Lloyd Polite Jr. (born January 3, 1986), is an American
R&B singer. Born in
and raised in
Decatur, he initially began his musical career as a member of the
preteen
Preadolescence is a stage of human development following middle childhood and preceding adolescence.New Oxford American Dictionary. 2nd Edition. 2005. Oxford University Press. It commonly ends with the beginning of puberty. Preadolescence is ...
-
boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform Love song, love songs marketed towards girls and young ...
N-Toon. The band disbanded in 2001 and Polite embarked on a solo career in 2003. He subsequently signed a record deal with American music executive
Irv Gotti
Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. (born June 26, 1970), professionally known as Irv Gotti, is an American DJ, music producer, record executive, and the CEO and co-founder of Murder Inc. Records. He is best known for producing multiple number-one rec ...
's
Murder Inc. Records
Murder Inc. Records, LLC. (formerly The Inc. Records) is an American record label founded by brothers Chris and Irv Gotti in 1998. The label's flagship artist is Ja Rule. According to Chris Gotti, Murder Inc. had sold over 30 million units wo ...
, under the aegis of
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
The ...
. In 2004, Polite released his solo debut single "
Southside Southside or South Side may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Southside, Queensland, a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region
Canada
* South Side, Newfoundland and Labrador, a community in the St. George's Bay area on the southwest coast of Newf ...
" (featuring
Ashanti), the title-track from his debut album, ''
Southside Southside or South Side may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Southside, Queensland, a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region
Canada
* South Side, Newfoundland and Labrador, a community in the St. George's Bay area on the southwest coast of Newf ...
'' (2004). The single quickly charted on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and became a
top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
hit. His second album ''
Street Love'', was released in 2007 and featured the top 20 hits "
You
In Modern English, ''you'' is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers.
History
''You'' comes from the Proto- ...
" (featuring
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
) and "
Get It Shawty".
Polite's third album ''
Lessons in Love'' (2008), gave the singer his second top 10 album on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Polite's career received an enormous boost in 2009–10, after being featured on hip hop record label
Young Money
Young Money Entertainment is an American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne. Young Money's president is Lil Wayne's lifelong friend and fellow rapper Mack Maine. The label was an imprint of Cash Money Records and is distributed by Republi ...
's hit single "
BedRock
In geology, bedrock is solid Rock (geology), rock that lies under loose material (regolith) within the crust (geology), crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet.
Definition
Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface mater ...
", gaining publicity from his presence on the song’s
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
. Polite would go on to release ''Like Me: The Young Goldie EP'' in 2009. In March 2010, Polite signed to
Interscope and
Zone 4. His fourth album ''
King of Hearts
The king of hearts is a playing card in the standard 52-card deck.
King of Hearts may also refer to:
Games
* The King of Hearts Has Five Sons, card game that may have been a precursor to Cluedo
Books
* King of Hearts (''Alice's Adventures ...
'', was released by the aforementioned labels in 2011. The lead single, "
Lay It Down", became a top 10 hit on ''Billboard''s
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
.
In 2016, Polite released "
Tru", his first single in five years, and an EP of the same name, later that year. In August 2018, he released his fifth studio album ''
Tru LP'', which included the single "Caramel". The remix of the song, released in February 2019 via an official music video, features female rap group
City Girls. In March 2019, Polite joined an all-star lineup of early-2000s artists for The Millennium Tour, which quickly became one of the year's most popular shows.
Polite had a television acting role in 2005 on the
UPN
The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which pr ...
show ''
One on One'', playing the role of A-Train, boyfriend to main cast member Spirit (played by
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
). In 2019, he debuted his film acting skills as Gregory Williams, founding member of
Switch
In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...
, in
TV One's original biopic, ''The Bobby Debarge Story''.
