Twista

Last updated

Twista
Twista 101109 photoby Adam-Bielawski.jpg
Twista in 2010
Background information
Birth nameCarl Terrell Mitchell
Also known asTung Twista
Born (1973-11-27) November 27, 1973 (age 50)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active1989–present
Labels

Carl Terrell Mitchell (born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Twista (formerly Tung Twista), is an American rapper. He is best known for his chopper style of rapping and for once holding the title of fastest English-speaking rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds, but his fastest peak burst was on DJ Kay Slay's "Rolling 50 Deep", coming in at 14.07 syllables per second. [1]

Contents

In 1997, after appearing on Do or Die's hit single "Po Pimp", [2] [3] produced by the Legendary Traxster, Twista signed with Big Beat and Atlantic Records, [4] where he released his third album Adrenaline Rush and formed the group Speedknot Mobstaz, in 1998. His 2004 album Kamikaze topped the U.S. Billboard 200, after the success of the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Slow Jamz" (with Kanye West and Jamie Foxx). [5] [2]

Early life

Carl Terrell Mitchell was born on November 27, 1973, [6] and grew up in the K-Town area of the West Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, and began rapping at the age of 12. [7]

Career

In 1992, Mitchell released his first album called Runnin' Off at da Mouth under the name Tung Twista. [8] [9]

His second album, titled Resurrection , was set to be released in 1994, but due to problems with his record label at the time Atlantic Records and marketing issues involving fellow Chicago rapper Common's album of the same name, the album was only released in the city of Chicago and thus got little national attention. [10]

In 1996, he teamed with Chicago producer the Legendary Traxster and Cwal's Do or Die on the track "Po Pimp" produced by the Legendary Traxster, which became a hit single. This led to a Cwal's label deal with Atlantic Records, which released Adrenaline Rush in 1997. [11] Twista had by then dropped the "Tung" from his stage name. [7] Adrenaline Rush became Twista's first charting album, as it peaked at #77 on the Billboard 200. The album also spawned a Billboard Hot 100 hit in "Get It Wet" produced by the Legendary Traxster, which peaked at #96.

In 1998, Twista teamed with other Chicago area rappers to form Speedknot Mobstaz. They released their first album, Mobstability , produced entirely by the Legendary Traxster, in 1998. Twista then joined label Legit Ballin', which released two compilation albums: Legit Ballin' in 1999 and Legit Ballin' Vol. 2: Street Scriptures in 2001. [7] The label later released Respect the Game, Vol. 3 in 2002 and Volume 4: Tha Truth in 2006. In 2000, Twista collaborated with Ruff Ryders and Drag-On on the album Ruff Ryders: Ryde or Die Vol. 2, on the track "Twisted Heat". He also collaborated with Memphis Bleek on "Is That Your Chick (The Lost Verses)" on the album The Understanding .

Beginning in 2002, Twista began recording his album Kamikaze with rappers like Kanye West and Ludacris. Kamikaze was released in 2004 and debuted at the top spot of the US Billboard 200 album chart. [12] Its first single "Slow Jamz" (also featured on West's debut album The College Dropout ), featured West and Jamie Foxx and became a number-one hit in the US. [11] Other singles included "Overnight Celebrity" and "So Sexy" (featuring R. Kelly); the album sold around two million copies. [7] The remix of the song "Jook Gal" by Elephant Man featured Twista and the YoungBloodZ. Kamikaze and its singles gave Twista a new level of success and rose his profile significantly within the rap community.

