Field Mob
Encyclopedia
Field Mob is an American
Hip-Hop group from Albany, Georgia
composed of artists Shawn Timothy Johnson and Darion Crawford better known by their stage names Shawn Jay and Smoke respectively. Field Mob is signed to T-Pain
's label Nappy Boy Entertainment
.
a few blocks from each other in a relatively poor neighborhood locally known as "The Field" because of its semi-rural location as compared to the city's public housing. As teenagers attending Monroe Comprehensive High School, Darion observed Shawn and a group of friends holding rap freestyle battles in the schools courtyard, with Shawn being the "reigning champion." Darion decided to challenge Shawn on the idea that "he was just as good" and won. For four weeks afterward, the informal competition continued daily, with the victor alternating between himself and Shawn, and attracting the attention of many other students who came to spectate. Eventually, Shawn offered to form a rap group with Darion, and Field Mob was born.
According to Smoke and Shawn Jay, the origins of the duo's name are twofold. Field is a reference not only to the neighborhood where they grew up, but also an allusion to a slang term for the southern United States. Mob signifies the strength the duo represents- "We’re two people but together we make an army. We’re making a strong statement with two people. We’re a two man army.”
Benny Pugh and within days Field Mob inked a deal, making them the first southern hip hop act to be signed to a New York based label.
and Big Boi of Outkast
, lending further public exposure and notoriety.
was released. While some reviews were mixed, the album sold well, becoming certified gold and garnering the group their second largest hit to date (as of 9/07) with the Jazze Pha
produced single "Sick of Being Lonely."
, MCA Records
parent, began to phase out the label in the spring of 2003, with the former company's rock, pop, and urban catalogs absorbed into Geffen Records
. This action left the future of the duo's contract and any subsequent album releases in doubt. It appeared that Field Mob and their deep south influence may fade from the hip hop scene at large.
However, the situation came to the attention of Disturbing tha Peace
CEO Ludacris
, who saw untapped potential in the young rappers. After negotiations, which involved relieving them of their old MCA contract, the group was signed to Disturbing tha Peace in August 2005, shortly thereafter appearing on Ludacris Presents: Disturbing tha Peace, a collaboration album showcasing the labels new artists. The duo's track Georgia featuring Ludacris
and Jamie Foxx
became an instant underground hit and the albums top selling single, eventually reaching #39 on the US Billboard 200 and setting the tone for their third album.
dropped in June 2006 to high acclaim and much fanfare, owing at least partly from an extensive promotional campaign by Disturbing tha Peace and multiple radio promo tracks. This album garnered the pair their biggest hit with its first official single, So What, featuring Ciara
and coincidentally also produced by Jazze Pha. This release reached #7 on the US Billboard 200
and #2 on Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums. The groups increased success since signing with Disturbing tha Peace has largely been attributed to better promotion by their new label and, most importantly, the artistic freedom that the group has been allowed in their new home. Darian related this sentiment in an interview for SOHH.com:
"I went free with my creativity [at DTP, unlike when] I was over at MCA, aka rape you records. Ludacris let me say what I wanna say. If I wanna say f**k..., he's cool with it cause he trusts my creativity. I never knew our CEO at MCA Records. I never got to talk to him.... [Ludacris and I] are friends more than business partners, I'd like to say."
and Nas
to rap battles. This video turned out to have been filmed and produced by a Disturbing tha Peace cameraman who had subsequently been terminated by the label. In attempt to slander Field Mob, he had edited various pieces of footage together, bringing them totally out of context. The most inflammatory footage, of the pair poking fun at New York slang, was confirmed by Smoke to be a friendly joke toward Disturbing tha Peace co-CEO's, executives, and Harlem natives Chaka Zulu and his brother Jeff Dixon. Furthermore, though the footage was edited to cast a negative light, Smoke points out that "[New York artists] do [Southern artists] like that all the time, but nobody says nothing about it..."
for this album's pre-release single, "So Lonely" produced by Scott Storch
, however did receive heavy rotation on BET
as well as being featured on several video sharing and hip hop websites.
