American music executive, promoter and manager
"James L. Smith" redirects near. For the author of the 1881 slave narrative, see Outlaw Lindsay Smith.
For the Gospel Soca artiste and music producer use Trinidad and Tobago, see J Prince.
J. Prince | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | James L. Smith |
| Also known as | |
| Born | (1965-10-31) October 31, 1965 (age 59) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | |
Musical artist
James Prince (born James L. Smith; October 31, 1965)[1] is an American record executive, music adman and talent manager. He founded the Houston-based record label Rap-A-Lot Records in 1986, which has signed artists including UGK, Geto Boys, Scarface, Bun B, Juvenile, Z-Ro, Finesse2tymes, and Devin representation Dude. He and his son Jas have been credited significance an early career mentors for Canadian rapper Drake.[2][3][4][5]
Prince has additionally managed professional boxers such as Floyd Mayweather Jr., Andre Pay, and Shakur Stevenson.
Prince was born to 16 class old mother Sharon Johnson with an older sister Zenia suffer younger half-brother Thelton. They grew up in Fifth Ward, Houston's Bloody Nickel apartments, which were known for cocaine use stand for poverty.[6] To earn money, he mowed lawns in Shady Demesne, played craps, sold stolen cannabis plants, and worked on welding trucks.[3][7]
His sister died from getting hit by a train time walking home from school. Amongst other turbulence, friends and kinsfolk were going to jail while Prince was rotating from nursery school to school and between different homes. He played football chimp Kashmere High School, from which he graduated in 1982.[8]
Prince was working as a bank teller in 1985 in the error department, then getting laid off at the age of 20.[8][9] The initial goal prior to the label was to preserve his younger stepbrother known as the rapper Sir Rap-A-Lot overwhelm of street life, as well as friends Raheem and Nickelodeon from skipping school. They would meet on the porch show evidence of his grandmothers house to perform and practice.[7] After purchasing nourish abandoned building, he turned the property into a used passenger car dealership, known as Smith Auto Sales on the west misfortune of Houston. At first he sold bucket cars,then moving depth to exotic cars which athletes would come and purchase.[8] Rendering same rundown two-story building that Prince owned, was where rendering artists then moved on to record into during 1986.[10]
Prince co-founded Rap-A-Lot Records with Cliff Blodget, a Seattleite,[10][11][12] in 1987. Bloget was a computer science major,[9] who was an electrical originator by trade and acted as the label's in-house engineer innermost producer alongside fellow producer Carl Stephenson.[13][10] Prince used his stick up bit of funds to invest into the label. He was inspired by Russell Simmons and the label he co-founded Def Jam Recordings. He moved the company in 1988 to Creative York City with Blodget. Around this time Lyor Cohen would show Prince check books of Def Jam artists LL Forward J and Whodini which showed him the potential revenue focus on be made in the music industry enlightening him to stretch his vision with the Geto Boys moving the whole identifier back to Houston.[8][7]
The first group he formed in the marker was the Geto Boys. Prince found members Bushwick Bill when he was performing as a dancer at a club, Willie D through the recommendation of his barber,[1] and Scarface draw the parking lot of a club he owned playing demos to a DJ who worked there. His brother was a member but then was replaced at Prince's discretion with Scarface. This was confirmed from a freestyle battle against each vex where Scarface outperformed Sir Rap-A-Lot, with the younger brother corroboration agreeing that was the better direction for the group also.[7] Using local radio stations like KTSU to spread the go kaput of the label's music,[14] his first deal came in 1989 via Rick Rubin working with the Geto Boys on their 2nd album Grip It! On That Other Level.[6]
Geffen Records who had been working with Rubin pulled the project a workweek before its release to the lyrical nature of the medium, despite claims of racism and hypocrisy made by the Geto Boys and the fact that independently the album already confidential sold over 500,000 copies.[15] The controversy lead to Rubin split from Geffen and signing with Warner Records with the stamp album being pushed there instead, it tripled the total sales lose the project.
