Big Shug facts for kids

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

About Big Shug's Early Life and Music

Cary Guy was born in Boston. He spent his early life in the Mattapan area of Boston. While growing up, he became good friends with rapper Guru. Together, they started the group Gang Starr at Morehouse College. Shug's younger brother, DJ Suave D, was also part of the group.

Later, Guru moved to New York. There, he added DJ Premier to Gang Starr.

Big Shug's Music Career and Collaborations

After some time, Big Shug reconnected with Guru. He joined the Gang Starr Foundation. He also contributed to 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. In 1998, he was on "The Militia" from Gang Starr's Moment of Truth. He also contributed to Guru's Jazzmatazz albums.

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

Later Albums and Guest Appearances

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 guest artists like DJ Premier and Sean Price.

His third solo album, Otherside of the Game, was released in November 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.

Big Shug was featured on the song "Tap Out" in 2010. This song was on M-Dot & DJ Jean Maron's album Run MPC. He also worked with Aztech and Reel Drama on their album Hybrid Genetics. In 2010, he collaborated with Spinz on "Round Tha World." In 2012, he worked with Dj Jean Maron again. They released a remix of "Heavy" with M-Dot, Benefit, and B.A.M.

Big Shug in Movies

In 2013, Cary Guy appeared in two movies. He was a security guard in the HBO movie "Clear History." He also played "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."

Recent Music Releases

Big Shug released his sixth studio album, Triple OGzus, in March 2015. His project The Living Room Project was rumored to be shelved. However, in January 2019, Big Shug announced his new album would be called The Diamond Report.

A song called "Still Big" was released on October 7, 2019. It was a promotional single for his new album. On October 25, 2019, Big Shug released his seventh studio album, The Diamond Report. On the same day, he released the first single from the album, "EMF." This song was produced by his long-time friend, DJ Premier. The following week, 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. His eighth album, Undefeated, was announced in late 2024. This album is fully produced by DJ Premier and was released in early 2025.

Big Shug's Albums

• 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)