Twista in 2008 Twista College of Charleston 2008.04.23.jpg
Twista in 2008

Twista's album The Day After was released in 2005. It featured the hit singles "Girl Tonite" (featuring Trey Songz), "Hit the Floor" (featuring Pitbull), and "So Lonely" (featuring Mariah Carey). His next album, Adrenaline Rush 2007 , was released in 2007. Also in 2007, Pitbull released the song "Candyman" featuring Twista off the album The Boatlift . Its singles were "Give It Up" (featuring Pharrell) and "Creep Fast" (featuring T-Pain). This album sold poorly compared to Twista's earlier albums.[ citation needed ] Twista appeared on the single "Hell No (Leave Home)" from Monica's 2006 album The Makings of Me . In 2008, Twista launched a new record label called Get Money Gang Entertainment and the album Category F5 with the hit, "Wetter". [13] In 2009, Twista appeared on the single "Legendary" with fellow Chicago rappers AK-47 of Do or Die and Saurus and Bones. [14] [15]

Twista released his eighth solo album entitled, The Perfect Storm on November 9, 2010. The first single from the album, "Make a Movie" produced by the Legendary Traxster, featuring Chris Brown, was released on August 24, 2010. [16] Two buzz singles were released, "I Do" produced by Traxster and "Heat" produced by fellow Chicago producers No I.D. and the Legendary Traxster. The album features artists such as Waka Flocka Flame, Raekwon, Tia London, Diddy, Ray J, and others. Production on the album is mainly by the Legendary Traxster along with Streetrunner, the Kray Twinz, Tight Mike, and No I.D., Twista discussed his new documentary, directed by Vlad Yudin and the making of The Perfect Storm, including his belief that artists need to do more than just record songs and that they need to become more involved with the community around them. [17]

A documentary film, Mr. Immortality: The Life and Times of Twista, was released in November 2010. [18]

In January 2013, Twista was featured in a remix of Lil Reese's song "Traffic". As of 2013, Twista was working on his ninth studio album entitled Dark Horse . He also was rumored to be in the works of signing a record deal with Kanye West's record label GOOD Music, although in an interview with HipHopDX , Twista denied the rumor. [19] The first single was "Throwin' My Money" (featuring R. Kelly) and produced by Chris Millionaire. Twista appeared on the song "Jewels n' Drugs" by Lady Gaga on the album Artpop . "It's Yours" (featuring Tia London) was released on May 6, 2014, as the second single of the aforementioned album. [20] [21] It was serviced to urban contemporary radio in the United States on May 27, 2014, by Capitol Records. [22] Dark Horse was released on August 12, 2014.

Twista is featured on the song "Gossip" from When Music Worlds Collide released in May 2015. [23]

Twista appeared on ABC's To Tell the Truth in 2017.

Twista released the mixtape Summer 96 in 2019, this includes the song "Home Invasion" which features Do or Die and produced by Hearon Tracks. [24]

In 2019, Twista appeared as a judge on the rap competition series Rhythm + Flow on Netflix.

Personal life

Twista was married from 1991 to 1999 and had a daughter with his ex-wife. [25]

During the holiday season in 2010, Twista and his team Get Money Gang worked together with Chicago Food Bank's Producemobile program to feed hungry people in the community. [26]

Twista is a gun enthusiast, has an Illinois Concealed Carry License, and is a US Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) and National Rifle Association of America (NRA) certified instructor. [27] [ better source needed ] He teaches a course on concealed carry in Chicago, [28] aiming to using education to combat gun violence. [29]

Discography

Studio albums

Collaborative albums

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Foxx</span> American actor (born 1967)

Eric Marlon Bishop, known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer, and comedian. He gained his career breakthrough as a featured player in the sketch comedy show In Living Color until the show's end in 1994. Following this success, he was given his own sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show, in which he starred, co-created and produced from 1996 to 2001.

<i>Kamikaze</i> (Twista album) 2004 studio album by Twista

Kamikaze is the fourth studio album by American rapper Twista. It was released on January 27, 2004, by Atlantic Records. The album reached the top of the US Billboard 200 chart in early 2004, after the success of its lead single, "Slow Jamz". It sold 312,000 units in its first week of sales, and received generally positive reviews from critics. It is Twista's most successful album, being certified double platinum by the RIAA.

Samuel Lindley, better known by his stage name The Legendary Traxster, is an American songwriter, rapper and record producer. He is best known as a producer for hip hop artist Twista and group Do or Die. He is the owner of Traxster Inc. and co-CEO of CWAL Records. In 2017, he launched Nothing But Dope, an imprint distributed through Priority Records. He is also one half of the hip hop duo House Lindley, which is composed of him and his wife Latia "Tia London" Lindley.

