Joyner Lucas
Joyner Lucas | |
|---|---|
 Lucas performing in May 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gary Maurice Lucas Jr.[1] |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | August 17, 1988 Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Labels |
|
| Associated acts | |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | joynerlucas |
Gary Maurice Lucas Jr. (born August 17, 1988), better known by his stage name Joyner Lucas, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter.
Lucas first received widespread exposure and critical acclaim after the release of his single "Ross Capicchioni" in 2015.[2][3] In June 2017, he released his fourth mixtape, 508-507-2209, which was his first on a major label. On November 28, 2017, Lucas released his single "I'm Not Racist", which quickly went viral, gaining him further mainstream attention. The video was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Music Video at the 61st Grammy Awards.[4] Lucas was briefly signed to Atlantic Records, until he announced his departure from the label in December 2018.
Since 2016, Lucas has also become known for remixing popular hip hop songs like "Gucci Gang" by Lil Pump, "Bank Account" by 21 Savage, "DNA" by Kendrick Lamar and many others.[5] In October 2018, he announced his debut studio album ADHD,[6] which was released on March 27, 2020.[7]
Early life[]
Gary Maurice Lucas, Jr. was born on August 17, 1988, in Worcester, Massachusetts.[7] He began rapping at the age of 10,[8][9] and attended South High Community School in Worcester.[9][10]
Career[]
2007–2017: Early beginnings, record deal, and 508-507-2209[]
Joyner Lucas first started rapping under the name G-Storm, but by 2007 had changed his stage name to Future Joyner and started working with his cousin Cyrus tha Great, forming a group called Film Skool Rejekts. That year they released Workprint: The Greatest Mixtape of All Time.[11] Lucas released his first solo mixtape, titled Listen to Me, in 2011.[citation needed] After rapper Future came to prominence, Lucas dropped the "Future" from his name and continued as Joyner Lucas.[11] He released his first mixtape under this new moniker in 2013, titled LFO's (Low Frequency Oscillators).[12] His next mixtape, Along Came Joyner, was released on April 5, 2015.[13] This mixtape contained his critically acclaimed "Ross Capicchioni".[14] Following the success of the song, Lucas was featured in the 2015 BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher. Originally intended to appear in the online-only cypher, he was later promoted to rap as part of the live broadcast cyphers based on the strength of his initial performance.[15][16]
Lucas signed to Atlantic Records on September 21, 2016.[17] Lucas went on to release a project titled 508-507-2209 on June 16, 2017, with Atlantic Records.[18] The mixtape charted at #7 on the Heatseekers Albums chart on Billboard and contained the singles "I'm Sorry", "Ultrasound", "Just Like You" and "Winter Blues".[19] Ever since 2016, Lucas has also become known for remixing popular hip hop songs.[5]
On November 28, 2017, Lucas released the single "I'm Not Racist" via his YouTube channel.[20] The music video quickly went viral and gained critical acclaim. The controversial song is about race and society, and race relations from the perspectives of a white man and a black man.[21][22][23][24] The video was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Music Video at the 61st Grammy Awards, but lost to Childish Gambino's "This Is America".[4] Lucas and Chris Brown announced a collaborative project titled Angels & Demons on February 25, 2018,[25] with the project's first single "Stranger Things" releasing the following day.[26] On April 1, 2018, Lucas released the single "Frozen", a song focused on different forms of reckless driving. The second single from the Angels and Demons collaborative mixtape, "I Don't Die", was released on May 2.
2018–2020: ADHD, and Evolution[]
On July 31, 2018, Lucas announced that he was forced to cancel appearances in the Australian and European legs of his I'm Kind of a Big Deal tour due to hoarseness and laryngitis.[27] A month later, Lucas was featured on "Lucky You" from Eminem's tenth album, Kamikaze. The song debuted at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Lucas' first top 10 entry on the chart.[28] On October 12, 2018, Lucas announced that he would be releasing his debut studio album entitled ADHD. He also announced a single from the album that would be released the following Wednesday.[29] The song, entitled "I Love", was released as the lead single from ADHD,[30] which was released on March 27, 2020. It was preceded by nine singles from October 2018 to March 2020, the time before release.
On August 17, 2020, Lucas announced the release date of his debut EP, Evolution.[31] It was released on October 23, 2020.[32] It was preceded by two singles, "Fall Slowly" featuring Ashanti and "Snitch".
2021–present: Upcoming second studio album[]
On April 30, 2021, Lucas released the single "Ramen & OJ" with Lil Baby as the lead single from his upcoming second studio album. It was accompanied by a music video. Lucas contributed a song titled "Shoot My Shot" to the Space Jam: A New Legacy soundtrack.
