Juvenile

Early life and bounce beginnings

Juvenile was born Terius Gray on March 26, 1975, in New Orleans and was raised in the Magnolia Projects in the city’s Uptown 3rd Ward. After being noticed at local talent shows, he made his first recordings on tracks by bounce artist DJ Jimi, including “It’s Jimi” (1991) and “Bounce (For the Juvenile)” (1993). His debut album, Being Myself, was issued by Warlock Records in the mid-1990s; he left the label after disagreeing with its push for him to record bounce music.

Cash Money and the Hot Boys

Juvenile met Cash Money Records co-founder Bryan “Baby” Williams at a bus stop and joined the label, which released his second album, Solja Rags, in 1997. That same year he formed the Hot Boys with B.G., Lil Wayne and Turk. The group’s Get It How U Live! (1997) and Guerrilla Warfare (1999), the latter certified platinum, were produced, like most Cash Money records of the period, by Mannie Fresh.

400 Degreez and the national breakthrough

After Cash Money signed a distribution deal with Universal, Juvenile released 400 Degreez in November 1998. Driven by the singles “Ha” and “Back That Azz Up,” the album reached number nine on the Billboard 200 and was certified quadruple platinum. Tha G-Code (1999) and Project English (2001) followed. By 2003 he had left Cash Money, citing disputes over money, though the label released Juve the Great that December; its single “Slow Motion,” featuring the late Soulja Slim, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

UTP, Atlantic and later career

Juvenile runs his own UTP Records imprint, and in 2005 he signed with Atlantic as a solo artist and for UTP. His Slidell, Louisiana, home was damaged during Hurricane Katrina. Reality Check (2006) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Later albums include Cocky & Confident (2009), Beast Mode (2010), Rejuvenation (2012) and The Fundamentals (2014). He received a key to the city of New Orleans in 2021 and performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert in 2023.