Biography
Seeking to fuse club-oriented Southern crunk energy with more thoughtful lyricism, the Atlanta rappers Tity Boi and Dolla Boy established Playaz Circle—also known as the Duffle Bag Boys—in 1997 within the neighboring municipality of College Park, Georgia. Longtime friends since their high school days, the pair promptly began producing underground releases and mixtapes. Shortly thereafter, the aspiring MC and local radio personality Ludacris relocated to the same College Park apartment complex and initiated joint work with Playaz Circle. While both crews pursued industry entry, the duo’s momentum stalled after Dolla Boy received a prison sentence and Tity Boi suffered a shooting. In the meantime, Ludacris achieved widespread success as one of the South’s top-selling rap acts. He subsequently recruited Tity Boi, followed by Dolla Boy, into his newly launched Disturbing tha Peace collective and its affiliated DTP label. The pair contributed the track “Play Pen to the State Pen” to DTP’s inaugural project, Golden Grain (2002). Executives at the label initially hesitated to issue the duo’s material via its Def Jam arrangement, prompting continued output of street-level albums and mixtapes that were funneled directly to Atlanta DJs for club rotation. While awaiting the release of their completed album, Playaz Circle gained traction in summer 2007 with the Top Five Hip-Hop/R&B single “Duffle Bag Boy,” which featured Lil Wayne on the chorus. The track’s rising popularity cleared obstacles at the major-label level, positioning it as the lead single for both DTP’s third LP, Strength in Numbers (2008), and the duo’s own debut, Supply and Demand (2007).
Albums
