Huey (rapper)

Lawrence Franks Jr. (September 12, 1987 – June 26, 2020),[3] better known by his stage name Huey, was an American rapper from St. Louis, Missouri. Originally signed to Jive Records, Huey was best known for his 2006 single, "Pop, Lock & Drop It".

Not to be confused with Baby Huey.

Huey
Background information
Birth nameLawrence Franks Jr.
Also known asBaby Huey
Born(1987-09-12)September 12, 1987
Kinloch, Missouri, U.S.
DiedJune 26, 2020(2020-06-26) (aged 32)[1]
Kinloch, Missouri, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Occupation(s)Rapper
Years active2006–2020
Labels

Early life

Huey was born as Lawrence Franks Jr. on September 12, 1987, in Kinloch, Missouri, where he was raised. He moved to the Walnut Park neighborhood of St. Louis when he was five and returned to St. Louis County as a teenager. In an interview, he remembered his community as having "a lot of drugs going on and, of course, a little bit of violence" and said that his experiences growing up in a tough area inspired his rap lyrics.[4] Franks, the youngest of four children, recalled his childhood being "really rough" and stated "My mama and daddy were on drugs. My brother was in and out of jail. The foster people were chasing me. It was crazy".[5]

Career

Music beginnings

At age 15, Huey began creating hip hop beats.[6] His older brother referred Franks to producer Angela Richardson, who was creating a rap group. Franks began performing as Huey, and his songs "Oh" and "Pop, Lock & Drop It" became local favorites among DJs and promoters. Huey was featured on a series of mixtapes, one of which, Unsigned Hype, sold out of its run of 8,000 copies and was noticed by producer TJ Chapman, who introduced the rapper to Vice President of A&R at Jive Records, Mickey "MeMpHiTz" Wright, in 2006.[7]

2006–2007: Notebook Paper

Huey's debut album for the label, Notebook Paper, was released in mid-2007, described by AllMusic as sounding like a mixture of Nelly, Chingy, and Ludacris.[7][8] The album reached number 26 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[9] "Pop, Lock & Drop It", its lead single, peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his biggest hit to date. Nelly's refusal to work with Huey on his debut album prompted two diss tracks "Down, Down, Baby" featuring Tha Camp Boyz and "Back at Cha'".[10] Notebook Paper's next single was "When I Hustle" featuring singer Lloyd. In 2007, Huey was featured on the song "Hook it Up" on R Kelly's album Double Up.

2010: Redemption

Huey's second album, Redemption, was released on September 14, 2010, after many delays. The first official single from the album was "Smile and Wave", which features Dorrough and was released on June 15, 2010. In "Smile and Wave", Huey criticizes his critics.[4]

2013–2020: Project H

In 2013 Huey announced that he had officially signed with Waka Flocka Flame's label Brick Squad Monopoly and was working on his third album.[11] On May 14, 2014, Huey released his mixtape entitled Project H.[12][13] However, not much materialized from his signing to Brick Squad and Huey had been relatively quiet on the music scene in recent years.[5] According to music executive William "Quayshaun" Carter, who worked with Huey in the 2010s, prior to his death, Huey had just started a business in upscale clothing, "and it was working out, and he was happy".[14]

Death

On June 25, 2020, Franks and an unidentified 21-year old male companion were shot in front of Franks' home in Kinloch, Missouri. Both men were hospitalized, but the following day Franks died from his wounds at age 32.[15]

Discography

Albums
List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[16]		 US
R&B
/HH
[17]		 US
Rap
[18]
Notebook Paper 26104
Redemption
  • Released: September 14, 2010
  • Label: EMI
  • Format: CD, digital download
 ———

Mixtapes
Huey's mixtapes and details
Title Mixtape details
Who the F*ck Is Huey?
  • Released: January 5, 2011
Project H
  • Released: May 14, 2014

Singles
List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[19]		 US
R&B
/HH
[20]		 US
Rap
[21]		 NZ
[22]
"Pop, Lock & Drop It" 2006 66210 Notebook Paper
"When I Hustle"
(featuring Lloyd)		 2007 —80——
"Tell Me This (G-5) [Tha Remix]"[24]
(featuring MeMpHiTz and T-Pain)		 2008 ————
"24/7 - 365"
(featuirng Maino and Glasses Malone)[25]		 ———— Non-album singles
"Payow!"
(featuring Juelz Santana and Bobby V)		 2009 —88——
"Smile & Wave"
(featuring Dorrough)		 2010 ———— Redemption
"Pulled Away"[26] 2020 ———— Non-album single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

See also

References
  1. Haylock, Zoe (June 26, 2020). ""Pop, Lock, and Drop It" Rapper Huey Killed In Double Shooting". Vulture.
  2. "atrilli.net". atrilli.net.
  3. Obituary - Lawrence Franks. Austin A. Layne Mortuary. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  4. Hamilton, Keegan (August 18, 2010). "Rapper Huey looks to shake off the past with a mature outlook and a new album". Riverfront Times. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  5. Bell, Kim (June 26, 2020). "St. Louis rapper Huey killed in double shooting in Kinloch". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  6. Jones, Steve (June 21, 2007). "Huey: Someone new from 'the Lou'". USA Today. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
  7. Wilson, MacKenzie. "Huey Biography". allmusic. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
  8. Jeffries, David. "Notebook Paper review". Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation.
  9. "Huey: Billboard Albums". allmusic. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
  10. Starbury, Allen (July 3, 2007). "Beef In St. Louis: Rising Rapper Huey Takes On Nelly". BallerStatus. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
  11. Johnson, Kevin C. "St. Louis rapper Huey signs with Waka Flocka Flame's Brick Squad". Stltoday.com. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  12. "Huey "Project H" Release Date, Cover Art, Tracklist & Mixtape Stream | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopdx.com. May 15, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  13. "Project H Mixtape by Huey". Datpiff.com. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  14. Strauss, Matthew (June 26, 2020). "Huey, "Pop, Lock & Drop It" Rapper, Shot Dead at 31". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  15. Aprylete Russell, Blair Ledet (June 26, 2020). "St. Louis rapper Huey killed after double shooting in Kinloch". FOX2now. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  16. "Huey Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  17. "Huey Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  18. "Huey Chart History: Rap Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  19. "Huey Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  20. "Huey Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  21. "Huey Chart History: Rap Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  22. "Discography Huey". charts.nz. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  23. "American single certifications – Huey – Pop, Lock". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  24. "Tell Me This (G-5) [Tha Remix] (featuring MeMpHiTz & T-Pain) - Single by Huey on Apple Music". June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020 – via Apple Music.
  25. "24/7 - 365 (feat. Maino & Glasses Malone) - Single by Huey on Apple Music". Retrieved June 26, 2020 – via Apple Music.
  26. Woods, Aleia (June 26, 2020). "Huey Shot And Killed At 32: Report". XXL. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
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