Shawn Jay has entered into a solo contract with parent company Universal Music Group
.
!rowspan=2|Year
!rowspan=2|Song
!colspan=4|Peak chart positions
!rowspan=2|Album
|- style=font-size:smaller;
!width="40"|U.S.
!width="40"|U.S. R&B
!width="40"|U.S. Rap
!width="40"|U.S. Pop
|-
|rowspan=1|2000
|align=left| "Project Dreams"
| —
| 91
| —
| —
|rowspan=1| 613: Ashy to Classy
|-
|rowspan=1|2002
|align=left| "Sick of Being Lonely"
| 18
| 10
| 5
| —
|rowspan=2| From tha Roota to tha Toota
|-
|rowspan=1|2003
|align=left| "All I Know" (featuring Cee-Lo Green)
| —
| 77
| —
| —
|-
|rowspan=1|2005
|align=left| "Georgia" (featuring Ludacris
and Jamie Foxx
)
| 39
| 31
| 21
| 36
|rowspan=1| Ludacris Presents: Disturbing tha Peace / Light Poles and Pine Trees
|-
|rowspan=1|2006
|align=left| "So What (featuring Ciara
)
| 10
| 4
| 3
| 13
|rowspan=1| Light Poles and Pine Trees
|-
|}
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Hip-Hop group from Albany, Georgia
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
composed of artists Shawn Timothy Johnson and Darion Crawford better known by their stage names Shawn Jay and Smoke respectively. Field Mob is signed to T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
's label Nappy Boy Entertainment
Nappy Boy Entertainment
Nappy Boy Entertainment is an American record label founded by R&B, singer-songwriter T-Pain. The label is distributed by RCA Records, and formerly Jive Label Group...
.
Formation
Darion and Shawn grew up on the outskirts of Albany, GeorgiaAlbany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
a few blocks from each other in a relatively poor neighborhood locally known as "The Field" because of its semi-rural location as compared to the city's public housing. As teenagers attending Monroe Comprehensive High School, Darion observed Shawn and a group of friends holding rap freestyle battles in the schools courtyard, with Shawn being the "reigning champion." Darion decided to challenge Shawn on the idea that "he was just as good" and won. For four weeks afterward, the informal competition continued daily, with the victor alternating between himself and Shawn, and attracting the attention of many other students who came to spectate. Eventually, Shawn offered to form a rap group with Darion, and Field Mob was born.
According to Smoke and Shawn Jay, the origins of the duo's name are twofold. Field is a reference not only to the neighborhood where they grew up, but also an allusion to a slang term for the southern United States. Mob signifies the strength the duo represents- "We’re two people but together we make an army. We’re making a strong statement with two people. We’re a two man army.”
MCA
Late in 1999, after floundering for sometime in the local music scene, Field Mob was signed to Southern House Records, a small independent label, recording the single Project Dreamz. The group then set out on the road to promote their new release during a time when the southern hip hop scene was on the rise. The single eventually drew the attention of MCA RecordsMCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
Benny Pugh and within days Field Mob inked a deal, making them the first southern hip hop act to be signed to a New York based label.
613: Ashy to Classy
December 2000 saw the release of Field Mob's debut 613: Ashy to Classy. Introduced to much critical acclaim and hailed by some hip hop press outlets, most notably The Source, as one of the best albums of 2001, it reached #35 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums. Following their debut success, the duo's collaboration was sought after by several well-known regional artists, including Trick DaddyTrick Daddy
Maurice Young , better known by his stage name Trick Daddy, is a certified platinum American rapper and producer from Miami, Florida.-Music career:...
and Big Boi of Outkast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
, lending further public exposure and notoriety.
From tha Roota to tha Toota
In October 2002, the groups second album From tha Roota to tha TootaFrom tha Roota to tha Toota
From tha Roota to tha Toota is the second album from the hip hop duo Field Mob released under the now defunct recording label MCA Records, currently distributed by Geffen Records. It was released to stores on October 22, 2002. The title of the album is a colloquial southern United States reference...
was released. While some reviews were mixed, the album sold well, becoming certified gold and garnering the group their second largest hit to date (as of 9/07) with the Jazze Pha
Jazze Pha
Phalon Anton Alexander , also known as Jazze Pha , is an American singer, and songwriter.raised in Memphis, TN; son of James Alexander ....
produced single "Sick of Being Lonely."
