Big Shug facts for kids

Cary Guy (born December 13, 1961), known by his stage name Big Shug, is an American rapper. He is from Boston, Massachusetts. Big Shug helped start the group Gang Starr. He is also part of the Gang Starr Foundation.

About Big Shug

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Cary Guy was born in Boston. He spent his early years in the Mattapan area. As he grew up, he became good friends with another rapper named Guru. Together, they started a music group called Gang Starr. This happened at Morehouse College. Shug's younger brother, DJ Suave D, was also part of the group.

Later, the group changed. Guru moved to New York. There, he teamed up with DJ Premier to continue Gang Starr.

Joining the Gang Starr Foundation

After some time, Big Shug reunited with Guru. He then joined the Gang Starr Foundation. Big Shug helped create many of Gang Starr's albums. His first appearance was on Hard to Earn in 1994. He was featured on the song "F.A.L.A."

Big Shug also worked with other artists. He appeared on DJ Krush's album Meiso in 1995. He was also on the song "The Militia" from Gang Starr's 1998 album Moment of Truth. He also contributed to Guru's Jazzmatazz albums.

Solo Music Career

During the 1990s, Big Shug released some singles. These were produced by DJ Premier. However, his first full solo album came out much later. This album, called Who's Hard, was released in 2005. DJ Premier produced half of the songs on this album.

In 2007, Big Shug signed with Babygrande. He then released his second album, Streetchamp. This album was produced by MoSS and DJ Premier. It also featured other artists like DJ Premier and Sean Price.

His third solo album, Otherside of the Game, came out in 2008. This album included collaborations with DJ Premier, Bumpy Knuckles, and Billy Danze from M.O.P.. Other artists like Termanology, Blaq Poet, and Singapore Kane also appeared. In 2009, he performed at the Boston hemp fest.

Recent Music and Collaborations

Big Shug has continued to collaborate with many artists. In 2010, he was featured on "Tap Out." This song is on M-Dot & DJ Jean Maron's album Run MPC. The music video for "Tap Out" was directed by Steven TAPIA.

Also in 2010, he worked with Aztech and Reel Drama on their album Hybrid Genetics. He also collaborated with Spinz on "Round Tha World." This song was recorded while Big Shug was touring in Europe. In 2012, he worked with Dj Jean Maron again. They released an official remix of "Heavy." This song featured M-Dot, Benefit, and B.A.M.

Big Shug released his sixth album, Triple OGzus, in March 2015. His seventh album, The Diamond Report, was released on October 25, 2019. The first single from this album was "EMF," produced by DJ Premier. On the same day, Big Shug was featured on Gang Starr's album One of the Best Yet. He appeared on two tracks: "One of the Best Yet (Big Shug Interlude)" and "Take Flight (Militia, Pt. 4)."

Big Shug's music is often played on DJ Premier's radio show on Sirius XM. In late 2024, Big Shug announced his eighth album. It will be called "Undefeated" and fully produced by DJ Premier. This album is expected to be released in early 2025.

Acting Roles

Besides music, Cary Guy has also appeared in movies. In 2013, he was in two films. He played a security guard in the HBO movie "Clear History." He was also "Tough Guy #2" in "The Heat." This movie starred Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. He also appeared in Boston-based films like "The Town" and "Black Mass."

Discography

• Never Say Die: The Pre-Album (2005)
• Who's Hard? (2005)
• Street Champ (2007)
• Otherside of the Game (2008)
• I.M. 4-EVA (2012)
• Triple OGzus (2015)
• The Diamond Report (2019)
• Undefeated (with DJ Premier) (2025)