Theodore Joseph Jones III (September 19, 1984 – October 29, 2018),[1] better known by his stage name Young Greatness, was an American rapper. He was best known for his 2015 single "Moolah",[2] which peaked at number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[3] He was shot and killed in October 2018.[2]
Young Greatness | |
|---|---|
 Young Greatness in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Theodore Joseph Jones III |
| Born | September 19, 1984 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | October 29, 2018 (aged 34) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupations | Rapper |
| Years active | 2012–2018 |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | |
Early life
editJones was born on September 19, 1984, in New Orleans. He moved to Houston after Hurricane Katrina.[4] He grew up listening to Juvenile, Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G..[5]
Career
editTaking the stage name Young Greatness, he began attracting notice from Houston rappers such as Bun B and Mike Jones, resulting in a deal with the record label Quality Control Music and Motown in 2015.[5] In November 2015, he released the single "Moolah", which peaked at number 85 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[3] In March 2016, Rolling Stone included Greatness in their list of "10 New Artists You Need to Know".[6] In July 2016, Greatness performed "Moolah" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[7]
Death
editOn October 29, 2018, Jones was fatally shot in the back while in the parking lot of a Waffle House on Elysian Fields Avenue in New Orleans.[8][9] He was 34 years old.[8] Two men, Donald Reaux and Donny Maxwell, and a juvenile were indicted for Jones' murder in March 2019.[10] Reaux, who was believed to be the main orchestrator of the attack and the one who fatally shot Jones, was a friend of Jones who prosecution alleged attempted to steal marijuana from him.[9][10] Reaux also was believed to have armed his two accomplices, who each received less severe armed robbery-related criminal charges.[10][9] Wix would receive a prison sentence of 20 years after pleading guilty to numerous armed robbery charges, while Maxwell would receive a 19 year prison sentence after pleading guilty to similar charges in December 2019.[9] In January 2023, Reaux would be convicted by a jury of second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. [9]
Discography
editMixtapes
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Rich & Famous[11] |
|
| Trap Jumpin 2.0[11] |
|
| Dollar for Hate[citation needed] |
|
| I Tried to Tell Em[12] |
|
| Seven (VII)[13] |
|
| I Tried to Tell Em 2[14] |
|
| Bloody Summer[15] |
|
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [16] |
US R&B /HH [17] | ||||
| "Yeah" (featuring Quavo) |
2015 | — | — | I Tried to Tell Em | |
| "Moolah" | 85 | 30 | |||
| "Ball" | 2016 | — | — | I Tried to Tell Em 2 | |
| "We Rollin'" | 2017 | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Drugs & Money" | 2017 | — | — | Bloody Summer | |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Theodore J. Jones, III September 19, 1984 – October 29, 2018". davismortuaryservice.com. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ a b Strauss, Matthew (October 29, 2018). "Rapper Young Greatness Shot and Killed". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
- ^ a b "Young Greatness - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
- ^ Young Greatness at AllMusic
- ^ a b "The Break Presents: Young Greatness". XXL. July 31, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
- ^ "10 New Artists You Need to Know: March 2016". Rolling Stone. March 24, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
- ^ "Young Greatness Performs "Moolah" on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'". XXL. July 13, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
- ^ a b "Rapper Young Greatness Killed in Shooting at New Orleans Waffle House: Report". Billboard. October 29, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Kramer, Jillian (January 20, 2023). "Jury convicts man in murder of New Orleans-born rapper Young Greatness". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c Lane, Emily (March 28, 2019). "3 indicted on murder charges in death of rapper Young Greatness, New Orleans police say". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ a b "7th Ward Hero: The Story Of Young Greatness". HipHopDX. July 24, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
- ^ "Young Greatness - I Tried To Tell Em". HotNewHipHop. July 24, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
- ^ "Stream Young Greatness' Seven Mixtape". The Fader. October 27, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
- ^ "Young Greatness - I Tried To Tell Em 2". HotNewHipHop. July 8, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
- ^ "Young Greatness Unleashes "Bloody Summer" Mixtape A Day Early". HotNewHipHop. October 30, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
- ^ "Young Greatness Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Young Greatness Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
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