Disturbing tha Peace
As Field Mob's career seemed to be accelerating, Universal Music GroupUniversal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
, MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
parent, began to phase out the label in the spring of 2003, with the former company's rock, pop, and urban catalogs absorbed into Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. This action left the future of the duo's contract and any subsequent album releases in doubt. It appeared that Field Mob and their deep south influence may fade from the hip hop scene at large.
However, the situation came to the attention of Disturbing tha Peace
Disturbing Tha Peace
Disturbing tha Peace is a record label founded by Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges, his manager Chaka Zulu and Zulu's brother Jeff Dixon...
CEO Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, who saw untapped potential in the young rappers. After negotiations, which involved relieving them of their old MCA contract, the group was signed to Disturbing tha Peace in August 2005, shortly thereafter appearing on Ludacris Presents: Disturbing tha Peace, a collaboration album showcasing the labels new artists. The duo's track Georgia featuring Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
and Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
became an instant underground hit and the albums top selling single, eventually reaching #39 on the US Billboard 200 and setting the tone for their third album.
Light Poles and Pine Trees
After a postponed 2005 release date, Light Poles and Pine TreesLight Poles and Pine Trees
Light Poles and Pine Trees is the third studio album by Southern hip hop duo Field Mob, and their first under the Disturbing tha Peace imprint. It was released in stores on June 20, 2006...
dropped in June 2006 to high acclaim and much fanfare, owing at least partly from an extensive promotional campaign by Disturbing tha Peace and multiple radio promo tracks. This album garnered the pair their biggest hit with its first official single, So What, featuring Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
and coincidentally also produced by Jazze Pha. This release reached #7 on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and #2 on Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums. The groups increased success since signing with Disturbing tha Peace has largely been attributed to better promotion by their new label and, most importantly, the artistic freedom that the group has been allowed in their new home. Darian related this sentiment in an interview for SOHH.com:
"I went free with my creativity [at DTP, unlike when] I was over at MCA, aka rape you records. Ludacris let me say what I wanna say. If I wanna say f**k..., he's cool with it cause he trusts my creativity. I never knew our CEO at MCA Records. I never got to talk to him.... [Ludacris and I] are friends more than business partners, I'd like to say."
After DTP
The group eventually left Disturbing Tha Piece Records. In late 2011 Shawn Jay felt disrespected by a song Ludacris made for his mixtape 1.21 Gigawatts: Back To The First Time which spawned a dispute between the two former label mates.Controversy
In April 2006 a controversial video leaked on the internet appeared to feature Smoke and Shawn Jay disrespecting New York hip hop artists and challenging the likes of Jay-ZJay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
and Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
to rap battles. This video turned out to have been filmed and produced by a Disturbing tha Peace cameraman who had subsequently been terminated by the label. In attempt to slander Field Mob, he had edited various pieces of footage together, bringing them totally out of context. The most inflammatory footage, of the pair poking fun at New York slang, was confirmed by Smoke to be a friendly joke toward Disturbing tha Peace co-CEO's, executives, and Harlem natives Chaka Zulu and his brother Jeff Dixon. Furthermore, though the footage was edited to cast a negative light, Smoke points out that "[New York artists] do [Southern artists] like that all the time, but nobody says nothing about it..."
Solo projects
As of spring 2008 Smoke has signed a record deal with the Phoenix Arizona based indie label Mpire Records, under the Chevy P moniker. A new album, Caprice Classics , was scheduled for release in 2009 but has since been shelved. The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for this album's pre-release single, "So Lonely" produced by Scott Storch
Scott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
, however did receive heavy rotation on BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
as well as being featured on several video sharing and hip hop websites.
Shawn Jay has entered into a solo contract with parent company Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
.
