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Fam-Lay | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Nathaniel Johnson |
| Also known as | Fam |
| Born | May 28, 1974 |
| Origin | Norfolk, Virginia |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Arista/Star Trak (2002–2004) Def Jam (2003–2004) Interscope/Star Trak (2004–2010) |
Nathaniel Johnson, also known as Fam-Lay (born May 28, 1974) is an American rapper. [1]
Signed to The Neptunes' Star Trak imprint, he first gained notoriety through several guest appearances he made on various Neptunes-related projects, including the Clipse's debut album Lord Willin' in 2002. He also later appeared on The Neptunes' compilation The Neptunes Present... Clones in 2003, which featured his song "Rock 'N Roll". Then in 2004 he had the single and video "Rock N Roll (Remix)" featuring Lil Flip. It gained heavy rotation on MTV Jams. He also was featured in the video game Def Jam: Fight for New York (2004) in which he was a playable/fightable character added into the storyline.
He planned to release his debut album, titled Traintogo, in March 2004, [2] through a joint venture between Star Trak and Def Jam Recordings. Unlike most Neptunes-helmed projects, where Pharrell and Chad Hugo handle almost all of the production duties, Traintogo was unique in that it was to feature production from outside producers, including Lil' Jon and David Banner. After suffering several delays, Traintogo failed to meet its scheduled release date. To further complicate matters, Fam-Lay's deal with Def Jam fell through, and he was dropped from the label in July 2004. Traintogo still has yet to be released. [3]
In the mid 2010’s Fam-Lay discovered the rapper BIA through YouTube and later introduced her to Pharrell. [4]
(All songs feature Fam-Lay unless otherwise noted)
| Year | Artist | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Clipse | "Fam-Lay Freestyle" | Lord Willin' |
| 2003 | The Neptunes | "Rock 'N Roll" | The Neptunes Present... Clones |
| The Neptunes | "Rock 'N Roll" (Remix) (features Lil' Flip) | The Neptunes Present... Clones | |
| Philly's Most Wanted | "Cocoa Leaf (No Relief)" (features Clipse and Rosco P. Coldchain) | — | |
| 2007 | David Banner | "Toes Down" (features B.G.) | The Best Thing Smokin' Vol. 2 |
| 2009 | Teriyaki Boyz | "Tokyo Drift (Fast & Furious) Remix" (featuring Pusha T) | Serious Japanese |
| 2014 | Bia | "Chain Swang" (featuring Pharrell) | Chola Season |
| 2015 | Lupe Fiasco | "Chopper" (features Billy Blue, Buk of Psychodrama, Trouble, Trae tha Truth & Glasses Malone) | Tetsuo & Youth |
Fam-Lay is a playable character in the video game Def Jam: Fight for NY .
The Neptunes are an American songwriting and production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos, while Hugo tends to stay behind the scenes.
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams, often known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes, which he formed in 1992 with Chad Hugo. They produced 15 singles which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, including four songs that peaked atop the chart. He also formed the alternative band N.E.R.D. with Hugo and drummer Shay Haley in 1999, for which Williams serves as lead vocalist. He has been considered one of the most influential music producers of the 21st century for his impact on popular music.
Charles Edward Hugo is an American record producer. Alongside close colleague Pharrell Williams, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in 1992, with whom he's produced numerous hit records for various artists. He is also a member of the band N.E.R.D., alongside Williams and Shay Haley, and co-founded the record label Star Trak Entertainment with Williams in 2001. In contrast to Williams, Hugo typically does not perform on records.
Victor James Santiago, Jr., better known by his stage names N.O.R.E. and Noreaga, is an American rapper and broadcaster. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Santiago first rose to prominence as one half of the East Coast hip hop duo Capone-N-Noreaga (C-N-N), which he formed in 1995 with fellow Queens-based rapper Capone. The duo released five studio albums, briefly disbanding after their second to pursue solo careers.
Clipse, also known as The Clipse, is an American hip hop duo, chiefly active from 1994 to 2010. It consists of brothers Gene "No Malice" and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton. Pusha T was known as Terrar during the group's early years, while No Malice was originally known as Malicious, then changed his stage name to Malice soon after the group's formation, before changing it again to No Malice in 2012 following a conversion to Christianity. The duo were based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and were heavily affiliated with producer and fellow Virginia Beach native, Pharrell Williams, who convinced the two in 1992 to be a rap duo instead of solo artists. Williams would go on to serve as their label head, main producer and frequent guest artist through most of their career. The duo frequently rapped about the drug dealing they had done in their youth. Clipse was integral in establishing Virginia as one of the East Coast's strongholds in hip hop.
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Lord Willin' is the major label debut and second studio album by hip hop duo Clipse. The album was released on August 20, 2002, in the United States by Star Trak and Arista. Recording sessions took place over a year, beginning in 2001. Production was handled by The Neptunes.
The Neptunes Present... Clones is a compilation album produced and released by American production and songwriting duo The Neptunes. It was released on August 19, 2003 and has been certified Gold by the RIAA. The album featured six singles; "Frontin'" by Pharrell Williams, "Popular Thug" by Kelis, "Light Your Ass on Fire" by Busta Rhymes, “Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Fam-Lay, "Hot Damn" by Clipse and "It Blows My Mind" by Snoop Dogg.
"Gettin' Some" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Shawnna. It was released on December 3, 2005, via Disturbing tha Peace/Def Jam Recordings as a single from her second studio album Block Music. The original version of "Gettin' Some" appears on Block Music as a hidden track. The song samples Too Short's "Blowjob Betty".
Hell Hath No Fury is the third studio album by hip hop duo Clipse. The album was released on November 28, 2006 in the United States by Re-Up, Star Trak and Jive. Recording sessions for the album took place over a period of several years, and suffered numerous delays prior to release. Production was handled by The Neptunes.
The following is a discography of production by the Neptunes, a production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo.
Terrence LeVarr Thornton, better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother No Malice. Mainly active from 1994 to 2010, the duo were discovered by Pharrell Williams and signed with his record label Star Trak Entertainment, an imprint of Arista Records in 2001. They released three studio albums—Lord Willin' (2002), Hell Hath No Fury (2006) and Til the Casket Drops (2009)—to mild commercial success; the former spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 singles "Grindin'" and "When the Last Time", for which they became best known.
Rodney Ramone Hill Jr., better known by his stage name Rocko, is an American rapper and record executive from Atlanta, Georgia. He is credited with discovering fellow Atlanta rapper Future, whom he signed to his record label, A1 Recordings upon its launch in 2010. Rocko acted as executive producer for Future's earlier albums until his departure from the label in 2017.
Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Shumpert is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model, dancer, choreographer, and music video director. After choreographing the video for Beyoncé's 2006 single "Ring the Alarm," she signed a recording contract with the Neptunes' Star Trak Entertainment, an imprint of Interscope Records to embark on a career as an recording artist the following year. Taylor appeared on MTV's My Super Sweet 16 prior to the release of her 2008 debut single, "Google Me." Despite lukewarm commercial response, she later gained wider attention in 2010 for her uncredited guest performances on the songs "Dark Fantasy" and "Hell of a Life" by Kanye West, from his highly-acclaimed album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). She parted ways with Star Trak and Interscope in favor of signing with West's GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings two years later.
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Nicholaus Joseph Williams, better known by his stage name Trinidad James, is a Trinidadian-American rapper and songwriter. In December 2012, he signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings and released his debut single, "All Gold Everything". The song reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100, received platinum certification by the RIAA, and spawned a remix featuring fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I., Jeezy and 2 Chainz. He was dropped from the label in 2014 after failing to promptly record a debut album.
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