Biography
A trailblazer in Brooklyn drill, rapper Bobby Shmurda ignited a viral phenomenon through his 2014 single "Hot N*gga." The track and its accompanying dance moves spread at a staggering pace, as Shmurda’s East Coast version of Chicago’s hard-hitting drill sound established a blueprint that numerous subsequent artists would adopt. His meteoric rise coincided with mounting legal issues, and following multiple arrests, charges, and court proceedings, he ultimately served time at Rikers Island until an inmate altercation prompted a transfer to another facility. Upon his 2021 release, Shmurda unveiled "No Time for Sleep (freestyle)" as his first new recording after incarceration, a few months later.
Born Ackquille Pollard in Florida in 1994, he later moved to Brooklyn. As a teenager, Pollard reworked 50 Cent and Jay-Z songs over Southern productions, carrying that East Coast/Dirty South fusion into his role with the Brooklyn collective GS9. In 2014 he issued the solo cut "Hot N*gga" and its video, which showcased the GS9 crew performing the street dance known as the Shmoney Dance. The song exploded in popularity: Jeezy dropped remixes, while Beyoncé and Jay-Z incorporated the Shmoney Dance into their On the Run tour. By year’s end Shmurda had inked a deal with Epic Records and GS9 had issued the Shmoney Shmurda mixtape. The follow-up single "Bobby Bitch" also charted, and Shmurda delivered both the Shmurdaville mixtape and his debut EP Shmurda She Wrote before 2014 closed. Legal troubles shadowed his ascent, culminating in a 2014 arrest that produced a prison sentence. While incarcerated he continued creating, notably laying down his verse for 6ix9ine’s platinum-certified 2018 single "Stoopid" via prison phone. His 2021 release drew such respect within hip-hop that Migos member Quavo personally drove to the facility to collect him. In July 2021 Shmurda returned with "No Time for Sleep (freestyle)," his first solo track since completing his sentence.
Born Ackquille Pollard in Florida in 1994, he later moved to Brooklyn. As a teenager, Pollard reworked 50 Cent and Jay-Z songs over Southern productions, carrying that East Coast/Dirty South fusion into his role with the Brooklyn collective GS9. In 2014 he issued the solo cut "Hot N*gga" and its video, which showcased the GS9 crew performing the street dance known as the Shmoney Dance. The song exploded in popularity: Jeezy dropped remixes, while Beyoncé and Jay-Z incorporated the Shmoney Dance into their On the Run tour. By year’s end Shmurda had inked a deal with Epic Records and GS9 had issued the Shmoney Shmurda mixtape. The follow-up single "Bobby Bitch" also charted, and Shmurda delivered both the Shmurdaville mixtape and his debut EP Shmurda She Wrote before 2014 closed. Legal troubles shadowed his ascent, culminating in a 2014 arrest that produced a prison sentence. While incarcerated he continued creating, notably laying down his verse for 6ix9ine’s platinum-certified 2018 single "Stoopid" via prison phone. His 2021 release drew such respect within hip-hop that Migos member Quavo personally drove to the facility to collect him. In July 2021 Shmurda returned with "No Time for Sleep (freestyle)," his first solo track since completing his sentence.
Albums
Singles