Early life
Lloyd Polite Jr. was born on January 3, 1986, in
,
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, to Lloyd Polite Sr. and Robin Lewis Polite. He grew up in the
Calliope Projects
The Calliope Projects, also known as B. W. Cooper Public Housing Development, was a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans and one of the housing projects of New Orleans. This project of New Orleans gained notoriety for its extremely high violent ...
in
Central City, New Orleans
Central City is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. It is located at the lower end of Uptown, just above the New Orleans Central Business District, on the "lakeside" of St. Charles Avenue. A subdistrict of the Central City/Garden Distri ...
and then moved to
Decatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, which is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 24,928 in the 2020 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP Codes in ...
. In Decatur, Polite found his desire to sing and later relocated to New York City where he met
Irv Gotti
Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. (born June 26, 1970), professionally known as Irv Gotti, is an American DJ, music producer, record executive, and the CEO and co-founder of Murder Inc. Records. He is best known for producing multiple number-one rec ...
.
Musical career
2003–2007: ''Southside'' and ''Street Love''
In 2003, Polite was discovered and signed to
Irv Gotti
Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. (born June 26, 1970), professionally known as Irv Gotti, is an American DJ, music producer, record executive, and the CEO and co-founder of Murder Inc. Records. He is best known for producing multiple number-one rec ...
's
The Inc. as a solo artist and released his debut album, ''
Southside Southside or South Side may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Southside, Queensland, a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region
Canada
* South Side, Newfoundland and Labrador, a community in the St. George's Bay area on the southwest coast of Newf ...
'', on July 20, 2004. It debuted at number 11 on the US
''Billboard'' 200 and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. The album's lead single, "
Southside Southside or South Side may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Southside, Queensland, a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region
Canada
* South Side, Newfoundland and Labrador, a community in the St. George's Bay area on the southwest coast of Newf ...
", featuring R&B singer
Ashanti, managed to peak at number 24 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. The second and final single, "
Hey Young Girl" was released in August 2004 and peaked at number 61 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Later that year he featured on
8Ball & MJG
8Ball & MJG is an American hip hop duo from Memphis, Tennessee. They met at Ridgeway Middle School (Memphis, Tennessee) in 1984. In 1993, the duo released their debut album ''Comin' Out Hard''. They went on to release ''On the Outside Looking I ...
's "Forever" and Tango Redd's "Let's Cheat". In 2004, Polite was featured on label-mate
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in New York City, he debuted in 1999 with '' Venni Vetti Vecci'' and its lead single " Holla Holla". Dur ...
's "
Caught Up"; the song saw minor success in the United States, reaching number 65 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. However, on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
the song peaked at number 20.
The singer reentered the recording studios to begin work with producers
Bryan-Michael Cox
Bryan-Michael Paul Cox (born December 1, 1977) is an American record producer and songwriter who is notable for his work with artists such as Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Toni Braxton. Among his most notable productions are "Be Wit ...
, James Lackey,
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 ...
,
Big Reese
Maurice Sinclair, better known as his stage name Big Reese (or simply Reese) is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer, who was a member of the trio P.A.
Biography
Big Reese emerged from the Organized Noize production camp helping ...
and Jasper Cameron and The Inc.'s
7 Aurelius. Released on March 13, 2007, ''
Street Love'' debuted at number two on the US ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums charts, with sales of 145,000 copies emerging as Lloyd's highest debut and biggest first week. It eventually received a
gold certification
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 has sold over half a million copies domestically. The album's lead single, Jasper Cameron-penned "
You
In Modern English, ''you'' is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers.
History
''You'' comes from the Proto- ...
", featured rapper
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
, was a big commercial success, becoming his first top ten single on the Hot 100. In addition, it reached the top position on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The single reached number 45 in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and number 25 in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. The second single "
Get It Shawty" reached number 16 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. It also reached number 37 in the United Kingdom. The third and final single, "
Player's Prayer", was released and peaked at number 74 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song was not promoted and didn't receive a music video. Later in 2007, he was featured on
Huey's "
When I Hustle" and
Dem Franchize Boyz
Dem Franchize Boyz was an American hip hop group from Atlanta, signed to E1 Music. The group had four members: Parlae (born Maurice Gleaton), Pimpin' (Jamal Willingham), Jizzal Man (Bernard Leverette), and Buddie (Gerald Tiller). They were best ...
