Young Buck

• Genre: Southern Rap/Hip-Hop
• Hometown: Nashville
• Young Buck Website

About

On November 16, 1994, Jimmy Johnson stepped to Dre at the Vibe awards and punched the good Doctor in the face. Not the wisest move, it would turn out, and in the melee that ensued, Johnson would be punched, kicked and ultimately stabbed by one of Dre's disciples, the Tennessee rapper Young Buck. Buck subsequently pled no contest to assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to probation. While most rappers claim an impressive body count, how many have stabbed a man on national TV? The incident was a career-defining moment for Buck, who started rhyming in his early teens. In the late '90s, he hooked up with the Cash Money Millionaires. After several years, he split from the label and went on tour with fellow Cash Money expat Juvenile. While on tour, Young Buck met up with 50 Cent, and the two started recording tracks together. Buck made an appearance on the classic Get Rich or Die Tryin', as well as G-Unit's Beg For Mercy. This set the stage for his solo album, Straight Outta Cashville, which was released in August 2004. The album was widely heralded as one of G-Unit's finest. His second G-Unit release, Buck the World, arrived in 2007.

- Sam Chennault