Field Mob is an American
hip hop duo from
Albany, Georgia
Albany ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located on the Flint River, it is the seat of Dougherty County, and is the sole incorporated city in that county. Located in southwest Georgia, it is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia ...
, composed of artists Shawn Timothy "Shawn Jay" Johnson and Darion "Smoke" Crawford. Field Mob is currently signed to
T-Pain's label
Nappy Boy Entertainment
Nappy Boy is an American record label founded by R&B and hip hop artist T-Pain. The label is distributed by RCA Records, and formerly by Jive Label Group. The label's roster of artists includes Gym Class Heroes front man Travie McCoy, Young C ...
and managed by La' Roc Management Group owned by Christopher King (grandson of
B.B. King
Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...
).
History
Formation
Darion and Shawn grew up on the outskirts of
Albany, Georgia
Albany ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located on the Flint River, it is the seat of Dougherty County, and is the sole incorporated city in that county. Located in southwest Georgia, it is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia ...
a few blocks from each other in a relatively poor neighborhood locally known as "The Field" because of its semi-rural location as compared to the city's public housing.
As teenagers attending
Monroe Comprehensive High School, Darion observed Shawn and a group of friends holding rap freestyle battles in the schools courtyard, with Shawn being the "reigning champion." Darion decided to challenge Shawn on the idea that "he was just as good" and won. For four weeks afterward, the informal competition continued daily, with the victor alternating between himself and Shawn, and attracting the attention of many other students who came to spectate. Eventually, Shawn offered to form a rap group with Darion, and Field Mob was born.
According to Smoke and Shawn Jay, the origins of the duo's name are twofold. ''Field'' is a reference not only to the neighborhood where they grew up, but also an allusion to a slang term for the southern United States. ''Mob'' signifies the strength the duo represents: "We're two people but together we make an army. We're making a strong statement with two people. We're a two man army."
MCA
Late in 1999, after floundering for some time in the local music scene, Field Mob was signed to Southern House Records, a small independent label, recording the single ''Project Dreamz''. The group then set out on the road to promote their new release during a time when the southern hip hop scene was on the rise. The single eventually drew the attention of
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Pre-history
MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wit ...
Benny Pough and within days Field Mob inked a deal, making them the first southern hip hop act to be signed to a New York-based label.
613: Ashy to Classy
December 2000 saw the release of Field Mob's debut ''
613: Ashy to Classy.'' Introduced to much critical acclaim and hailed by some hip hop press outlets, most notably ''
The Source
''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the ma ...
'', as one of the best albums of 2001, it reached number 35 on the
Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Jan ...
.
Following their debut success, the duo's collaboration was sought after by several well-known regional artists, including
Trick Daddy
Maurice Samuel Young (born September 27, 1974), better known by his stage name Trick Daddy, is an American rapper from Miami's Liberty City (Miami), Liberty City.
Early life
Trick Daddy was born on September 27, 1974, at Jackson Memorial Hospita ...
and
Outkast member
Big Boi
Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a member of the southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside André 3000. ...
, lending further public exposure and notoriety.
From tha Roota to tha Toota
In October 2002, the group's second album ''
From tha Roota to tha Toota
''From tha Roota to tha Toota'' is the second album from the hip hop duo Field Mob released under the now defunct recording label MCA Records, currently distributed by Geffen Records. It was released to stores on October 22, 2002. The title of t ...
'' was released. While some reviews were mixed, the album sold well, becoming
certified gold
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
and garnering the group their second largest hit to date (as of 9/07) with the
Jazze Pha
Phalon Anton Alexander, (born April 15, 1974), professionally known as Jazze Pha ( ), is an American record producer, singer, songwriter and rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Sho'nuff Records, to wh ...
produced single "
Sick of Being Lonely" (released July 3, 2003).
Disturbing tha Peace
As Field Mob's career seemed to be accelerating,
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
,
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Pre-history
MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wit ...
parent, began to phase out the label in the spring of 2003, with the former company's rock, pop, and urban catalogs absorbed into
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint.
Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
. This action left the future of the duo's contract and any subsequent album releases in doubt. It appeared that Field Mob and their deep south influence may fade from the hip hop scene at large.
However, the situation came to the attention of
Disturbing tha Peace
Disturbing tha Peace Records (DTP) is an American record label founded by Ludacris, Jeff Dixon, and Chaka Zulu.
History
Beginnings
Disturbing tha Peace was founded in 1998 by Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges, manager Chaka Zulu, and Zulu's brother ...
CEO
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
, who saw untapped potential in the young rappers. After negotiations, which involved relieving them of their old MCA contract, the group was signed to Disturbing tha Peace in August 2005, shortly thereafter appearing on ''
Ludacris Presents: Disturbing tha Peace'', a collaboration album showcasing the label's new artists. The duo's track ''
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
'' with
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
became an instant underground hit and the albums top selling single, eventually reaching #39 on the US Billboard 200 and setting the tone for their third album.
