OZONE MAG // 45
Looking back, Trap or Die is largely considered one of the greatest mixtapes in
rap history.
Young Jeezy - Let’s Get It: Thug
Motivation 101 (2005)
On July 26, 2005, Jeezy’s major label debut
album, Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101, was
released. The album sold roughly 172,000
copies in its first week, and debuted at
#2 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album
spawned the hits “Soul Survivor” featuring
Akon, “My Hood” and “Go Crazy” (which
would later added a major cosigning-verse
from Jay-Z). It even garnered a 4-cigar review
in the pages of OZONE. The criticallyacclaimed
Thug Motivation 101 would go
on to sell over two million copies, and the album is dubbed a “classic” in many
Hip-Hop circles. Jeezy had arrived.
Young Jeezy – Can’t Ban The
Snowman (2006)
By 2006, Jeezy found himself in the middle
of a nationwide controversy, when schools
across America labeled his signature
snowman t-shirts an unacceptable fashion
trend. Never one to shy away from conflict,
Mr. Magic City doubled-down on his
snowman campaign by linking up with DJ
Drama for a new Gangsta Grillz mixtape,
Can’t Ban the Snowman. Once again, Jeezy
and his U.S.D.A. counterparts, Slick Pulla
and Blood Raw, had the streets on lock,
and another favorable mixtape review in
OZONE Magazine.
Young Jeezy – The Inspiration:
Thug Motivation 102 (2006)
A year later, Jeezy dropped his second
major label album, and sold 352,000 copies
in its first week. The Inspiration was much
darker and introspective than its predecessor,
yet it was far from a sophomore slump.
The album earned Mr. 17.5 his second
consecutive platinum album, and proved
Jeezy was here to stay.
Young Jeezy – The Recession
(2008)
2008 saw Jeezy’s third Corporate Thugz/Def Jam album, The Recession, which
featured the now double platinum single “Put On” featuring Kanye West,
and the Barack Obama-inspired single “My President” featuring Nas. The two
songs carried The Recession to a gold (near
platinum) certification, and another favorable
(4 blunts in OZONE) release in Jeezy’s
first-rate catalog.
Jeezy – TM:103 Hustlerz Ambition
(2011)
Due to label turmoil and changes, Young
Jeezy’s TM:103 was heavily delayed. After
the dust settled and album was finally
released, the star-studded single “I Do” with
Jay-Z
and
Andre
3000, and the club banger “SupaFreak”
featuring 2 Chainz were well worth the
wait. It had been six years since his major
label debut, and yet another gold plaque.
The rapper who dropped the “Young” from
his stage name, was becoming one of the
most consistent rappers not only to come
out of the South, but in the rap game,
period.
Jeezy – Seen It All: The Autobiography
(2014)
After ten years in the game, Jeezy’s fifth
studio album was properly titled Seen It All.
Again, Jeezy delivered his hustler music
tales to satisfy his loyal fanbase, while
continuing to grow as an MC to the critics’
approval. Accompanied by Jay-Z, Future,
Game, Rick Ross and others, Seen It All was
another noteworthy performance by the
now OG rap star.
Jeezy – Church in the Streets
(2015)
Church in the Streets is arguably the least
memorable album in Jeezy’s career. That’s
not to say that the album isn’t good,
because it is. Still, Church lacked the
standout singles and street bangers that
the Snowman had become best-known for.
No one was prepared for Pastor Jeezy and
his collection of testimonies. Nevertheless,
a Jeezy album is worthy of heavy rotation,
and Church received heavy spins in 2015.
Jeezy – Trap or Die 3 (2016)
2016 saw Jeezy return to his Trap or Die
roots, and it was exactly what the streets
were missing. This album’s lead single “All
There” was the hustlers’ anthem that was
absent from his previous efforts. TD3 didn’t
match the hype of the original, but it was
another solid and consistent body of work
from a trapper turned rap legend.
Jeezy
– Pressure (2017)
Pressure arrived in the fourth quarter of
2017, and surprisingly featured more new
talent than ever on a Jeezy album. The
album saw guest appearances from new
bucks like Tee Grizzley, Kodak Black and
Tory Lanez, in addition to OGs like Rick
Ross and Puff Daddy, while collaborating
with rap’s current kings J. Cole and Kendrick
Lamar. Despite the heavy guest list, the
album still maintained Jeezy’s signature
trap music sound and received generally favorable reviews.
Jeezy – The Legend of the Snowman: Thug Motivation 104
(2019)
The Legend of the Snowman is the fourth and final installment in Jeezy’s Thug
Motivation series, and his final Def Jam album. TM 104 is the perfect swan
song for the Snowman, who can be credited with changing the sound in
Southern Hip-Hop.
Throughout his career
Jeezy has stayed true to
street symphonies, motivating
listeners to get
the check by anything
means, and TM104 is
more of the same. The
next chapter in Jeezy’s
legendary career is unknown,
but the trapperturned
rapper, who
came from nothing, has
been dropping classics
since 2004. Jeezy can
stake his claim in the rap
game as the greatest
enTRAPreneur Hip-Hop
has ever seen.