Joyner Lucas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joyner Lucas
Lucas performing in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Gary Maurice Lucas
Born	(1988-08-17) August 17, 1988 (age 36) Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop East Coast hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter actor
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Twenty Nine Music Group Dead Silence Atlantic

Joyner Lucas, whose real name is Gary Maurice Lucas Jr., is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. He was born on August 17, 1988. He became widely known in 2015 after his song "Ross Capicchioni" became very popular. In 2017, he released his fourth mixtape, 508-507-2209, which was his first album with a big music company.

Later in 2017, his song "I'm Not Racist" and its music video became super popular online. This video was even nominated for a Grammy Award! Since 2016, Joyner Lucas is also famous for making his own versions of popular hip hop songs. In 2018, he announced his first studio album, ADHD, which came out in 2020. Besides music, Joyner Lucas also helped start a music technology company called Tully in 2015.

Joyner Lucas's Early Life

Gary Maurice Lucas Jr. was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on August 17, 1988. He started rapping when he was just 10 years old. He went to South High Community School in Worcester.

Joyner Lucas's Music Career

Early Beginnings and First Mixtapes (2007–2017)

Joyner Lucas first started rapping under the name G-Storm. By 2007, he changed his stage name to Future Joyner. He also teamed up with his cousin, Cyrus tha Great, to form a group called Film Skool Rejekts. That year, they released their mixtape Workprint: The Greatest Mixtape of All Time.

Lucas released his first solo mixtape, Listen to Me, in 2011. After another rapper named Future became famous, Lucas dropped "Future" from his name. He then continued his career as Joyner Lucas. His first mixtape under this new name was LFO's (Low Frequency Oscillators) in 2013.

His next mixtape, Along Came Joyner, came out on April 1, 2015. This mixtape included his very popular song "Ross Capicchioni." Because of this song's success, Lucas was asked to perform at the 2015 BET Hip Hop Awards. He was so good that he was moved from an online-only performance to the live TV show!

Signing with Atlantic Records and 508-507-2209

Joyner Lucas signed a record deal with Atlantic Records on September 21, 2016. He then released his project 508-507-2209 on June 16, 2017, with Atlantic Records. This mixtape reached #7 on the Heatseekers Albums chart on Billboard. It featured popular songs like "I'm Sorry," "Ultrasound," "Just Like You," and "Winter Blues." Since 2016, Lucas has also become known for making his own versions of popular hip hop songs.

Viral Success with "I'm Not Racist" (2017)

On November 28, 2017, Lucas released the song "I'm Not Racist" on his YouTube channel. The music video quickly became viral and received lots of praise. The video was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Music Video at the 61st Grammy Awards. However, it lost to Childish Gambino's "This Is America."

Lucas and Chris Brown announced they would work together on a project called Angels & Demons in February 2018. Their first song from this project, "Stranger Things," came out the next day. On April 1, 2018, Lucas released "Frozen," a song about different kinds of dangerous driving. The second song from Angels and Demons, "I Don't Die," was released on May 2. On December 24, 2018, it was announced that Lucas had left Atlantic Records.

ADHD and Evolution (2018–2020)

On July 31, 2018, Joyner Lucas had to cancel some of his tour dates. This was because he had a sore throat and laryngitis. A month later, Lucas was featured on the song "Lucky You" from Eminem's album, Kamikaze. This song reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was Lucas's first song to reach the top 10.

On October 12, 2018, Lucas announced his first studio album, ADHD. He also said a new song from the album would be released soon. This song, "I Love," was the first single from ADHD. The album was finally released on March 27, 2020. It had nine singles released before it came out. The album featured other artists like Logic, Young Thug, Chris Brown, and Timbaland.

On August 17, 2020, Lucas announced his first EP (a shorter album) called Evolution. It was released on October 23, 2020. Two songs, "Fall Slowly" with Ashanti and "Snitch," came out before the EP. The EP included other artists like The Game and Rick Ross.

Recent Projects and Not Now I'm Busy (2021–Present)

On April 30, 2021, Lucas released the song "Ramen & OJ" with Lil Baby. It also came with a music video. Lucas also made a song called "Shoot My Shot" for the Space Jam: A New Legacy movie soundtrack.

Throughout 2021, Lucas released several new songs. One of the most notable was "Your Heart" with J. Cole, released on September 24, 2021, with a music video. Lucas also worked with other famous rappers like Lil Durk and Lil Tjay. He released solo songs like "Duck Duck Goose" and "My Escape," both with music videos.

On April 1, 2022, Lucas released a song called "Ye Not Crazy" as a tribute to Kanye West. This was similar to his earlier tribute song to Will Smith called "Will." However, Lucas later removed "Ye Not Crazy" from streaming services.

On June 4, 2022, Lucas shared a photo of himself in the studio, saying he was "Working on new album...." This was paused when he announced on October 29, 2022, that he would be in a movie with his friend Mark Wahlberg. The movie is called The Family Plan, and it was released on Apple TV+ on December 15, 2023. Lucas plays a character named Coogan in the film.

On March 8, 2023, Lucas announced that the cover art for his new album would be released soon. A new song, "Devil's Work 2," came out on March 10, 2023. This song is a follow-up to a song from his ADHD album. On March 9, the album cover was revealed, showing the album's title: Not Now I'm Busy.

A month later, on April 3, 2023, Lucas announced another song called "Blackout" featuring Future. It was released on April 7, 2023, with a music video. Lucas released five more songs in 2023, including "Cut U Off" with YoungBoy Never Broke Again and "Broski" with a music video starring Rotimi.

The album was planned for August 18, 2023, but it was delayed. On November 1, 2023, Lucas said he was redoing the album because of fan feedback. On February 26, 2024, Lucas announced the album was finished. On March 1, he said it would be released on March 22, 2024. The album's sixth song, "Sticks & Stones" with Conway the Machine, was released the same day with a music video.

The album's seventh and final song, "Best for Me" with Jelly Roll, was released on March 18, 2024, with a music video. The album Not Now I'm Busy was released on March 22, as planned.

Joyner Lucas's Artistic Style

Joyner Lucas has said that many artists have influenced his music. He often mentions Eminem as his biggest musical influence. He also showed his respect for Will Smith in his song "Will." Will Smith even appeared in a remix of the song on May 15, 2020. Lucas also looks up to Jay-Z as an influence.

Joyner Lucas's Personal Life

Joyner Lucas has a son named Joyner Messiah Lucas, who was born on February 20, 2016. Lucas talks about his son in many of his songs, including "Forever" from his mixtape 508-507-2209. Joyner Messiah has also appeared in his father's music videos, like the video for "Will" in 2020.

Lucas has shared that the title of his album ADHD comes from his own experience. He was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) when he was a child. He explained that some people around him, including his parents, made him feel different because of it. Sometimes, he would act out and was even sent to a special school after being expelled.

Awards and Nominations

Joyner Lucas has received two Grammy nominations.

Discography

Studio albums

• ADHD (2020)
• Not Now I'm Busy (2024)
• ADHD 2 (TBA)

Filmography

Images for kids

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  A robot for kids.

See also

In Spanish: Joyner Lucas para niños