Artistry[]
Lucas has cited several artists as influences in his music,[33] but he cites Eminem as his biggest musical influence.[34] Eminem himself actually considers Lucas to be one of the greatest rappers of all time.[35] He also revealed he was influenced by Will Smith in his song "Will", which he would release a remix of featuring Will Smith himself on May 15, 2020. He cites Jay-Z as one of his influences too.
Personal life[]
Joyner Lucas shares a son named Joyner Messiah Lucas (born February 20, 2016) with Carmen Julissa Ayala, whom he had an off and on romantic relationship with. Lucas tells the story of his son's conception in his song "Forever" on his mixtape 508-507-2209.[34] Joyner Messiah Lucas is loved and adored by his father and referenced in many of his songs. He has also made cameos in his father's music videos. Most recently he played Will Smith's son Jaden Smith in the video of "Will".[36]
Lucas has revealed that the title of his album ADHD comes from the fact that he was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. He explained that people surrounding him, including his own parents, made him feel like he was not normal and treated him differently as a result. Eventually, he would act out and get sent to an alternative school after expulsion.[6][37]
Feuds[]
Logic[]
According to Lucas, when he was on Tech N9ne's tour bus, he heard some records from Tech's album The Storm. Lucas expressed interest on collaborating with Logic on the song "Sriracha" and felt that he could add to the display of fast-flow rapping, and Tech acquiesced.[38] Logic was originally slated to be the only feature on "Sriracha", but when he spent over six months to deliver his verse, Lucas hopped on the track to offer his own. Joyner stated that when they got the record back, he could tell that Logic was not "too happy" about him being on the track once he heard it.[38] On his remix of Future's "Mask Off", Joyner, unhappy by the work Logic turned in after taking nearly half a year to edit his verse, directly addressed the disappointing display. Both he and Tech N9ne were upset with Logic for not emulating the style of quick flow on the song.[39]
After Logic's hit song "1-800-273-8255" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, Joyner Lucas immediately took offense and argued that the track was named in order to bring direct competition to his project, 508-507-2209. In a later interview, he called Logic "corny"[40] and in another incident, he said that he thinks that Logic "can rap" but feels like "he tries to prove that he's black too much for me."[38] With both Logic's single and Lucas' mixtape dealing with the issue of mental health representation and resource allocation, Lucas was careful to not slam the track too hard.[39]
When Logic dropped his song "Yuck" from his mixtape Bobby Tarantino II in March 2018, the veiled diss inside the song was quickly spotted by Lucas and his fans, despite Logic saying that there was no diss in the song.[41] Seemingly nonplussed by the insult, Lucas dared Logic to call him out directly on Twitter. That same month, Joyner took aim at Logic's song "44 More" and his album Everybody on his remix of BlocBoy JB's "Look Alive".[39]
In 2019, the two rappers ended their feud, which was revealed when Logic made a guest appearance on Joyner Lucas' song "ISIS", the third single from ADHD. Lucas kept the name of the collaborator a secret until he released the song.[42]
Hopsin[]
In September 2018, when a fan asked rapper Hopsin on Twitter who would win in a rap battle between him and Joyner Lucas, Hopsin replied, "That's a dumb question that I'm sure you already know the answer to." Not long after, Lucas commented, "Hold up. @Hopsin wtf is that supposed to mean???"[43] In his response, Hopsin stated that he would "b[r]eak his soul" and also dissed Logic in the comment.[44] This dispute would prove to be short-lived, when in less than two days Hopsin shared a screenshot of a FaceTime call with Lucas, indicating that they finally made peace, but still wanted people to consider who would beat the other in a rap battle. Most of the majority favored Hopsin.[45]
Tory Lanez[]
On November 19, 2018, Lanez claimed that he was a better rapper than Joyner Lucas on an Instagram Live session. Incredulous, Lucas immediately responded by inviting Lanez to a battle rapping challenge and telling him to let the public decide who is better. The next day, Lanez dropped a freestyle over Eminem's "Lucky You", of which Lucas made a guest appearance on. In less than 24 hours, Joyner responded with his freestyle over "Litty" by Meek Mill featuring Tory Lanez, also targeting rapper Trippie Redd, who joined Tory's Instagram Live and slandered Joyner's name as well. Shortly after, Lanez retaliated with his own freestyle of "Litty", titled "Litty Again", taking shots at Joyner's collaboration with Eminem. Lucas' answer song was a freestyle of Kodak Black's "Zeze". On the track, he mentions Tory's being accused of plagiarism in 2016, when listeners noticed that the ending of Lanez's song "4am Flex" was similar to Kendrick Lamar's "The Art of Peer Pressure". Joyner also accuses him of copying rapper Don Q's flow on his 2017 Funkmaster Flex freestyle.[46] On November 23, Tory posted on Instagram a video of him declaring victory in the feud and celebrating. Displeased, Lucas reposted the video with his own comment, with a reference to Lanez as a singer.[47]
