Blak Jak

Amid a cooling Atlanta hip-hop scene still emerging from an extended run of aggressive crunk sounds, Decatur, GA rapper Blak Jak scored a major summer 2006 success via the unhurried single “Ride & Swerve.” Shawty Redd, already known for shaping much of Young Jeezy’s breakthrough Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101, handled the production, while Project Pat appeared as guest; the track’s relaxed, nostalgic vibe had first surfaced on an independent release before Universal stepped in to sign Blak Jak. A DJ Smallz-hosted mixtape called Roll da Dice kept momentum alive while the MC spent the remainder of summer and fall shaping his debut full-length. Place Your Bets reached stores at the close of 2006, coinciding with growing club interest in the follow-up single “Bobbin My Head.”