<i>The Day After</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Twista

The Day After is the fifth studio album by American rapper Twista. It was released on October 4, 2005 via Atlantic Records. The follow-up to his 2004 breakthrough album Kamikaze, the album marked Twista's first project without contribution from longtime collaborator The Legendary Traxster. Instead, he worked with a variety of new collaborators on the album, including Bigg D, Mr. Collipark, Cuxo, Bryan-Michael Cox, Rodney Jerkins, Jim Jonsin, R. Kelly, The Neptunes, Scott Storch, and Toxic.

Do or Die is an American rap trio originally from the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago, consisting of N.A.R.D., Belo Zero, and AK-47. The group experienced mainstream success with the platinum single "Po Pimp", which peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Mobstability</i> 1998 studio album by Twista & the Speedknot Mobstaz

Mobstability is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Twista and fellow Chicago-based hip hop group the Speedknot Mobstaz. It was released on October 6, 1998 via Atlantic Records. Production was handled entirely by The Legendary Traxster, with Leroy Burton serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Christopher Williams, Danny Boy, NewSense and Shock The World. The album peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200 and number 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Its lead single, "In Your World", peaked at No. 101 on the Billboard Hot 100 and appeared on the Dr. Dolittle: The Album soundtrack.

<i>Adrenaline Rush</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Twista

Adrenaline Rush is the third studio album by Chicago rapper Twista, released on June 24, 1997. It was his second album nationally released, after his previous effort Resurrection was shelved outside of Chicago. The album had guest artists: Johnny P, Liffy Stokes, Miss Kane, Malif, Mayz and Turtle Banks. The first single off the album was "Emotions", a song which reworked the chorus of the Do or Die hit "Po Pimp". The single "Get It Wet" charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 96. With very little airplay or radio play outside the midwest, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on July 15, 2019.

<i>Adrenaline Rush 2007</i> 2007 studio album by Twista

Adrenaline Rush 2007 is the sixth studio album by Chicago rapper Twista. It was released on September 18, 2007. The "2007" in the title references the ten years passed since his third studio album Adrenaline Rush. The first official single from the album was "Give It Up", featuring Pharrell and "Creep Fast " was the second single. The professional review from XXL states that the content of commercial and raw talent is a good mix. The album has received generally favorable reviews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slow Jamz</span> 2003 single by Twista

"Slow Jamz" is a song by American rapper Twista together with the American rapper and producer Kanye West and American singer Jamie Foxx. Produced by West, it was released in November 2003 through Atlantic and Roc-A-Fella Records, as the lead single from Twista's fourth studio album Kamikaze (2004), and the second single from West's debut studio album The College Dropout (2004). The song was written by Twista and West, with additional writing credits going to Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the sampling of Luther Vandross' cover of Dionne Warwick's 1964 song "A House Is Not a Home". Containing genres of hip hop, pop rap, R&B, and soul, the song's lyrics reference slow jam artists and describes the role of lovermen.

<i>Picture This</i> (Do or Die album) 1996 studio album by Do or Die

Picture This is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Do or Die. It was released on September 3, 1996, via Rap-A-Lot Records. The recording sessions took place at Creator's Way Studios in Chicago and at Lil J Studio in Houston. The album was produced by the Legendary Traxster, Mike Dean and Crazy C, with J. Prince serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Twista and Johnny P.