The end of this rivalry was made public on August 8, 2019, when Joyner Lucas and Tory Lanez collaborated on their remix of "Suge" by DaBaby.[48]
Awards and nominations[]
Grammy Awards[]
The Grammy Awards are held annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Joyner has two Grammy nominations altogether.[49]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | "I'm Not Racist" | Best Music Video | Nominated |
| "Lucky You" | Best Rap Song | Nominated |
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [50] |
AUS [51] |
BEL (FL) [52] |
CAN [53] |
NLD [54] |
GER [55] |
IRE [56] |
NZ [57] |
NOR [58] |
UK [59] | ||
| ADHD |
|
10 | 9 | 25 | 9 | 43 | 65 | 12 | 10 | 33 | 16 |
Extended plays[]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [60] |
AUS [61] |
CAN [62] | ||
| Evolution |
|
49 | 45 | 37 |
Mixtapes[]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Heat [19] | ||
| Listen to Me (as Future Joyner) |
|
— |
| Low Frequency Oscillators |
|
— |
| Along Came Joyner |
|
— |
| 508-507-2209 | 7 |
Collaborative mixtapes[]
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Workprint: The Greatest Mixtape of All Time (with Film Skool Rejekts)[14] |
|
| Midnight Movie (with Film Skool Rejekts)[14] |
|
| Side Bettin Vol. 1 (with HeadCrack)[14] |
|
| Music For The B*tches (with Film Skool Rejekts)[14] |
|
| Mind Ya Business: the Greatest Mixtape of All-Time Pt. 2 (A Tribute to EPMD) (with Film Skool Rejekts)[14] |
|
Singles[]
As lead artist[]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [64] |
US R&B/HH [65] |
AUS [51] |
CAN [66] |
IRE [56] |
NZ [67] | ||||
| "F*ck Your Feelings"[68] | 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Finally Home"[69] (featuring Trae tha Truth) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Intervention"[70] | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Ross Capicchioni" | 2015 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Along Came Joyner | |
| "Half Ni*ga"[14] | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Happy Birthday"[71] | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "I'm Sorry"[72] | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 508-507-2209 | |
| "Say Hello to Adele"[73] | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Ultrasound"[74] | 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 508-507-2209 | |
| "Just Like You"[75] | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Winter Blues"[76] | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "I'm Not Racist"[77] | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "Stranger Things"[79] (with Chris Brown) |
2018 | 91 | 46 | 100 | 75 | — | — |
| |
| "Frozen"[80] | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "I Don't Die"[81] (with Chris Brown) |
—[A] | —[B] | — | — | — | — | |||
| "I Love" | —[C] | —[D] | — | 77 | 78 | —[E] |
|
ADHD | |
| "Just Let Go"[85] (with Chris Brown) |
2019 | — | — | — | — | — | —[F] | Non-album single | |
| "Devil's Work" | —[G] | 46 | — | — | 72 [87] |
—[H] | ADHD | ||
| "ISIS" (featuring Logic)[89] |
59 | 24 | 41 | 39 | 26 | 28 | |||
| "Broke and Stupid" | — | — | — | — | 100 | —[I] | |||
| "10 Bands" (featuring Timbaland) |
— | — | — | — | — | —[J] | |||
| "ADHD" | — | — | — | — | — | —[K] |
| ||
| "Revenge"[94] | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | —[L] | ||
| "Lotto" (solo or remix featuring Yandel and G-Eazy)[96] |
— | — | — | — | — | —[M] | |||
| "Will" (solo or remix with Will Smith) |
—[N] | 48 | 65 | 92 | 79 [98] |
—[O] | |||
| "Fall Slowly" (featuring Ashanti) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | Evolution | ||
| "Snitch" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Ramen & OJ"[100] (with Lil Baby) |
2021 | 67 | 30 | — | 56 | 84 [101] |
—[P] | TBA | |
| "Dreams Unfold" (with Lil Tjay) |
— | — | — | — | — | —[Q] | |||
Notes
- ^ "I Don't Die" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number eight on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[82]
- ^ "I Don't Die" did not enter the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number five on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.[83]
- ^ "I Love" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number ten on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[82]
- ^ "I Love" did not enter the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number seven on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.[83]
- ^ "I Love" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 15 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[84]
- ^ "Just Let Go" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 16 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[86]
- ^ "Devil's Work" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number five on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[82]
- ^ "Devil's Work" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number seven on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[88]
