Return of the G

Atlanta may be known more for crunk than gangster music, but the streets are buzzing about Boyz N Da Hood. A new collective of gangster rappers, the Boyz are one of P. Diddy's latest additions to Bad Boy South. The group's self-titled debut drops June 21, but Georgia natives Lee "Duke" Dixon, Miguel "Big Gee" Scott, Jacoby "Jody Breeze" White and Jay "Young Jeezy" Jenkins never set out to be Boyz N Da Hood.

Boyz N Da Hood was the brainchild of Russell "Block" Spencer, CEO of Block Entertainment and co-founder of Sho'Nuff Records. "I thought it was a good name and a good marketing tool, too, but I needed to try to find real niggas," he says about his then-uncast group. "I mean real niggas that really could rap 'cause sometimes the real niggas can't rap, and the fake niggas, they can act real good, so it was kind of hard."

Block chose solo artists to create "the N.W.A. of the South," with all four members representing different aspects of the streets. Duke is the O.G. of the group, Jody Breeze is the youngster, Young Jeezy is the hustler, and Big Gee is for the "poor, broke and hungry." The first song the four ever recorded together was "Dem Boyz," which became the lead single off the debut. "We threw it on the mix tape," says Block, "and the streets said, 'That's it.'"

From there, the challenge was getting the group a deal. Block knew P. Diddy's longtime girlfriend, Kim Porter, so he gave her the CD. She loved it. "So many people give me CDs and I listen," Porter says. "But the difference in this was I put it in and I played number one and I played number two and I was like, 'Wait a minute.' I didn't even get to number three because number one and number two were so hot. So I immediately called Puffy up and said, 'Are you looking for anything?' He's like, 'No.' I was like, 'What if it's just so hot?'"

Within days, Boyz N Da Hood had a deal.

The album's gritty production and even harder lyrics prove a formidable combination. Most of the songs have an ominous feel: menacing, but still thumping in the club. Cuts like "Don't Put Yo Hands On Me" even have a message that resonates with those who don't yearn for street credibility. Who can't relate to "You can talk all the fuck you want/don't put yo' hands on me"?

The production seems tailor-made to each voice, and it usually fits together like a puzzle. It's not hard to distinguish which rapper is rapping, either. Often, Jeezy's verses are accompanied with an echo. Jody Breeze has a young, bouncy flow and he often mans the hooks. Big Gee usually comes in a little harder than the others, and Duke has a more laid-back, calm flow.

There may be a snag in Boyz N Da Hood's success, though. For months now, the buzz on Young Jeezy has been deafening - almost as loud as the applause that greeted him when he performed as a special guest during Ludacris' set at Vibe Musicfest on Sat., June 11. Boyz N Da Hood performed, too, but Jeezy was the only group member to perform solo work. Signed to Def Jam, Young Jeezy's Trap or Die mix-tape CD is easily one of the most popular in the South, and his solo album, Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, comes out June 28. Even though other members have solo deals, Jeezy's album is the only one being released so close to that of the group. He also didn't attend a recent Boyz N Da Hood press meet-and-greet at Justin's.

Block isn't worried about solo releases stealing the thunder from the overall group. "Really, when it comes to Boyz N Da Hood and their style, everybody has their own sound and you ain't gon' find that on no Gee album, no Duke album, no Jody album, no Jeezy album," he says. "You got to come get a Boyz N Da Hood album."

music@creativeloafing.com