 - Tear It Down - Zoe Pound/B.G. - Little Haiti Stories

2001 - Steady Grinding - Mack 10/Baby - Exit Wounds

2001 - Murder - Mack 10/Big Tymers - Bang Or Ball

2001 - Low Down & Dirty - Smoked Outt/Lil' Derrick - Done Didit

2001 - What Side R U On - Jerzey Mob/Hot Boys - Outlawz Presents

2002 - Cleanin' Out My Closet (Freestyle) - Larrell - Freestyles And Unreleased

2002 - Tear It Down (Remix) Red Eye/B.G. - Da Dirty South Shit Vol. 1

2003 - F*ck Cash Money (Dissin' Cash Money) - Larrell - Freestyles And Unreleased

2003 - Uptown Downtown - 7th Ward Soulja/B.G. - Ghetto Terminology

2003 - What You Are - Lil' Derrick/Kayotic - Undisputed Champions Knockout

2003 - Throw Your Sets Up - Tru Thug - The Storm

2003 - Tellin U - Tru Thug - The Storm

2004 - Stuntin' - Bumpy Johnson/Kenoe - Tha Hustle Life Vol.1 & Vol.2

2004 - Gun Bust - Dro/Hitman/Sammy Sam - Respect The Connected

2004 - Come Up - Froze Ony - Gutta Wayz

2004 - I Don't Know Whats Wrong - Ke'Noe - Game Over

2004 - Bitchn*gga - Mac-E/Da Inc - Da Nu Boi

2004 - Whatchabout - Mac-E - Da Nu Boi

2004 - Ain't No Fun (When Rabbit Got The Gun) - Slugga/Young Thugga - Rookie Of The Year

2004 - Murda, Murda - Yung Ro/Mippy - Undagrind

2005 - She's A Huker - AJ 003/Ying Yang Twinz - AJ 003

2005 - Over A Ho - Handy - Rap Hustlin'

2005 - Dat's Right - Iceberg/Froze Ony - Slab Muzic

2005 - Road Bitch - Iceberg/Froze Ony - Slab Muzic

External links

• Turkish Rap