Hot Boys

The Hot Boys formed in the summer of 1997 with original members Lil Wayne, B.G., Juvenile, Turk & Birdman's nephew Bulletproof AKA Lil Derrick. Lil Derrick left the group shortly after recording the first album and was killed in 2002.[3]

The Hot Boys made their first official appearance together on B.G.'s third studio album, It's All on U, Vol. 1. They soon released their debut album, entitled Get It How U Live!, which sold over 300,000 copies, primarily in New Orleans.[4] The album charted nationally as well at 37 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart. In 1998, Ca$h Money agreed to a $30 million pressing and distribution deal with Universal Records. This led to releases such as Juvenile's 400 Degreez, which was certified 4x Platinum in America. The Hot Boys made numerous appearances on many of the albums' tracks such as, "Back That Azz Up" featuring Lil Wayne and Mannie Fresh, and "Ha", where the Hot Boys were featured in the music video and the remix. The Hot Boys appeared on both Lil Wayne and B.G.'s albums in 1999, Tha Block Is Hot, by Lil Wayne, and, Chopper City In The Ghetto, by B.G. Both albums were certified Platinum. The group also released singles such as, "Bling Bling" and "Cash Money Is An Army" by B.G., "Tha Block Is Hot" and "Respect Us" by Lil Wayne, and "U Understand" and "I Got That Fire" by Juvenile.

On July 27, 1999, The Hot Boys released their second major label studio album, Guerrilla Warfare,[5] which reached No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 5 on the Billboard 200.[6] It featured two charting singles, "We On Fire" and "I Need A Hot Girl". "I Need a Hot Girl" peaked at No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.[7] Guerrilla Warfare went platinum just within a few months. The album also had contributions from the Big Tymers, Baby and Mannie Fresh. Like the group's previous album, Mannie Fresh produced every track.

By 2003 Turk, B.G., and Juvenile had all departed from Cash Money for financial issues, leaving Lil Wayne as the group's only member still with the label. Cash Money still manage to release the group's final album together, Let 'Em Burn, composed of songs the group recorded between 1998 and 2000. The Hot Boys went on to have solo recording careers with varying degrees of success. Lil Wayne became the most prolific Hot Boy, with all of his albums going at least Gold in America and amassing a large fan base which grew with the development of his boutique label, Young Money. Turk was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in 2006[8] and was released in October 2012.[9] B.G. & Juvenile initially showed resentment to Cash Money but over time settled their disputes and disagreements with the label.

Following the group's disbandment in 2001, the group remained on hiatus until 2009, when Lil Wayne brought out Juvenile and B.G. at one of his shows on the I Am Music Tour in New Orleans. Lil Wayne had been reportedly trying to spearhead a Hot Boys reunion beginning in 2008, with the support of the other group members.[10][11] However, by 2012, only two songs featuring Lil Wayne, Juvenile, and B.G. materialized: "Ya Heard Me" from B.G.'s 2009 album Too Hood 2 Be Hollywood and the exclusive "If I Ain't a Hot Boy". Although Turk was released from prison in 2012,[12] talks of a reunion were quelled when B.G. was arrested for weapons possession in 2009[13] and subsequently sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for gun possession and witness tampering in 2012.[14] In December 2012, Turk released a song called "Zip It" featuring Lil Wayne on his SoundCloud account. A few weeks later, a remix was released with Juvenile featured on the last verse.[15] In February 2013, a version with all four members of the group was released, with B.G. recording his verse over the phone from prison. In 2013, The Hot Boys (minus B.G.) appeared in the video of 2 Chainz's song "Used 2", whose lyrics are reminiscent of Juvenile's "Back That Azz Up". "Used 2" was produced by Mannie Fresh, who also appears in the video. The Hot Boys (without B.G.) performed with Mannie Fresh during Lil Wayne's Lil WeezyAna Fest in August 2015.[16] Recently, Juvenile, Lil Wayne, and The Big Tymers reunited on a song called "Hate".

• Baller Blockin' (2000)

• "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 31 October 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via Google Books.