New York, NY – January 4, 2011 – Grammy award winning rapper Mr. Cheeks finds himself front and center again with a hot new single entitled, ‘Havin’ Fun’ . The Stephen Marley produced track featuring Maya Azucena is the first single off Mr. Cheeks new album, And The Winner Is, which is slated for a highly anticipated release on the Marley family owned Ghetto Youths International, Inc. imprint. A music video for the single, which features cameos from Stephen Marley and Spragga Benz, is expected to launch in the early months of 2011.
Before establishing himself as a solo artist in early 2001, Terrance Kelly a.k.a Mr. Cheeks, made a name for himself in the early 1990’s as a member of the seminal, platinum selling rap group the Lost Boyz. Along-side band members Freaky Tah, DJ Spigg Nice and Pretty Lou, the original dreadlocked South Jamaica, Queens rap quartet gained world-wide critical acclaim in 1996 following the release of the certified Platinum and highly acclaimed debut Legal Drug Money.
The classic hip-hop album produced five Billboard Hot 100 and Top 40 singles featuring the hit song, "Lifestyles of the Rich & Shameless", the gold-status single "Renee", as well as "Music Makes Me High", "Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz & Benz" and "Get Up". In 1997, the Lost Boyz released another certified gold album entitled Love, Peace & Nappiness, which featured another Hot 100 hit single, "Me & My Crazy World" and one of the groups’ most famous single, "Beasts From The East" which featured A+, Redman and Canibus. Deemed underground favorites, Mr. Cheeks and the Lost Boyz enjoyed success, toured the world, blessed stages overseas, and participated in countless projects.
From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Cheeks cemented his musical relationship with long time friend and business partner, Stephen Marley and the rest of the Marley brothers, appearing on the single ‘Iron Bars’ off of Stephen Marley’s Grammy Award winning album Mind Control (Tuff Gong / Ghetto Youths / Universal 2007), and collaborating on the single ‘Oh Girl’ off of Julian Marley’s Grammy Nominated album entitled, Awake (Ghetto Youths / Universal 2009).
During those years, Cheeks also toured with Stephen Marley during his ‘Mind Control’ run; with Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley on his‘Jamrock’ tour, and on several tour dates with Julian Marley during his ‘Awake’ tour.
It wouldn’t be the first time the rapper collaborated with the Marley brothers. Cheeks contributed ‘Paradise Child’ to Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley’s Grammy Award winning album Halfway Tree (Ghetto Youths 2001) and additionally, in 1999, contributed ‘Guiltiness’ to the Stephen Marley produced remix album Chant Down Babylon featuring various hip-hop and rock artists covering songs by Bob Marley & The Wailers, which also garnered a Grammy award, marking a total of four Grammy wins and / or nods for Cheeks and his contributions to Marley related projects.
Cheeks comments, “Stephen Marley and the Marley brothers are my extended family, the connection I have with them is a Blessing. Since our first meeting at Lollapolooza in the late 1990’s and through the constant musical collaborations we have been able to establish throughout the years, one thing always remains the same, and that is a common goal of creating purely good music with conscious viewpoints and positive vibes.”
In true Mr. Cheeks fashion, the rapper , who joins the ranks as one of the most influential hip-hop MC’s hailing from Queens , NY, promises that And The Winner Is will display the most versatile works that fans have seen in his 10 + years as a recording artist . Cheeks entertains, “I know you all are tired of that fast food rap! Get ready ‘cuz I’m gonna fill in the holes of the current hip-hop music scene, I’m about to feed you a four-course hip-hop meal.”
Ghetto Youths International was founded by Ziggy Marley and Stephen Marley in 1989. In 2002, Stephen Marley, Damian Marley and Julian Marley went on to incorporate the family owned record label.
Recent projects released by the premiere, reggae and hip-hop oriented imprint include the Grammy award winning and nominated albums by Damian Marley Welcome To Jamrock, Stephen Marley’s Mind Control and Julian Marley’s Awake. A catalogue of reggae and hip-hop influenced artists signed to the Ghetto Youths record label include: Stephen Marley, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Julian Marley, Mr. Cheeks, Illestr8, Christopher Ellis, Javaughn, Johnathon Malcolm, Daniel Bambaata, and Jo Mersa.
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