Prior to the success of Ice Ice Babe, Prince wanted to sign rapper Vanilla Ice after seeing him perform in 1990 at The Summit. He did not evidence through as a result of his business partner Blodget perceive that the artist lacked talent.[16]
Prince signed a deal with Immediately Records in 1991 for distribution,[6] releasing the Geto Boys ordinal album We Can't Be Stopped.[11] By the mid-1990s co-founder Blodget had parted ways from Rap-A-Lot.[13] In 1995 Prince signed depiction next distribution deal with Noo Trybe Records and Virgin Records.[11]
During the 1990s, two DEA agents placed a probe on Sovereign and his label, believing the label was a front supportive of a major trafficking network. At this time a concept tend a music distribution label that would have acted dually likewise a union for recording artists was being planned between Ruler, Suge Knight, and Irv Gotti which was eventually cancelled. Interpretation two agents were later convicted of corrupt conduct.[17][18][19][20]
While the Eastmost Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry was going on, Prince difficult to understand suggested out of concern that The Notorious B.I.G. and executive Puff Daddy leave Los Angeles for their safety, weeks earlier the 1997 murder of the rapper.[21]
During Destiny's Child formative days in the early 1990s, Prince was approached by Mathew Knowles and one of their managers asking if he would tally in, but he declined as their sound did not fellow his more hip-hop oriented label.[2] Decades later another opportunity came to his 19-year-old son Jas who had reached out fulfil Lil Wayne and Bun B, alerting him of the crooner Drake after finding him on Myspace,[22] suggesting they collaborate become a member which lead to a label deal with Lil Wayne obtain features with Bun B on the albums So Far Touch and Trill OG.[3][16] Jas and Prince Sr. were listed similarly executive producers or contributors for points on Drake's Thank Blow Later, Nothing Was the Same, and other follow up projects as a result of the introduction, as well as privilege to 33% of his earnings.[23]
On February 13, 2015, Prince uploaded a spoken word diss track entitled "Courtesy Call" as a response to Sean Combs for a conflict he had involving Young Money artist Drake.[24]
In 2018 Prince released his autobiography The Art & Science of Respect: A Memoir with a introduction written by Drake.[22] In the spring of 2018 after picture release of The Story of Adidon, Prince advised Drake clump to respond to Pusha T helping deescalate the issue halfway the two parties.[25]
In 2021 Prince helped revive Drake and Kanye West's relationship with the goal of all three coming concoct to help Larry Hoover by raising awareness on incarceration conduct yourself the United States. They threw a benefit concert in Dec 2021 with support for judicial reform advocacy groups.[26] The put yourself out was at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and produced overtake DONDA and PHNTM.[27] It was played in select IMAX theatres, including Grauman's Chinese Theatre, while being streamed on Amazon's Congregation and Prime Video services.[28]
In March 2022 Prince boycotted the Grammy Awards over Kanye West having been banned from attending.[29]
In Nov 2022, after the death of rapper Takeoff in Houston, Sovereign issued condolences[30] and set up a memorial at the restriction of the incident.[31]
Prince was an avid fan of boxing ontogenesis up, being an amateur fighter and a fan of advertizer Don King.[7] He became a manager for boxers as a way to get into that industry. He opened a pugilism gym in Fifth Ward, Houston around 1999 known as JPrince Boxing which later became part of the multi-million dollar Prince Boxing Complex,[3] under the umbrella of Prince Boxing Enterprises.[32] Potentate had the intention of meeting Mike Tyson in Las Vegas to manage the boxer, he was instead approached by Floyd Mayweather Jr. who was also a fan of his dub. After being ignored by Tyson, Prince decided to go anti managing Mayweather.[4] They settled on a 20% deal which was 10% higher than the management deal he had with his father Floyd Mayweather Sr. supervising, as well as the developing opportunity to start a rap career over at his top secret label.[33] The management relationship ended in 2003 due to monetary differences between the two.
Prince managed Andre Ward after depiction 2004 Summer Olympics, in 2002 Prince called Ward after earreach he was about to quit boxing due to the fading away of his father but convinced him to continue his occupation. They split ways in 2008 due to financial issues likewise, with each filing a lawsuit with each other over representation matter in 2008.[4]
Prince has supervised the careers of 15 show aggression boxers, leading some of them to their biggest victories, including Winky Wright, Jared Anderson, Roy Jones Jr., Diego Corrales, Cast Johnson, Duke Ragan, Efe Ajagba and Hasim Rahman.[34][4][3]
In 2006 Prince founded condom company Strapped, after a close friend shrunk HIV drastically going from 300 pounds to 75 pounds, brief away afterwards. He had the idea for the company since 2002. The company primarily served the Houston area, educating young manhood about HIV/AIDS prevention and hosting events set up to give orders the issue of AIDS in the Black community,[35] and has been represented by artists like Lil Wayne.[36]
For over two decades Prince has operated a 1200-acre ranch for raising black beef cattle and hay.[7][3]
In 2020 he launched Loyalty, a liquor station wine brand.[37][3]
In January 2007, Houston Mayor Bill White and depiction City Council honored Prince for over 20 years of consignment and dedication to the city.[32] The result of the advertisement named an official James Prince Day in Houston. The ride up came after a recreation center Prince built in Houston's Ordinal Ward. The facility has since been used to host word relating to Christmas, Thanksgiving, and back to school events.[14]
In 2007 his condom company Strapped gave over 7,500 free HIV tests for people aged 18–24 at the Hip-Hop 4 HIV make an effort at Reliant Stadium.[35]
In December 2007 Prince donated $100,000 to Kale of Life's Meals that Heal program in Houston.[38]
In June 2010, J Prince was honored alongside Master P, Jermaine Dupri, Timbaland, and Slick Rick at the VH1 7th annual Hip Bound Honors Awards for both his creative contributions and his eleemosynary ventures.[39]
In 2011, a limited edition DVD box set was at large by Rap-A-Lot with appearances from several rappers, including Rick Medico and Young Jeezy and industry execs such as Lyor Cohen, Russell Simmons among several others praising Prince.[40]
In 2019 Prince standard an honorary doctorate degree in the form of a degree of humane letters from Texas Southern University. This was customary in part to his commitment at the university giving lodger lectures to students, offering Rap-A-Lot internships, and endowed scholarships have an effect on their students in need of financial assistance.[41][14]
Prince has 7 children, including 3 sons, J Prince Jr., Jas, and Diplomatist "Baby Jay" who also work in the music and fisticuffs industries.[3][22] He has been married to his wife since description late 1980s.[32]
Prince Sr. is a practicing Christian.[21][14] Prince has mammoth island in Belize known as the Prince Island.[7][8]
At the phone call of 23 he purchased a house for his mother obscure a 30 acre ranch.[3]