Shawty Lo facts for kids

Carlos Rico Walker (born March 22, 1976 – died September 21, 2016), known as Shawty Lo, was an American rapper. He was from Atlanta, Georgia.

He became famous as a founder of the Southern hip hop group D4L. In 2000, he started his own music company called D4L Records. The group became very popular in 2005. Their song "Laffy Taffy" reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. This song sold so many copies that it was certified platinum three times.

In 2007, Shawty Lo started his solo music career. His first solo song was "Dey Know". This song was part of his first solo album, Units in the City, which came out in February 2008.

Sadly, Carlos Walker died in a car accident on September 21, 2016. His second album, R.I.C.O., was released after his death in March 2017.

Music Career Highlights

Starting with D4L (2000–2006)

In 2003, Shawty Lo created the Southern hip hop group D4L. He formed it with other rappers from Atlanta: Fabo, Mook-B, and Stoney. Shawty Lo also started his own small, independent music company called D4L Records. He used his own money to support the group when they were just starting.

Shawty Lo explained that D4L stands for "Down for Life." The group signed with Dee Money Entertainment. This company worked with Asylum Records to release D4L's first album.

D4L's first album was called Down for Life. Shawty Lo was in charge of making the album. It sold enough copies to be certified gold. The album had two popular songs: "Betcha Can't Do It Like Me" and "Laffy Taffy". "Laffy Taffy" was a huge success. It was even listed in the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records as the most downloaded song at that time. It also became a very popular ringtone.

The group's first song, "Betcha Can't Do It Like Me," helped make "snap music" popular. Snap music is a style of hip hop. In January 2006, D4L's song "Laffy Taffy" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. D4L was a big part of the snap music trend.

Solo Career and First Album (2007–2008)

On December 4, 2007, Shawty Lo released his first solo song, "Dey Know". This song became very popular and reached the Top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

His first solo album, Units in the City, came out on February 26, 2008. Other artists, including Gucci Mane, appeared on the album. Units in the City reached number 14 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It also reached number two on the Top Rap Albums chart. The album sold more than 160,000 copies.

The album also had two other popular songs, "Dunn Dunn" and a new version (called a remix) of "Foolish". Shawty Lo also made a music video for his song "Got Em 4 da LO". Many famous artists added new parts to the songs "Dey Know" and "Foolish" for their remixes. These artists included Ludacris, Young Jeezy, Plies, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Birdman, Rick Ross, and Jim Jones. The music video for "Foolish" also featured brief appearances by Pitbull, Jadakiss, and Ace Hood.

Mixtapes and New Deals (2008–2016)

In late 2008, Shawty Lo started working on a new album called Carlos. Many artists were planned to be on this album, like Rick Ross, T-Pain, Lil' Kim, Bun B, Lyfe Jennings, Mýa, T.I., Lil Wayne, and Gucci Mane. On December 8, 2008, he released a song from the album called "Supplier," which featured Trey Songz and Lil Wayne.

On March 9, 2009, Shawty Lo released "Roll the Dice." This song was important because it marked the end of a disagreement between him and fellow Atlanta rapper T.I. On March 23, 2009, Shawty Lo announced he changed his album's name from Carlos to I Am Carlos. He also said it would be released on June 3, 2009. On April 27, 2010, Shawty Lo released a new song called "Atlanta, GA." This song featured Gucci Mane, Ludacris, and The-Dream.

On June 10, 2011, Shawty Lo confirmed that he had signed a new deal with G-Unit Records. He explained that it was a new start for him. He said that 50 Cent (who runs G-Unit Records) is very good at marketing. Shawty Lo clarified that he didn't sign as an artist himself. Instead, he signed his company, D4L Records, to G-Unit South. This is a part of G-Unit Records. On July 27, 2011, Shawty Lo announced another name change for his album, from I Am Carlos to Still Got Units.

On June 10, 2014, it was announced that Shawty Lo was preparing a new mixtape called King of Bankhead. This mixtape was released on February 3, 2015.

D4L Records

D4L Records is a music company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Carlos "Shawty Lo" Walker started it in 2003. On June 22, 2011, it was announced that Shawty Lo had signed a big deal. This deal was with 50 Cent's company, G-Unit South. The deal was worth over $10 million. On January 15, 2015, Shawty Lo announced that D4L Records had signed a new deal with Grown Money Entertainment.

Personal Life

Carlos Walker had his first child when he was 17 years old. On June 16, 2011, he shared that he had diabetes. Shawty Lo had a total of 11 children: nine daughters and two sons.

Death and Funeral

On September 21, 2016, Carlos Walker died in a car accident in Fulton County, Georgia. The accident happened around 2:20 AM. His car went off the road, hit two trees, and caught fire. He was thrown from the car and died at the scene. Two other people in the car had injuries that were not life-threatening.

Shawty Lo's funeral was held on October 1, 2016. It took place at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church in Atlanta. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in College Park, Georgia. Many artists shared their sadness after his death. These included Gucci Mane, Beyoncé, Future, Kendrick Lamar, Lil' Kim, 50 Cent, T.I., DJ Khaled, and Rick Ross.

Discography

• Units in the City (2008)
• Rico (2017)

Awards and Nominations

• BET Hip Hop Awards
  • 2008, Rookie of the Year [Won]
  • 2008, Track of the Year, "Dey Know" [Won]
• Ozone Awards
  • 2008, Best Rap Album, Units in the City [Nominated]
  • 2008, Breakthrough Artist [Won]
  • 2008, Club Banger of the Year, "Dey Know" [Nominated]
  • 2008, Best Mixtape/Street Album, "I'm Da Man 2" with DJ Scream [Nominated]

See also

In Spanish: Shawty Lo para niños