Yung Joc

Rapper Yung Joc, born Jasiel Robinson, absorbed lessons on operating an independent enterprise from his father, who ran a hair-care products firm. That same parent handed the teenager his initial opportunity by commissioning a jingle for Revlon. The assignment convinced Joc that his future lay in hip-hop, though he still required time to cultivate a distinctive voice. Observing the various crews that emerged from his hometown of Atlanta, he felt no immediate connection to any scene until the arrival of the hard-edged T.I., even as he remained a devoted OutKast admirer. Following T.I.’s example, he began crafting rhymes rooted in street life and established his own outlet, Mastermind, to issue the material.

He subsequently aligned with Russell “Block” Spencer and the Block Enterprises imprint, issuing the hard club single “It’s Goin’ Down” in early 2006. The track quickly became an Atlanta staple and reached Sean “Diddy” Combs. Having already delivered the group Boyz N da Hood to Diddy, Spencer now presented an artist whose sound echoed the surging Young Jeezy and T.I.; Diddy recognized the prospect of elevating his new Bad Boy South imprint. Spencer negotiated a multi-million-dollar agreement that brought Yung Joc, Mastermind, and Block Enterprises under the Bad Boy umbrella. The resulting debut album, New Joc City, ranked among the first projects released by the combined labels in early 2006. One year later the single “Coffee Shop” introduced the follow-up album Hustlenomics.