Darryl Raynard Richardson III[1] (born January 19, 1984), better known by his stage name Lil Scrappy, is an American rapper.

Lil Scrappy
Lil Scrappy in 2007
Lil Scrappy in 2007
Background information
Birth nameDarryl Raynard Richardson III
Born (1984-01-19) January 19, 1984 (age 40)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active2003–present
Labels
SpouseAdiz "Bambi" Benson (m. 2017: div. 2023)
Websitelilscrappy.com

Richardson was discovered by producer and performer Lil Jon while performing at a bar in their respective hometown of Atlanta.[1] Along with labelmates Trillville, Lil Scrappy was one of the first signings to Lil Jon's BME Recordings. Richardson has built a strong reputation and eager following throughout the Atlanta hip hop scene and throughout the Southeastern United States through various mixtape releases.

Career

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2004–2006: The King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present: Trillville & Lil Scrappy

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Lil Scrappy's first album, The King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present: Trillville & Lil Scrappy (2004), was a split-release, with Trillville songs representing one "side" of the disk and Lil Scrappy songs representing the other. The album was produced by Lil' Jon and reached #12 on the Billboard 200.[2]

2006–2008: Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live – G-Unit Venture

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Lil Scrappy's debut album Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live was released on December 5, 2006 on Reprise Records. Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson offered Richardson a joint deal with G-Unit and BME after the head busser rapper got into an incident that left him unable to rap.[3]

The album was produced by Lil Jon and features appearances by 50 Cent, Bohagon, Lil Jon, Olivia, Three 6 Mafia, Young Buck, Young Dro, and Yung Joc.[4]

The first single "Money in the Bank" features Young Buck and became Lil Scrappy's second Top 30 single. Money in the Bank peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming his biggest solo hit and most commercially successful single to date in the U.S.[5] as it surpassed the peak position of "No Problem" by one position. The second single from the album is called "Gangsta Gangsta" and features Lil Jon. "Oh Yeah (Work)" is the third single from Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live and features E-40 and Sean P (formerly Sean Paul) of YoungbloodZ.

2008–2009: Prince of the South

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Lil Scrappy's second album, Prince of the South, was released on May 13, 2008, through Real Talk Entertainment.

2009–2012: Tha Grustle

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Lil Scrappy joined the Disturbing tha Peace label in April 2009. Though still filming the motion picture Just Another Day, he was expected to tour that summer to promote his fourth studio album, Tha Grustle, after filming was complete.[6] In November 2011, with the album still unreleased, he announced he'd left Disturbing the Peace and that the album would be released by Bonzi Records in 2012.[7]

Lil Scrappy's second independent album, Prince of the South 2, was released on October 19, 2010, through Real Talk Entertainment just like his first independent album. On September 8, 2009, Lil Scrappy released the first single from the album entitled "Addicted to Money" but it failed to reach the Billboard charts so it was dubbed as a promo single. Then on September 28, 2010, Lil Scrappy released the first single from the album "Bad (That's Her)" which featured Stuey Rock, but it also failed to reach the Billboard charts, so it was dubbed as a promo single.

2012–present: Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta

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Since 2012, Lil Scrappy has appeared on eleven seasons of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.[8]


Early Life

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Richardson has described a hard childhood, with his mother selling drugs and working as a pimp of prostitutes.

When he was a young boy, Richardson began writing lyrics and entertaining neighborhood crowds with his standout rapping skills. By his early teens, he sold homemade CDs and mixtapes on the streets and marketed them to flea markets and eventually to strip clubs.

In the early 2000's he was performing his signature hit "Head Bussa" around Atlanta.

By 2003, rapper Lil Jon collaborated with Scrappy to recreate "Head Bussa" and work on a new album with Trillville.

Discography

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Studio albums
Collaboration albums

Filmography

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Television

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Year Title Role
2012–present Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta Himself
2016–2018 Leave It To Stevie Himself
2018 Love & Hip Hop: Miami Himself

References

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  1. ^ a b Loftus, Johnny. "Lil Scrappy – Biography". AllMusic. Miller Freeman, Inc. Retrieved December 5, 2008.
  2. ^ "Chart History: Lil Scrappy". Billboard.com.
  3. ^ "Lil' Scrappy Joins G-Unit: "50 Cent saved my life"". TalkoftheTown411.com.
  4. ^ "Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live – Lil Scrappy | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  5. ^ "Gold & Platinum – RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  6. ^ Tai Saint Louis and scrappy (April 6, 2009). "Lil Scrappy Join's Luda's Disturbing Tha Peace". AllHipHop.com. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  7. ^ Langhorne, Cyrus (November 2, 2011). "Lil Scrappy Won't Disturb Tha Peace Anymore, Parts Ways W/ Ludacris". Sohh.Com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  8. ^ "Love and Hip Hop Atlanta Salaries: Find out How Much the Stars Make!". Intouchweekly.com. April 10, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
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