<i>Headz or Tailz</i> 1998 studio album by Do or Die

Headz or Tailz is the second studio album by American hip hop group Do Or Die. It was released on April 7, 1998, via Rap-A-Lot/Virgin Records. Recording sessions took place at Hippie House Studios and Knock Hard Studio in Houston and at Creator's Way Studios in Chicago. Production was handled by the Legendary Traxster, Mr. Lee and Mike Dean, with J. Prince serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Danny Boy, Johnny P., Beyond Content, Bushwick Bill, Chilla, Scarface, Shock Tha World, Twista and Val Young. The album peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and number 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on May 29, 1998. Its lead single, "Still Po Pimpin", reached at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 16 on the Hot Rap Singles. The song "Bustin Back" is a diss track towards Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

<i>Back 2 the Game</i> 2002 studio album by Do or Die

Back 2 the Game is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Do Or Die. It was released on August 13, 2002, via Rap-A-Lot/Virgin Records. Recording sessions took place at The Legendary Traxster, Inc., at Legit Ballers Studio, at Most Wanted Studio, at Chicago Tracks, and at Chicago Recording Company. Production was handled by The Legendary Traxster, Toxic, Naki and Datanna, with J. Prince serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Johnny P., Twista and Yung Buk. The album peaked at No. 64 on the Billboard 200 and No. 25 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

<i>D.O.D.</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Do or Die

D.O.D. is the sixth studio album by American hip hop group Do Or Die. It was released on February 1, 2005 via The Legion Records. Recording sessions took place at Pressure Point Studios, The Chocolate Factory, Chicago Recording Company and United Technique Recording in Chicago, at the Record Plant and Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles, at The Legendary Traxster, Inc., and at The Sound Villa. Production was handled by The Legendary Traxster, Kanye West, DJ Quik, J. R. Rotem, No I.D., N.O. Joe, R. Kelly, Scott Storch, Toxic, Vudu and Wax Master Maurice, with Rudolph J. Acosta serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Kanye West, Johnny P, Bounty Killer, DJ Quik, Grind, Malik Yusef, Remy Ma, Ric Jilla, R. Kelly, Sasha, Shawnna, Syleena Johnson, the Legendary Traxster and Twista.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Po Pimp</span> 1996 single by Do or Die featuring Twista

"Po Pimp" is the debut single by Do or Die, it served as the lead single from their debut album, Picture This. The song was produced by The Legendary Traxster and featured a guest verse from fellow Chicago rapper Twista and vocals from R&B singer Johnny P.

<i>Category F5</i> 2009 studio album by Twista

Category F5 is the seventh studio album by American rapper Twista. Its title is taken from the Fujita scale. The album marks the first collaboration with Chicago producer the Legendary Traxster since 2004's Kamikaze. The album was released on July 14, 2009. Originally scheduled to feature Kanye West, Akon, Busta Rhymes, Mr. Criminal, Tech N9ne, and Static Major, guest appearances were pared down as many of the recorded songs were leaked, including the song "Problems" featuring Tech N9ne, which was cut because of sample-clearance problems. The track "She Got It" was cut because the track was not 100% ready. "All Right" was included on iTunes as a bonus track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wetter (song)</span> 2009 single by Twista featuring Erika Shevon

"Wetter" is a song by American rapper Twista off his seventh album Category F5 and released as the first single. The song features the singer Erika Shevon, and was produced by The Legendary Traxster. It is sometimes referred to as the second part of the song "Get It Wet" from his 1997 album Adrenaline Rush due to its similarities. It was released as a digital download on February 24, 2009. The radio version is remixed. The song contains elements from Janet Jackson's 1994 hit "Any Time, Any Place". It is a straightforward slow jam, with Shevon's vocal chorus punctuating Twista's two verses. The 'calling you daddy' section serves as both an intro and an outro. There is a freestyle by Lil Wayne & Shanell called "Wayne On Me" from Wayne's 2009 mixtape No Ceilings. This song is Twista's highest-charting single since Girl Tonite (2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get It Wet</span> 1997 single by Twista feat. Ms. Kane

"Get It Wet" is the second single released from Twista's third album, Adrenaline Rush. The song featured a verse from rapper, Ms. Kane and was produced by The Legendary Traxster. "Get It Wet" was Twista's first to make it to the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at 96 on the chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunshine (Twista song)</span> 2004 single by Twista

"Sunshine" is the fourth single released from American rapper Twista's fourth album, Kamikaze. The song did not find success in the United States, but in the United Kingdom, "Sunshine" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart. "Sunshine" features R&B singer Anthony Hamilton and was produced by Red Spyda.

