Young Buck

Rapper Young Buck arrived as an unfamiliar presence upon joining 50 Cent's G-Unit, yet his experience in the rap scene stretched back much further. Born David Darnell Brown in Nashville, Tennessee, he began rhyming at age 12 and entered a studio setting by 14. Brian "Baby" Williams, the driving force behind Cash Money, discovered the then-16-year-old during a rap battle, which quickly led the teenager to drop out of high school and relocate to New Orleans, where he shared cramped living quarters with the rest of the Cash Money roster. Young Buck arranged luxury vehicles for Juvenile's 1999 video for "Ha" and handled various off-camera tasks before deciding to pursue individual recognition by leaving the label and returning to his hometown.

He teamed with D-Tay for the 2000 release Thuggin' Til the End on Next Level, an effort that drew limited notice. Cash Money nevertheless extended an invitation to rejoin, which Buck accepted, only to feel idle after two weeks of inactivity at the office. Encountering Juvenile, who was then preparing to exit Cash Money, Buck joined him on tour. During a New York City stop, he crossed paths with 50 Cent and received an offer to enter G-Unit, which he accepted with Juvenile's approval. Buck contributed writing and a featured appearance on 50 Cent's "Bloodhound." The 2003 G-Unit debut Beg for Mercy brought him widespread visibility, reaching double-platinum status before his own Straight Outta Cashville arrived on G-Unit/Interscope at number three on the Billboard 200 in 2004. Three years afterward, once that project had also earned platinum certification, he delivered the intense Buck the World, which likewise peaked at number three.

Following a subsequent rift with G-Unit, Buck resurfaced in 2010 through his Ca$hville imprint with the delayed album The Rehab. Earlier releases such as the Savion Saddam collaboration Salute to the Streetz and assorted mixtapes paved the way for his return to G-Unit, after which he maintained a steady output that included multiple installments of the 10 series and Bust N Grams throughout the second half of the 2010s.