Rocko

Atlanta rapper Rocko, born Rodney Hill, first entered the music business around 1999 by producing tracks and writing rhymes for other artists inside his cousin’s studio, later extending those efforts to the small independent outfit Triple A Records. His work with the label’s act Hitman Sammy Sam proved successful enough that he launched his own Rocky Road Records in 2002. Through that imprint he helped shape the early careers of Young Dro and Dem Franchize Boyz ahead of their major-label signings. Rocko began recording his own material in 2003 with the release of the mixtape NWA (No Wack Artist). Greater notice arrived via the 2007 follow-up Swag Season, which included guest appearances by Jim Jones and Rick Ross—both then enjoying breakout success—and moved briskly throughout Georgia and adjacent states.

A prominent profile in the Southern rap publication Ozone paved the way for an exclusive deal with Island Def Jam for both Rocko and his label, facilitated by urban-division president Jermaine Dupri, an acquaintance introduced through Rocko’s then-girlfriend Monica. The Swag Season track “Umma Do Me” climbed to number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and served as the lead single for his major-label debut, Self-Made, which entered the Billboard 200 at number 21 in 2008. When Rocko and Def Jam parted ways, plans for a second album on the label were abandoned. He responded by forming A1 Recordings, an outlet that housed the mixtapes Wild Life (2010), Rocko Dinero (2011), Gift of Gab, and Wordplay (2012) as well as several Epic-supported projects by Future. Gift of Gab 2 appeared in 2013 and featured “U.O.E.N.O.,” which included verses from Rick Ross and Future; after Rocko removed Ross’s contribution amid controversy, the track reached the pop Top 20. Another mixtape, Lingo for Dummies, surfaced the following year.