Albums
| Year | Album | U.S. | U.S. R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
U.S. Rap Top Rap Albums Top Rap Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks Rap and hip-hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart began publication for the week of November 13, 2004.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 613: Ashy to Classy
|
194 | 35 | — |
| 2002 | From tha Roota to tha Toota From tha Roota to tha Toota From tha Roota to tha Toota is the second album from the hip hop duo Field Mob released under the now defunct recording label MCA Records, currently distributed by Geffen Records. It was released to stores on October 22, 2002. The title of the album is a colloquial southern United States reference...
|
33 | 4 | — |
| 2006 | Light Poles and Pine Trees Light Poles and Pine Trees Light Poles and Pine Trees is the third studio album by Southern hip hop duo Field Mob, and their first under the Disturbing tha Peace imprint. It was released in stores on June 20, 2006...
|
7 | 2 | 1 |
| TBA | 8th Day Of Da Week (Working title)
|
TBR | TBR | TBR |
Singles
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center; {| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center;!rowspan=2|Year
!rowspan=2|Song
!colspan=4|Peak chart positions
!rowspan=2|Album
|- style=font-size:smaller;
!width="40"|U.S.
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
!width="40"|U.S. R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
!width="40"|U.S. Rap
Hot Rap Tracks
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
!width="40"|U.S. Pop
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
|-
|rowspan=1|2000
|align=left| "Project Dreams"
| —
| 91
| —
| —
|rowspan=1| 613: Ashy to Classy
|-
|rowspan=1|2002
|align=left| "Sick of Being Lonely"
| 18
| 10
| 5
| —
|rowspan=2| From tha Roota to tha Toota
From tha Roota to tha Toota
From tha Roota to tha Toota is the second album from the hip hop duo Field Mob released under the now defunct recording label MCA Records, currently distributed by Geffen Records. It was released to stores on October 22, 2002. The title of the album is a colloquial southern United States reference...
|-
|rowspan=1|2003
|align=left| "All I Know" (featuring Cee-Lo Green)
| —
| 77
| —
| —
|-
|rowspan=1|2005
|align=left| "Georgia" (featuring Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
and Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
)
| 39
| 31
| 21
| 36
|rowspan=1| Ludacris Presents: Disturbing tha Peace / Light Poles and Pine Trees
Light Poles and Pine Trees
Light Poles and Pine Trees is the third studio album by Southern hip hop duo Field Mob, and their first under the Disturbing tha Peace imprint. It was released in stores on June 20, 2006...
|-
|rowspan=1|2006
|align=left| "So What (featuring Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
)
| 10
| 4
| 3
| 13
|rowspan=1| Light Poles and Pine Trees
Light Poles and Pine Trees
Light Poles and Pine Trees is the third studio album by Southern hip hop duo Field Mob, and their first under the Disturbing tha Peace imprint. It was released in stores on June 20, 2006...
|-
|}
Featured appearances
- 2001: "Jazzy Hoes Part 2" Jermaine DupriJermaine DupriJermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
- InstructionsInstructions (album)Instructions is the second studio album by American producer and rapper Jermaine Dupri, released by So So Def in 2001. The album reached #15 on the Billboard charts on November 17, 2001.-Track listing:# "LP " – 0:25... - 2005: "Georgia" collaboration - Ludacris Presents: Disturbing tha Peace
- 2006: "Damn" ShawnnaShawnnaRashawnna Guy , better known by her stage name Shawnna is an American rapper. She was the first female artist signed to Def Jam through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace Records...
- Block MusicBlock MusicBlock Music is the second studio album from the Chicago native Shawnna. The first single was "Gettin' Some," which went gold in June 2006 and platinum in December 2006. The second single is "Damn" featuring Smoke of Field Mob. The album has an exclusive remix of "Gettin' Some" featuring Ludacris,... - 2006: "Ultimate Satisfaction" LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
- Release TherapyRelease TherapyThe album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart selling over 309,000 copies in the first week making it Ludacris' third number one album in a row. To date, the album has sold about 1.3 million copies.-Track listing:-Charts:Album-References:...