J-Dawg

Originally from Garden City, Texas, rapper J-Dawg (born Larry Wayne Jones, Jr.) got his start in the early 2000s, first as part of Swishahouse and then joining up with the Boss Hogg Outlaws. Founded by rapper Slim Thug, the Boss Hogg Outlaws cohort of rappers were based in the Houston area and included J-Dawg, Slim Thug, Young Von, C. Ward, and several others. As part of the group, J-Dawg appeared on several Boss Hogg Outlaws albums throughout the 2000s and early 2010s, as well as showing up for features on tracks by Chamillionaire, Pimp C, and other legendary Southern rappers. In 2008, after years as a supporting player or part of a larger crew, J-Dawg released his first solo mixtape, Behind Tint, Vol. 1. True to the roots of Houston rap, the album was offered in both regular and “screwed” versions. The mixtape opened the floodgates for a slew of other Behind Tint volumes, with Behind Tint, Vol. 2 following in 2010 and Still Behind Tint materializing months later. Now decades into the game, J-Dawg continued with mixtapes such as 2015′s Connected and Respected, Vol. 1 and 2016′s collaborative album with Underboss, Dark Days Bright Nights. ~ Fred Thomas