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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 18 deceMber 2017
From rapper to mogul, Jeezy continues to make power moves

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. was a coal, a coal in a dark
Associated Press hole, going through every-
ATLANTA (AP) — Rapper thing in the world,” he said.
Jeezy was so poor grow- “Every type of problem you
ing up as a child that he can think of. Every type
and his mother sometimes of obstacle. Every type of
knocked cockroaches off blackball ever done. I still
their meals so they could stood with my head up and
eat. chest out. And over time,
It’s a moment Jeezy will all that pressure, it created
never forget. The four-time a diamond. I came out
Grammy-nominated rap- shining. ...No matter what
per is now far removed you’re going through in life,
from those poverty-stricken just stand your ground and
conditions, but those tough believe in yourself.”
childhood memories still From rapper to mogul, Rapper Jeezy is photographed at his recording studio in Atlanta, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017.
makes him hungry for a Jeezy continues to make Associated Press
better life. power moves. He has an
Now, he wants to use his online merchandise shop rapper said at this point in ad-libs from “Yeeaaah” that relate to him. He said
testimony of overcoming called 99 Agency, opened his life he’s the most happi- and “That’s riiiigght,” Jeezy there’s a motivational mes-
life’s daunting obstacles to a steakhouse restaurant in est and healthiest. emerged in the mid-2000s sage within his music, which
inspire listeners to “trust the Atlanta, partnered with the “You have to know this is with his raw firsthand ex- he calls “ghetto gospel.”
process” through his new Atlanta Hawks for his own possible,” he said. “When periences of his crack-en- “I’m going to explain this
album, “Pressure,” out on apparel, became an ad- you see me, I’m living proof trepreneur tales and vio- to them the best way they
Friday. His eighth studio al- viser for Avion Tequila and that you can do these lent street life. But he’s also know it,” he said. “Some-
bum features Kendrick La- built a six-story compound things. If you look at where I dealt with critics who felt he times it takes the gunplay.
mar, Rick Ross, J. Cole and studio in the city. He also came from, what I’ve been glorified street life, including It takes the talk about the
2 Chainz. has his record label called through or the obstacles gun violence and drugs. penitentiary. That’s the only
Jeezy, 40, said “Pressure” is Corporate Thugz Entertain- that I’ve dodged to where But Jeezy said he’s always thing that’s going to catch
focusing more on his evolu- ment. Not bad for Jeezy, I am now, it should give you tried to speak the lan- their attention. That’s what
tion from the street life. who used to struggle to hope. I came a long way.” guage of those living in im- they relate to. The message
“If you take my situation, I pay his own water bill. The Known for his trademark poverished neighborhoods is bigger than the music.”q