's "Turn Heads", both songs saw minor success in the United States, reaching number 80 and 75 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
2008–2009: ''Lessons in Love''
''
Lessons in Love'' was released on August 4, 2008. "The title concept derives from a schoolboy fantasy of mine, where I become a professor of a classroom full of gorgeous girls, and I feel the best thing I can give them that's really worth having is lessons in love!" he said about the issues worked into the tracks. The album debuted at number seven on the
''Billboard'' 200 and number one 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 J ...
charts, with moderately successful first-week sales 51,000 — about half as many as his previous effort, number two album ''
Street Love''.
[Katie Hasty (August 13, 2008)]
'Mamma Mia!' Leaps To No. 1 On The Billboard 200
''Billboard''. Accessed August 13, 2008. "
How We Do It (Around My Way)
"How We Do It (Around My Way)" is the first single from R&B singer Lloyd's third studio album '' Lessons in Love'', and features rapper Ludacris. It was sent to US radio stations on March 4, 2008.
A first version of the track, originally titled ...
", featured rapper
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 ...
, was released as the first single, peaking at number 77 on the US ''Billboard'' Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 75 on the
UK charts. Due to the low success of the song, it only appeared on select versions of the album as a bonus track. The second single, "
Girls Around the World
"Girls Around the World" is a song by American recording artist Lloyd. The song features rapper Lil Wayne and was written by Lloyd and Lil Wayne, along with Eric Barrier and William Griffin. The song was produced by his production team, Big Ree ...
", featured
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
and was a moderate hit. It peaked at number 64 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. The third and final single was "
Year of the Lover". The single version featured rapper
Plies. It only peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles.
In June 2009, it was announced that Politr would depart from
The Inc. Records
Murder Inc. Records, LLC. (formerly The Inc. Records) is an American record label founded by brothers Chris and Irv Gotti in 1998. The label's flagship artist is Ja Rule. According to Chris Gotti, Murder Inc. had sold over 30 million units wor ...
. Lloyd stated that he was "focusing on just growing in general". A song titled "Pusha", produced by
The Runners written by Polite, Raymond "Ray-Ray" Gordon,
Sean
Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...
"Slim"
McMillion, and The Monarch and featuring
Juelz Santana
LaRon Louis James (born February 18, 1982), better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper and member of East Coast hip hop group The Diplomats, also known as Dipset. He is best known for his appearances on Cam'ron's 2002 si ...
was leaked online.
[Joszor, Njai]
Lesson Learned (Interview)
''Singersroom.com''. September 26, 2010. Juelz Santana was later replaced on the song by
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
but later both verses were put together and was released as the lead single from his
EP, ''Like Me: The Young Goldie EP''. Polite also collaborated with Lil Wayne on the song "
BedRock
In geology, bedrock is solid Rock (geology), rock that lies under loose material (regolith) within the crust (geology), crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet.
Definition
Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface mater ...
" which is the second single from Lil Wayne's record label
Young Money
Young Money Entertainment is an American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne. Young Money's president is Lil Wayne's lifelong friend and fellow rapper Mack Maine. The label was an imprint of Cash Money Records and is distributed by Republi ...
compilation
Compilation may refer to:
*In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler
**Compilation error
**Compilation unit
*Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products
*Compilation thesis
M ...
album. On March 13 it was confirmed that Lloyd signed to
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
.
2010–2013: ''King of Hearts''
In May 2010, Polite teamed up with fellow New Orleans native
Mystikal
Michael Lawrence Tyler (born September 22, 1970), better known by his stage name Mystikal, is an American rapper.
Early life and education
Tyler grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana's 12th Ward. His father, who ran a small neighborhood store, d ...
and recorded "Set Me Free". The video was shot primarily in the
Calliope Projects
The Calliope Projects, also known as B. W. Cooper Public Housing Development, was a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans and one of the housing projects of New Orleans. This project of New Orleans gained notoriety for its extremely high violent ...
of New Orleans. The song featured heavy brass sounds and a sample of "Unchain My Heart" by
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
. On July 25, 2010, Lloyd announced via
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that his new album will be entitled ''
King of Hearts
The king of hearts is a playing card in the standard 52-card deck.