Light Poles and Pine Trees
After a postponed 2005 release date, ''
Light Poles and Pine Trees
''Light Poles and Pine Trees'' is the third album from the southern hip hop duo Field Mob, and their only, under the Disturbing tha Peace imprint. It was released in stores on June 20, 2006. Originally, the premiere single from the album was to be ...
'' dropped in June 2006 to high acclaim and much fanfare, owing at least partly from an extensive promotional campaign by Disturbing tha Peace and multiple radio promo tracks. This album garnered the pair their biggest hit
with its first official single, ''So What,'' featuring
Ciara
Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model and entrepreneur. She released her debut studio album, '' Goodies'' in 2004, which spawned four singles: " Goodies" (featuring Petey Pa ...
and coincidentally also produced by Jazze Pha. This release reached number 7 on the US
''Billboard'' 200 and number 2 on
Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Jan ...
.
The group's increased success since signing with Disturbing tha Peace was largely attributed to better promotion by their new label and, most importantly, the artistic freedom that the group has been allowed in their new home. Darian related this sentiment in an interview for SOHH.com:
''"I went free with my creativity
t DTP, unlike whenI was over at MCA, aka rape you records. Ludacris let me say what I wanna say. If I wanna say f**k..., he's cool with it cause he trusts my creativity. I never knew our CEO at MCA Records. I never got to talk to him....
udacris and Iare friends more than business partners, I'd like to say."''
After DTP
The group eventually left Disturbing tha Peace Records when, late 2011, Shawn Jay felt disrespected by a song Ludacris produced for his mixtape ''1.21 Gigawatts: Back To The First Time'' which spawned a dispute between the two former label mates. Shawn Jay responded with the diss track
"P*ssy Boy (Ludacris Diss)"an
"Stack a Million (Ludacris Diss)"
Controversy
In April 2006 a controversial video leaked on the internet appeared to feature Smoke and Shawn Jay disrespecting New York rappers and challenging the likes of
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
and
Nas
Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones.
Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to:
Aviation
* Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea
* National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia
** Nas Air ( ...
to
rap battle
Battle rap (also known as rap battling)Edwards, Paul, 2009, p. 25. is a type of rapping performed between two or more performers that incorporates boasts, insults and wordplay. Battle rap is often performed or freestyled spontaneously in live ...
s. This video turned out to have been filmed and produced by a Disturbing tha Peace cameraman who had subsequently been terminated by the label. In attempt to slander Field Mob, he had edited various pieces of footage together, bringing them totally out of context. The most inflammatory footage, of the pair poking fun at New York slang, was confirmed by Smoke to be a friendly joke toward Disturbing tha Peace co-CEO's, executives, and Harlem natives Chaka Zulu and his brother Jeff Dixon. Furthermore, though the footage was edited to cast a negative light, Smoke points out that "
ew York artistsdo
outhern artistslike that all the time, but nobody says nothing about it..."
Solo projects
As of spring 2008 Smoke has signed a record deal with the Phoenix Arizona-based indie label Mpire Records, under the Chevy P moniker. A new album, ''Caprice Classics '', was scheduled for release in 2009 but has since been shelved. The
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for this album's pre-release single, "So Lonely" produced by
Scott Storch
Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. He started off as a keyboardist for the group the Roots.
Early life
Storch was born on Long Island, New York. He was raised in South Florida and Phila ...
, however did receive heavy rotation on
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
as well as being featured on several video sharing and hip hop websites.
Shawn Jay has entered into a solo contract with parent company
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Featured appearances
*2001: "Jazzy Hoes Part 2"
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ.
Early life
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...
- ''
Instructions
Instruction or instructions may refer to:
Computing
* Instruction, one operation of a processor within a computer architecture instruction set
* Computer program, a collection of instructions
Music
* Instruction (band), a 2002 rock band from Ne ...
''
*2005: "Georgia" collaboration - ''
Ludacris Presents: Disturbing tha Peace''
*2006: "Damn"
Shawnna
Rashawnna Guy (born January 3, 1978), better known by her stage name Shawnna, is an American rapper. She was the first female artist signed to Def Jam South through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace Records. She is a former member of the female Chi ...
- ''
Block Music
''Block Music'' is the second solo studio album by American rapper Shawnna. It was released on June 6, 2006 on Def Jam South Recordings and Disturbing tha Peace. Production was handled by several record producers, including Vudu, 110% Pure, Chucky ...
''
*2006: "Ultimate Satisfaction"
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
- ''
Release Therapy''
*2010: "When It's Cold Outside" T-Spade - SeaTac & Back
*2018: "Devil So Busy" Manny G - Old 2 Me New 2 You
References
External links
Official siteLabel WebsiteOfficial Myspace
{{Authority control
American musical duos
Def Jam Recordings artists
Hip hop duos
Musical groups established in 1999
Musical groups from Georgia (U.S. state)
Musicians from Albany, Georgia
Southern hip hop groups
1999 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)