Turk Biography
New Orleans-based rapper, Turk, was first discovered in 1996 when the owners of Cash Money Records (brothers Ronald “Slim” Williams and Brian “Baby” Williams) discovered him rapping and rhyming in the nearby Magnolia projects. Later that same year, he made his recording debut with a cameo on Juvenile’s solo debut, Solja Rags. He was billed as Young Turk, and welcomed into the newly formed Hot Boys (who also included Juvenile, B.G., and Lil Wayne), issuing Get It How U Live! in 1997 and Guerilla Warfare two years later. Turk continued to make cameos on other rapper’s recordings, including Juvenile’s big hits, 400 Degreez and Tha G-Code, Lil Wayne’s Tha Block Is Hot and Lights Out, as well as B.G.’s It’s All on U, Vol. 1 and It’s All on U, Vol. 2. June 2001 saw the release of his solo debut, Young and Thuggin’, on Universal Records.
Turk recorded Untamed Guerilla for Cash Money as a follow-up, but soon jumped ship to Koch, following in the footsteps of B.G. Untamed Guerilla remained unreleased and he made his Koch debut in 2003 with Raw and Uncut. In January 2004, Turk was in a Memphis, TN, apartment when narcotics officers and SWAT team members stormed in. According to police, he allegedly shot an officer during the drug raid; however, the rapper claimed he was hiding in the closet without a gun. At a preliminary hearing a charge of first-degree attempted murder was reduced to second-degree attempted murder, but Turk was granted bail in the state but was not granted bail in the feds. He was awaiting trial in prison as his third album, Penitentiary Chances, hit the streets in April 2004.
After 8 years 8 months and 16 days Turk was released from prison on October 12, 2012, and has hit the ground running, doing interviews, making appearances, and getting in plenty of studio time. Turk has since started his own label YNT Empire with a lot of great up and coming artists on his roster. He has released several projects since his 2012 prison release, Blame It On The System [Mixtape], Louisianimalz, Reflamed, and The Real Thugga. Turk has written a book of his life The AutoThugography of Turk, a screenplay for the movie of his life titled RECKLESS, and is reaching back to those in prison with his magazine, YNT Incarcerated.
Turk has established himself as a solo artist and entrepreneur, and for him there’s no looking back. When asked what he is doing, he says T.H.U.G.G.I.N. in which he redefines as Taking Hardships Using God’s Gifts Inspite of Negativity.
