Juelz Santana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juelz Santana
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Juelz Santana in 2006
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | LaRon Louis James |
| Born | February 18, 1982 New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | East Coast hip-hop |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
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LaRon Louis James Sr. (born February 18, 1982), known as Juelz Santana, is an American rapper. He was a member of the hip-hop group The Diplomats, also called Dipset.
Juelz Santana is well-known for his songs with Cam'ron in 2002. These include "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma". These songs reached high spots on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. He also appeared on Chris Brown's 2005 song, "Run It!". This song was number one for five weeks and sold many copies, earning a "triple platinum" award from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
As a main artist, Juelz Santana is famous for his 2005 song "There It Go (The Whistle Song)". It reached number six on the chart and also earned a "platinum" award from the RIAA. "There It Go" was the first song from his first album, From Me to U (2003). His second album was What the Game's Been Missing! (2005). Both albums were released by Def Jam Recordings and reached the top ten on the Billboard 200 album chart.
With Dipset, he released three albums. With his group Skull Gang, he released one album in 2009. His 2009 song, "Back to the Crib" with Chris Brown, was meant for his third album, but that album was not released. He also featured on other popular songs like "Pop Champagne" in 2008 and "Beamer, Benz or Bentley" in 2010.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Juelz Santana was born in New York City. He grew up in the Sugar Hill, Harlem area of Manhattan. He started rapping when he was just five years old.
Starting Out in Music (1994–2001)
When he was 12, James formed a rap group called Draftpick. He was with his friend Malik. They became known after performing in New York City. They even won two weeks in a row at the famous Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater.
When James was 15, the group signed with Priority Records. They released one song called "Play Ruff".
In 1998, James met Cam'ron through his cousin. Soon after, he started using the name Juelz Santana. He joined Cam'ron's hip hop group, The Diplomats. Other members included Jim Jones and Freekey Zekey. Santana first worked with the group on a remix of "What Means the World to You". He also appeared on Cam'ron's album S.D.E. in 2000.
First Album: From Me to U (2002–2003)
In 2001, Cam'ron signed with Roc-A-Fella Records. He released his album Come Home with Me in 2002. This album had more songs with Juelz Santana. These included "Welcome to New York City", "Hey Ma", and "Oh Boy". "Oh Boy" earned Santana a nomination for a Grammy Award.
Because Cam'ron signed with Roc-A-Fella, Santana also signed a deal with them. He joined their label called Diplomat Records. After releasing four mixtapes, The Diplomats released their first album, Diplomatic Immunity, in 2003. It sold 92,000 copies in its first week. The album later earned a "Gold" award from the RIAA.
On August 19, 2003, Santana released his first solo album, From Me to U. It reached number 8 on the Billboard 200 chart. Before the album, he released a mixtape called Final Destination. The song "Dipset (Santana's Town)" from the album was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Second Album: What the Game's Been Missing! (2004–2006)
Later, The Diplomats left Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam Recordings. They signed with an independent label called Koch Records. The group released their second album, Diplomatic Immunity 2, in 2004. New members like Hell Rell joined the group.
In December 2004, Santana released "Mic Check". This was the first song from his second album. It reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In April 2005, Santana announced he was back with Def Jam Recordings. He signed a new deal with them. On May 29, 2005, he released "There It Go (The Whistle Song)". This became his most successful song. It reached number 6 on the Hot 100 chart. Another song, "Oh Yes", reached number 56. In June 2005, Santana was featured on Chris Brown's song "Run It!", which became a number one hit.
On November 22, 2005, Santana released What the Game's Been Missing!, his second album. Both the album and the song "There It Go" earned "Gold" awards from the RIAA.
New Projects and TV Appearances (2007–Present)
Around 2007, there were some disagreements within the Dipset group, and they stopped working together for a while. In 2008, Santana formed a new hip hop group called Skull Gang. They also started a music label called Skull Gang Entertainment. The group released mixtapes like Takeover and A Tribute to Bad Santa Starring Mike Epps. Their first album, Skull Gang, came out in 2009.
In 2008, Santana started working on his third album, Born to Lose, Built to Win. He released several songs for it, but the album was never officially released. His work on Lil Wayne's album Tha Carter III earned him another Grammy Award nomination in 2009.
In 2010, Cam'ron and Jim Jones announced they had settled their differences. The Diplomats reunited and released new songs. In 2011 and 2012, Santana appeared on the TV show Love & Hip Hop: New York.
In December 2012, Santana announced a new mixtape called God Will'n. It was his first solo project in eight years. It was released in January 2013 and was named one of the best mixtapes of the year. He released music videos for many songs from the mixtape.
In November 2016, Santana joined the cast of Love & Hip Hop: New York again for its seventh season.
Dipset Reunion (2017–Present)
On November 21, 2017, Santana, Cam'ron, Jim Jones, and Freekey Zekey performed together again. In 2018, the group went on a national tour called Dipset Forever. They released their third album, Diplomatic Ties, on November 22, 2018.
In November 2018, Santana returned to Love & Hip Hop: New York as a main cast member. The show talked about his life at that time.
Personal Life
On November 23, 2018, Juelz Santana asked Kimbella Vanderhee to marry him during a Diplomats show. They got married on January 10, 2019. They have three children together. He also has a son from a previous relationship, born in 2003.
Discography
Studio albums
- From Me to U (2003)
- What the Game's Been Missing! (2005)
- Better Late Than Never (TBA)
Filmography
- State Property 2 (2005)
- Killa Season (2006)
- Kiss and Tail: The Hollywood Jumpoff (2009)
- The Project (2011)
- Video Girl (2011)
- Love & Hip Hop: New York (2016–2019)
See also
In Spanish: Juelz Santana para niños