- ^ "Broke and Stupid" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 34 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[91]
- ^ "10 Bands" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 33 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[92]
- ^ "ADHD" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 17 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[93]
- ^ "Revenge" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 27 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[95]
- ^ "Lotto" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 37 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[97]
- ^ "Will" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number two on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[82]
- ^ "Will" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 11 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[99]
- ^ "Ramen & OJ" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 11 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[102]
- ^ "Dreams Unfold" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 24 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[103]
As featured artist[]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [64] |
AUS [104] |
CAN [105] |
IRL [106] |
NZ [67] |
SWE [107] |
UK [108] | ||||
| "Tec in the Church"[109] (Jarren Benton featuring Locksmith and Joyner Lucas) |
2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Slow Motion, Vol. 2 | |
| "Deserve"[110] (Kyle Bent featuring Joyner Lucas) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Sriracha"[111] (Tech N9ne featuring Logic and Joyner Lucas) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Storm | ||
| "Lifestyle"[112] (Kyle Bent featuring Joyner Lucas) |
2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Don't Run"[113] (Statik Selektah featuring Joyner Lucas) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | ||
| "Run It" (Meek Mill featuring Joyner Lucas) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Ain't My Girlfriend"[114] (Too Short featuring Ty Dolla Sign, Jeremih, French Montana and Joyner Lucas) |
2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Pimp Tape | |
| "Lucky You"[115][116] (Eminem featuring Joyner Lucas) |
6 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 6 | Kamikaze | ||
| "We're Tired" (The Blancos featuring Joyner Lucas) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "DOA" (I Prevail featuring Joyner Lucas) |
2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Other charted songs[]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ Hot [99] | |||
| "Need a Stack" (Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne and Joyner Lucas) |
2019 | 11 | Indigo |
| "The War" (featuring Young Thug) |
2020 | 26 | ADHD |
| "Finally" (featuring Chris Brown) |
21 |
Remixes[]
- Desiigner – "Panda" (titled "Kill The Panda")
- Nas, Dave East, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Aloe Blacc – "Wrote My Way Out" (with Royce da 5'9, Black Thought, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Aloe Blacc)
- Future – "Mask Off" (titled "Mask On")
- Kendrick Lamar – "DNA"
- Lil Pump – "Gucci Gang"
- 21 Savage – "Bank Account"
- BlocBoy JB and Drake – "Look Alive"
- Meek Mill and Tory Lanez – "Litty"
- Kodak Black, Travis Scott and Offset – "Zeze"
- DaBaby – "Suge" (with Tory Lanez)
- XXXTentacion – "NorthStar (Remix)"
- Joyner Lucas – "Lotto" (with Yandel and G-Eazy)
- Joyner Lucas – "Will" (with Will Smith)
- Jack Harlow - "What's Poppin" (titled "What's Gucci")
- Pooh Shiesty & Lil Durk - "Back in Blood"
Guest appearances[]
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Wrote My Way Out" (Remix) (Lin-Manuel Miranda featuring Royce da 5'9", Black Thought, Joyner Lucas and Aloe Blacc)[121] |
2018 | Hamilton Mixtape |
| "Need a Stack" (Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne and Joyner Lucas)[122] |
2019 | Indigo |
| "NorthStar (Remix)" (XXXTentacion featuring Joyner Lucas) |
Bad Vibes Forever | |
| "I Stand On That" (E-40 featuring Joyner Lucas and T.I.) |
2021 | N/A |
| "Shoot My Shot" | Space Jam: A New Legacy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |
References[]
- ^ "508-507-2209 / Joyner Lucas". Tidal. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (August 29, 2017). "Joyner Lucas Interview on New Album '(508) 507-2209'". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ Robertson, Darryl (May 22, 2015). "Joyner Lucas Releases Moving Video About Gang Initiation, 'Ross Capicchioni'". Vibe. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "2019 Grammy Nominations: Complete List". Billboard. December 7, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Berry, Peter A. "6 Times Joyner Lucas Killed a Remix - XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Joyner Lucas Announces New Album "ADHD"". HotNewHipHop. August 31, 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Listen to "Half Ni**er" by Joyner Lucas, retrieved February 16, 2020
- ^ "INTERVIEW: Joyner Lucas touches on his flair for storytelling and who he gets compared to". From the O-H. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Infante, Victor D. (October 23, 2015). "Worcester rapper Joyner Lucas eyes new EP, Underground Music Award