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LOST BOYZ

This Queens, New York, USA-based crew was formed by cousins Freaky Tah, Mr. Cheeks, Pretty Lou and Spigg Nice. The four members grew up in South Ozone Park, Queens, and first began rapping together as young teenagers. In 1995, after several years spent attempting to break into the hip-hop scene, they signed a deal with Uptown Records on the back of their highly popular hit single, "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Shameless". The quartet enjoyed more success with the follow-up, "Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz And Benz", but ongoing problems with Uptown delayed the release of their debut album. In the meantime, the quartet contributed "Renee" to the Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood soundtrack. After signing a new deal with Universal Records they were finally able to release Legal Drug Money in June 1996. Despite the delay the album went on to earn gold status. Love Peace And Nappiness was a strong follow-up, adding hints of ragga to their avowedly old school style to create a highly commercial mix. A third album had almost been completed when, on 28 March 1999, Freaky Tah was shot dead by a gunman outside the Sheraton Hotel in Queens. LB IV Life was released later in the year, with party anthems such as "Take A Hike" and "Plug Me In" proving a fitting memorial to Freaky Tah's senseless murder.

The lost boyz consist of the members mr cheeks, freaky tah, spigg nice and pretty lou. The dreadlocked South Jamaican rap group busted on the scene with their smash debut classic cd, legal drug money, which included smash hits music makes me high, lifestyles of the rich and shameless and renee. That cd was big for the lost boyz and for the rap world. It also gave the LB fam many oppurtinuties.

They were featured in the hip hop documentry Rhyme and Reason, Statistic, and they also had their own sprite commercial. in 1997, they dropped their sophmore LP entitled Love,Peace, and Nappiness with hits me and my crazyworld, what's wrong and so love. In 1999, the lost boyz released LB IV Life, which ended up begin freaky tah's last, due to his tragic death on March 28 leaving from mr cheeks birthday party. Tah is the greatest hypeman ever. The fans fell in love with his raw voice and the energy he used to keep the crowd live. Freaky tah is gone but not forgotten, Raymond"freaky tah"Rogers rest in peace! Still, the lost boyz had to go on. LB IV Life was edicated to freaky tah such was the video "ghetto jiggy".

In 2001, mr cheeks released his solo debut cd entitled John p. Kelly dedicated to his grandfather and his cousin. It includes the club banger Lights,Camera, Action, friday night and till we meet again, for the late great freaky tah. Mr cheeks says "the LB fam is still here, I just had to break from the pack for a minute." In fact, they are releasing a cd in the summer of 2002 titled "taking the streets back!"Spigg nice is gonna add some vocals on this album, and he's working on his solo project. Pretty lou is doing a little producing, he also helped mr cheeks on his recent project. Mr cheeks also started a new label called One Fam Music with business partner and son of reggae legend Bob Marley, Stephen Marley. So expect LB to do big things.

Mr.Cheeks knows no fear. He switches lanes with his music like a road-hugging Ferrari weaving in and out of bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic. While hip hop contenders putt along in the lemon of the month, Mr. Cheeks is miles ahead, combing new territory, leaving laggers to eat his dust.

In the 10 years he's been on the hip hop scene, Mr. Cheeks' fearlessness has never been more apparent than on his new CD, Back Again his second solo for Universal Records. He takes the merging of hip hop and R&B to a new level, beyond an overzealous singer riffing in the background and belting out a hook or two; beyond borrowed tracks from R&B songs of yesterday. He creates a true blend of the two genres, interweaving them so seamlessly they create a new sound, a new style, a new genre.

But Mr. Cheeks doesn't over analyze his music the way others might; he steers clear of his descriptions, imagery and metaphors. He prefers to just make music. "I just make records," he says casually. "I just like making music."

Nonetheless, the songs on this album couldn't have just happened. They are the children of growth and maturity, both of which have informed Cheeks' music with a breadth, depth and unparalleled originality, making his second solo outing a remarkable tour de force.

One of the finest examples of how skillfully Mr.Cheeks can shift gears is the lead single, the mellifluous "Crush on You." The song is a dramatic departure from Cheeks' previous hit, the beat-driven uptempo "Lights Camera Action." The slow and irresistible R&B-flavored "Crush on You," which is fashioned in the tradition of the Lost Boyz' early hit "Renee" (from 1995's Legal Drug Money CD), features R&B singer/producer Mario Winans, whose sweet crooning pleasantly offsets Mr. Cheeks' raw, raspy rap style.

In that same romantic vein, "I Apologize," which features the sweet, soulful vocals of Glenn Lewis, portrays a lover's heartfelt plea for forgiveness. This song is yet another example of how even a rapper as entrenched in his hip hop roots as Mr. Cheeks can expand his horizons to appeal to a broader set of music lovers.

