Soulja Slim
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| Soulja Slim | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | James Tapp Jr. |
| Born | September 9, 1977 |
| Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Died | November 26, 2003 (aged 26) |
| Genre(s) | Southern Rap |
| Occupation(s) | rapper |
| Years active | 1994 - 2003 |
| Label(s) | No Limit, Cutthroat Commity |
| Associated acts | C-MURDER, B.G., JUVENILE |
James Tapp, Jr. (September 9, 1977 – November 26, 2003), better known by his stage name Soulja Slim, was an American rapper who achieved modest success on Master P's No Limit record label.
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[edit] Life
James Tapp was born in the Magnolia Projects of New Orleans, Louisiana. Tapp released his debut album, Soulja fa Lyfe, on Parkway Pumpin' Records in 1994 under the name Magnolia Slim. In 1995, he released the four-song e.p. The Dark Side on Hype Enough Records. In the same year, the song "The Dark Side" appeared on No Limit Records double-CD compilation Bouncin' and Swingin' . In 1998, Tapp, now calling himself Soulja Slim, released Give It 2 'Em Raw on No Limit Records with his single and video "From What I Was Told." Following a prison stint for armed robbery, Slim suffered addictions to heroin and cocaine. He reappeared three years later with Streets Made Me, which was again released on the No Limit label. From there, he started his own label, Cut Throat Commity Records and released Years Later in late 2002. In 2003, he released Years Later...A Few Months After, his last album before his death. The album featured the hit "I'll Pay for It". He also helped create the song "Slow Motion". Though the hot 100 hit was released under Juvenile's name, the song was originally written by Soulja Slim.
[edit] No Limit
After releasing "Soulja fa Lyfe" and "The Dark Syde" under the name Magnolia Slim, Tapp Signed to No Limit Records. He released Give It 2 'Em Raw in 1998 but was arrested just days before its release. Without being able to promote the album it still managed to go gold and eventually platinum. In 2001 he released "The Streets Made Me" which was another underground classic.
[edit] Cutthroat Commity
C.T.C. was founded by Tapp and fellow rappers Tre-Nitty and 12 o'klok. Tapp put out "Years Later" independantly and was soon signed by Geffen. He re-vamped the album and released "Years Later..A Few Months Later". He died soon after on November 26th 2003
[edit] Death
On Thanksgiving Eve November 26, 2003, Slim was en route to a performance when an unknown gunman shot him three times in the face, and once in the chest, in front of his mother's home in the 8th Ward/Gentilly area.[1]
This would be the last of several violent encounters in Slim's life. It was said he had once engaged in melee with a gay man at a club in Mississippi. The source said that a man was in the V.I.P. area of an unnamed club. Slim didn't recognize the man and apparently struck him, before being thrown out of the club.
In another similar altercation in a club in Miami, Slim allegedly stole a man's jewelry. According to the source, there was also an altercation at a New Orleans gas station where a man tried to assault Slim because he was from the Magnolia Projects. Witnesses say that Slim pulled out a gun.
22-year-old Garelle Smith from the St. Bernard Projects (7th Ward) is known as the potential hitman. Smith was arrested on December 30, 2003 and soon charged with Slim's murder.[2] The charges were subsequently dropped in February 2004.
On December 25 a man named Steven Kennedy died; police said that the murder was likely a revenge killing in response to Tapp's murder. Police charged Ivory "B-Stupid" Harris and Jerome Hampton for the crime.[3]
[edit] Discography
- 1994: Soulja fa Lyfe
- 1995: The Dark Side
- 1998: Give It 2 'Em Raw (Platinum)
- 2001: Streets Made Me (Gold)
- 2002: Years Later
- 2003: Years Later...A Few Months After
- 2005: Greatest Hitz
- 2005: Mixtape: Soulja Slim and BG "Uptown Soulja's
[edit] References
- ^ VIOLENCE THRIVES ON LACK OF JOBS, WEALTH OF DRUGS." The Times-Picayune.
- ^ Soulja Slim's Killer Was Captured!. Hip Hop Elements. Retrieved on 2005-10-30.
- ^ "Target of manhunt here wanted in New Orleans." Houston Chronicle.