King of Hearts may also refer to:
Games
* The King of Hearts Has Five Sons, card game that may have been a precursor to Cluedo
Books
* King of Hearts (''Alice's Adventures ...
''. It was released on July 5, 2011, and on August 16, 2010, Polite released the first single entitled "
Lay It Down". The second single was "
Cupid
In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...
" and the third single released was "
Dedication to My Ex (Miss That)"; to date the single is Lloyd's biggest international hit peaking at number three on the Australian and UK charts. The song features
André 3000
André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), better known as André 3000, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a part of southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi.
B ...
of
OutKast and is narrated by
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
.
On October 29, 2012, Polite released his first mixtape ''The Playboy Diaries Vol. 1''. It features
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
,
August Alsina
August Anthony Alsina Jr.(April 8, 2013)R&B Singer August Alsina Talks Working With The Dream, Preps Def Jam Debut, ''Life + Times'' (confirms middle name; other sources confirm he is a "junior") (born September 3, 1992) is an American singer f ...
,
Trae Tha Truth
Frazier Othel Thompson III (born July 3, 1980), better known by his stage name Trae tha Truth (or simply Trae), is an American rapper and record executive from Houston, Texas. Embarking on a musical career in 1998, he soon established himself ...
among others. In January 2013 Polite released a song called "Twerk Off" featuring rapper
Juicy J
Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established i ...
and was produced by
Drumma Boy
Christopher James Gholson (born August 11, 1983), better known by his stage name Drumma Boy, is an American record producer.
Early life
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Cordova, Tennessee, he was exposed to music at a young age. His mo ...
.
2016–present: ''Tru''
On May 6, 2016, he released his first single in five years titled "Tru", with the audio for the song released on YouTube 12 days later. On June 23, 2016, during an interview, Polite revealed that he had signed a new distribution deal with
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
. Lloyd announced the release of his fifth studio album titled ''Out My Window'' on October 25, 2016.
On November 7 Polite announced via his Instagram that he would be releasing a new EP before his album on December 9, 2016, titled ''Tru''.
On July 9, 2018, Polite released "Caramel" as the first single from his album ''
Tru''. The album was released on August 31.
Personal life
On September 3, 2010, Polite cut off his signature long hair and donated it to charity. On July 6, 2011, Lloyd revealed a new tattoo of "Guns & Roses" that was tattooed on the back of his head. On March 14, 2016, it was announced and revealed that Lloyd had earned his
GED certificate. In an August 2016 interview with
Sway Calloway
Sway Calloway is an American journalist, radio personality, executive producer and former rapper. Known as Sway, he is known for hosting music, news, and culture programming. He was the co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show ''The Wake U ...
, Polite explains his hiatus through the lyrics of his song "Tru", expressing how he lost an unborn child to an abortion and that it "left a big hole", while also detailing other family issues. In September 2017, Polite's girlfriend gave birth to their son River. The two welcomed their daughter in late 2018.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Southside Southside or South Side may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Southside, Queensland, a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region
Canada
* South Side, Newfoundland and Labrador, a community in the St. George's Bay area on the southwest coast of Newf ...
'' (2004)
* ''
Street Love'' (2007)
* ''
Lessons in Love'' (2008)
* ''
King of Hearts
The king of hearts is a playing card in the standard 52-card deck.
King of Hearts may also refer to:
Games
* The King of Hearts Has Five Sons, card game that may have been a precursor to Cluedo
Books
* King of Hearts (''Alice's Adventures ...
'' (2011)
* ''
Tru'' (2018)
References
External links
Official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lloyd
1986 births
Living people
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singers
20th-century African-American male singers
American contemporary R&B singers
Countertenors
Def Jam Recordings artists
Murder Inc. Records artists
Interscope Records artists
Singers from Georgia (U.S. state)
Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans
Singers from Louisiana
American hip hop dancers
American hip hop singers
Universal Motown Records artists
21st-century African-American male singers
People from Decatur, Georgia