<i>The Perfect Storm</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Twista

The Perfect Storm is the eighth studio album by American rapper Twista, released through his record label Get Money Gang and EMI on November 9, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Make a Movie</span> 2010 single by Twista featuring Chris Brown

"Make a Movie" is a song by American rapper Twista featuring American singer Chris Brown, released by Get Money Gang and EMI on August 24, 2010 as the second single from the former's eighth studio album, The Perfect Storm (2010). Written by Twista alongside its producer the Legendary Traxster and American singer T-Pain, it is the only song from the album to enter the Billboard Hot 100—on which it peaked at number 71.

References

  1. ↑ Stevens, Mary (June 26, 1992). "Tung Twista Lands Spot in Guinness Book". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "The Number Ones: Twista's "Slow Jamz" (Feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx)". Stereogum. November 23, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Do Or Die Responds To Controversy Surrounding "Po Pimp" Being Taught In Schools". Complex. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  4. ↑ Omondi, Ryan (January 6, 2023). "Who is the fastest rapper in the world? List of 10 quickest artists". Legit.ng – Nigeria news. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  5. ↑ "The Number Ones: Kanye West's "Gold Digger" (Feat. Jamie Foxx)". Stereogum. January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  6. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 673.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Twista". Atlantic Records. 2005. Archived from the original on February 4, 2007.
  8. ↑ "Rappers increasingly choose Chicago as the place to be". Chicago Tribune. May 13, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ Nora (December 27, 2022). "Twista Net Worth 2023: Rapper Income Career Cars Age Wife" . Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Twista age, hometown, biography". Last.fm. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  11. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2007). "Twista > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved August 18, 2008.
  12. ↑ D'Angelo, Joe (February 4, 2004). "Twista Blows Straight To Top Of Billboard Albums Chart". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 31, 2004. Retrieved August 18, 2008.
  13. ↑ Ford, Tracey (January 15, 2008). "Twista Launches Get Money Gang Record Label". The Boombox. Retrieved August 18, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Twista and AK (Of Do Or Die) join Chicago duo for fast-paced "Legendary" record". Gowhere Hip Hop. November 9, 2009. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  15. ↑ Frank says (November 8, 2009). "Saurus & Bones feat. Twista & AK (of Do or Die) – "Legendary"". Fake Shore Drive. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  16. ↑ Make a Movie (feat. Chris Brown) – EP
  17. ↑ "Twista Oct 31st Uncensored Radio Interview". Archived from the original on November 2, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  18. ↑ "Twista Documentary To Release In November". hiphopdx.com. August 12, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Twista Talks G.O.O.D. Music, Reclaiming Guinness World Record". HipHopDX. May 23, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  20. ↑ "It's Yours (feat. Tia London) – Single by Twista". iTunes.
  21. ↑ C. Vernon Coleman (April 26, 2014). "Twista Featuring Tia London "It's Yours" – XXL". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Urban/UAC Future Releases | R&B, Hip Hop, Release Schedule and Street Dates |". Allaccess.com. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  23. ↑ When Music Worlds Collide
  24. ↑ Twista Home Invasion https://thisis50.com/2019/07/16/twista-home-invasion-ft-do-or-die-official-video/ Original post from July 16. 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  25. ↑ Mitchell, Mary (August 29, 2004). "Rap star Twista leaves daughter waiting, wanting". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on August 29, 2004. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  26. ↑ "Giving Back: Twista Helps Feed the Hungry in Chicago!". UrbLife.com. December 2, 2010. Archived from the original on December 13, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Chicago's Gun Camp, Lead and Taught By the Fastest Rapper Alive". The Truth About Guns. May 16, 2021. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Twista Gun Coach Concealed Carry Class". theguncamp.com. Gun Camp. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Twista Touts Gun Camp, Believes Education Will Help Curb Gun Violence". TMZ. June 21, 2022. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
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