Not only does Back Again unite R&B and Hip -Hop, it also unites 'old school' acts with contemporary artists: From Pete Rock and CL Smooth to Journalist, from Alexander O'Neal to Glenn Lewis, Mr. Cheeks collaborates with the best that R&B and Hip-Hop have to offer. "Those are my past inspirations," he says. "Pete Rock was one of the first cats I really looked up to streetwise as a rap artist and CL Smooth was a smooth cat. Alexander O'Neal - I always loved him since back in the days with Morris Day and Cherrelle."

Cheeks says he likes to make contrasting genres "talk to each other." "I look at Barry White, Marvin Gaye and Donnie Hathaway and I think if they were rhyming, how would they say it? That's what I do." Cheeks' album takes you back with "Reminisce," an infectiously brilliant play on Pete Rock and CL Smooth's 1992 hit "They Reminisce Over You." Here, Cheeks is joined by the duo along with relative newcomer Journalist, as he pays homage to lost souls and days gone by.

On "Brighter," Alexander O'Neal reprises his role as crooner extraordinaire, complementing Cheeks as they create the same musical magic O'Neal did on his 1987 hit. Back Again, which uses the fun, timeless Rolls Royce hit, "Car Wash," Cheeks makes his presence known, reminding fans and naysayers alike that his first solo album, John P. Kelly, was just the beginning. John P. Kelly was crazy," he enthuses. "It took me a little while to come back and do the damn thing and put out this music but I'm back at it," he says. "I'm definitely holding it down and I ain't going nowhere."

Cheeks' favorite song on Back Again is "The Wire," an old-school bass line-heavy groove which the rapper says is a throwback to his lyrical beginnings. "It brings it back to the essence," he asserts.
Featured producers on Back Again include Winans, Bink!, (Lights Camera Action), Mr. Sexx, P. Diddy ("Pimpalicious"), Other celebrities are Floetry on the in-your-face "Supposed To", MOP on "The Hussle."

Born Terrance Kelly in Queens, New York, Cheeks says he always knew he wanted to be a recording artist. "When I was little, I used to look at Michael Jackson and I knew I had to be a part of that life. I did the day jobs and all that but I wanted to be a star. That was my goal." Cheeks said he considered other options but none of them appealed to him. "I weighed my options when I was in school," he recalls. "I tried sports and everything but the grades weren't there. I wasn't digging school like that. I got my GED and went about just trying to grow up." Instead, he says, he ended up behind bars. "I was in jail when Kris Kross was doing the 'jumpin' and all that and I was like, 'I got to get in the game'." And he did just that.

Along with Pretty Lou, Spigg Nice and Freaky Tah, Cheeks formed the Lost Boyz. Their gold-selling debut Legal Drug Money hit the scene in 1996, followed by 1997's gold Love Peace & Nappiness and 1999's LB IV Life, which was released just after the tragic death of Freaky Tah.

While Cheeks says being solo is "cool," he admits that he misses " the Lost Boyz situation." Nonetheless, he stresses, "Making music is making music and that's what I'm doing. This is my dream."

Update:

Mr. Cheeks Is "Back Again" with New Album - 3/15/2003

Back Again, the highly anticipated sophomore album by Mr.
Cheeks, will hit stores March 18th. The album comes on the heels of the successful lead single, "Crush On You," featuring Mario Winans, and follows the momentum of Cheeks' smash hit single "Lights Camera Action" from the 2001 album, John P. Kelly.

"Crush On You" is doing well in urban radio markets and is starting to burn-up airwaves in major regions. The video has been
added to BET rotation and is receiving great airplay at regional video shows.

Back Again is a pleasant mixture of gritty street rhymes intermingled with R&B flavored hip-hop grooves. Journalist along with Pete Rock & CL Smooth tag team with Cheeks on the soulful track "Reminisce," a re-make of the original hip-hop classic. Cheeks also portrays his sensitive side by collaborating with the r&b crooner Alexander O'Neal on the heartfelt hip-hop ballad "Brighter" and Glenn Lewis on the track "I Apologize."

Featuring production by P. Diddy, Mario Winans, Bink, "(Lights Camera Action)" and Mr. Sexx, Back Again exhibits a more versatile Mr. Cheeks fans have seen in his 10 years as a recording artist as he glides effortlessly between hypnotic beats and thunderous bass lines.

Born Terrance Kelly in Queens, New York, Mr. Cheeks, along with fellow Lost Boyz rappers Pretty Lou, Spigg Nice and Freaky Tah emerged in 1996 with their gold-selling debut Legal Drug Money. Following up their explosive debut, the group returned in 1997 with their certified gold Love Peace & Nappiness. The group released their third album, LB IV Life, shortly after Freaky Tah was tragically killed in 1999. For more on Mr Cheeks goto: MrCheeks.net

R.I.P. FREAKY TAH