Webster Gradney, Jr.
(born September 6 1985), better known by his stage name Webbie
, is an American pop artist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was signed to the independent Trill Entertainment label from 2003 to 2005. [1] In 2005 he came into the hip hop scene in with "Gimme That" featuring Bun B. His songs "Bad Bitch" and "Swerve" were featured on Gangsta Musik
, his 2003 group album with Lil' Boosie, and in the 2005 movie Hustle & Flow
. Both songs are also on Webbie's debut album Savage Life
which was released on the summer of 2005 under Atlantic Records.
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WEBBIE TICKETS
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Early life
Webbie was born September 6, 1985 as Webster Gradney, Jr. in
Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
His mother Joycelyn died of cancer when he was eight years old, so his parental care was split between his father and grandmother.
[3] Ever since he was five years old, he had been writing rhymes, and throughout his childhood he had become an avid fan of
hardcore rap artists including Southern hip hop performers
Master P,
Eightball & MJG, the
Geto Boys, and
UGK, as well as
West Coast rap such as
2Pac,
Eazy-E, and
Snoop Dogg. His admiration for hip-hop is attributed to his cousin from California.
He attended Broadmoor Middle School, where he played quarterback for the football team the Buccaneers. 7th grade math teacher Sean Fluharty described Gradney as a "quiet, mild-mannered student" and said "he was actually pretty good at math."
Things changed for him one day in the fall of 2001 after he made a freestyle rap about his late mother.
[4] Thus, he was signed to independent label
Trill Entertainment by rapper
Pimp C of UGK.
Music career
Under Trill, he recorded two albums in collaboration with fellow Baton Rouge-based rapper
Lil' Boosie,
Ghetto Stories
in 2003 and
Gangsta Musik
in 2004. As Webbie's solo tracks "Gimme Dat" (featuring
Bun B of UGK) and "Bad Bitch" were frequently featured in mixtapes, Trill began a deal to sign Webbie to the
Warner Bros. Records subsidiary label
Atlantic Records. He was signed there, and his major-label debut
Savage Life
was released in 2005
, debuting at number eight on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart.
[5] In 2007, he wrote and performed on the track "
Wipe Me Down" by rapper
Foxx and began work on his follow-up album
Savage Life 2
which was released February 26, 2008.
[6] It debuted at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, selling 72,000 copies its debut week.
[7] Singles from
Savage Life 2
include "Independent" featuring
Lil' Boosie and Lil Phat and "I Miss You" featuring [LeToya Luckett].
Personal life
On September 14, 2008, Gradney was arrested in
Hattiesburg,
Mississippi, after he led police on a high-speed chase following their attempt to pull him over for a traffic violation. Gradney crashed into another vehicle and was booked at the Forrest County Regional Jail on charges of one count of felony eluding, one count of driving under the influence, and one misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana. Gradney is also engaged to Chanel Erwin. The two are expecting a child, as of Aug 13, 2009.
[8]
Discography
Albums
| Year
| Title
| Chart positions [9] [10]
|
| U.S.
| U.S. R&B
| U.S. Rap
|
| 2005
| Savage Life
| 8
| 4
| 4
|
| 2008
| Savage Life 2
| 4
| 1
| 1
|
| 2009
| Savage World
| TBD
| TBD
| TBD
|
Collaboration
| Year
| Title
| Chart positions
|
| U.S.
| U.S. R&B
| U.S. Rap
| U.S. Heatseekers
|
| 2003
| Ghetto Stories
(with Lil Boosie)
| —
| 56
| —
| —
|
| 2004
| Gangsta Musik
(with Lil Boosie)
| —
| 35
| 14
| 11
|
| 2007
| Trill Entertainment Presents: Survival of the Fittest
(with Lil Boosie, Foxx & Trill Fam) [11]
| 14
| 3
| 2
| —
|
Singles
Solo
| Year
| Title
| Chart positions [12]
| RIAA certification
| Album
|
| U.S.
| U.S. R&B
| U.S. Rap
| U.S. Pop
|
| 2005
| "Give Me That" (featuring Bun B)
| 29
| 8
| 4
| 72
| Platinum
| Savage Life
|
| "Bad Bitch [Remix]" (featuring Trina)
| 120
| 48
| -
| -
| -
|
| "How U Ridin'"
| -
| 91 [13]
| -
| -
| -
|
| 2007
| "Independent" (featuring Lil Phat & Lil Boosie)
| 9
| 5
| 1
| 27
| Platinum
| Savage Life 2
|
Other charted songs
| Year
| Title
| Chart positions
| Album
|
| U.S. R&B
|
| 2005
| "What Is It"
| 109 [14]
| Savage Life
|
| "Like That"
| 68 |
| 2007
| "I Miss You" (featuring LeToya)
| 64 | Savage Life 2
|
Featured songs
| Year
| Song
| U.S. Hot 100
| U.S. R&B
| U.S. Rap
| Album
|
| 2007
| "Wipe Me Down [Remix]" (Foxx featuring Lil Boosie & Webbie)
| 38
| 8
| 4
| Trill Entertainment Presents: Survival of the Fittest
|
| 2008
| "Bizzy Body " (Paul Wall featuring Webbie & Mouse)
| 67
| 8
| 13
| Fast Life
|
| 2009
| "Ugh Ugh Ugh " (Juicy J featuring Webbie & Project Pat)
|
|
|
| Hustle Till I Die
|
| 2009
| "Better Believe It" (Lil Boosie featuring Webbie & Young Jeezy)
|
| 67
|
| Super Bad
|
| 2009
| "Lil Freak " (Three 6 Mafia featuring Webbie)
|
|
|
| Laws of Power
|
Mixtapes
- The Savage Mixtape Vol. 1
- *Released: April 19, 2006
- *Label: Trill Entertainment
- ''Gangsta Grillz #14 (With DJ Drama)
References
- Webbie - Biography
- Trill Fam - Survival of the Fittest
- Webbie - Biography
- Webbie - Full Biography
- R. Kelly "Reloads" at No. 1
- Webbie's Next "Life" Due In Late February
- Janet Jackson Teaches Jack Johnson Discipline, Claims Sixth #1 Debut
- Webbie Arrested In Mississippi After A High Speed Chase ''BallerStatus.com''
- Gangsta Musik > Charts & Awards
- Webbie - Billboard Albums
- "Survival of the Fittest" - Charts & Awards
- Webbie - Billboard Singles
- http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=367&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+R%26amp%3BB%2F
- http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=345&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Bubbling+Under+R%2