Keak da Sneak
American rapper (born 1977)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charles Kente Williams (né Bowens; born October 21, 1977), better known by his stage name Keak da Sneak, is an American rapper from Oakland, California. He is known for his gravelly voice,[1][2] for coining the term "hyphy" in 1994,[3] and for his contributions to the hyphy movement.[4]
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October 21, 1977
Keak da Sneak | |
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Keak da Sneak in 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Keak Da Sneak |
| Born | Charles Kente Bowens October 21, 1977 Brewton, Alabama, U.S. |
| Origin | Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | |
He has collaborated frequently with fellow West Coast rapper E-40.
Early life
Keak da Sneak was born in Brewton, Alabama.[5] As a newborn, he moved to Oakland, California. He found popularity while attending Allendale Elementary School, which he parlayed into later friendships and talent show performances at Oakland's Bret Harte Junior High. Through theater, Keak met his collaborator Agerman.
Career
Keak and Agerman formed Dual Committee when Keak was 15 years old. The duo's performances were first recorded on "Murder Man" and "Stompin in My Steel Toes" on C-BO's 1994 EP, The Autopsy. Citing the personal growth of all three artists, he later signed as a solo artist with Sacramento-based Moe Doe Records.[5] As a result of the signing, he began to receive more radio airplay, especially on San Francisco hip-hop station KMEL.
3X Krazy
By the end of their junior year in high school, Keak and his collaborators had recruited rapper B.A. to form the group 3X Krazy. Their first EP, Sick-O, was released independently on August 5, 1995. In 1996 they signed to Virgin Records, releasing the album Stackin' Chips on March 8, 1997 (with help from the single Keep It on the Real; the album received national attention), the second album Immortalized, and then the release of Real Talk 2000 on January 18, 2000.[6] The last 3X Krazy album, a collection of previously unreleased material and remixed songs from Sick-O, was Flowamatic-9, which was released in 2004. The group eventually disbanded.
Solo career
After years working in the underground scene, Keak began to see mainstream success in 2004 with the song Super Hyphy. His 2006 collaboration with E-40, Tell Me When to Go, received national attention.[1] In total, Keak da Sneak has released almost 20 albums and several mixtapes.
Television
Keak was featured on MTV's My Super Sweet 16.[7]
Personal life
Williams has been married to Dee Bowens since February 14, 2004. He has four children.[citation needed]
After surviving a shooting in January 2017, Williams carried a gun for protection, which led to an arrest for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. During his trial two years later, he was shot eight times at a Richmond gas station, rendering him a paraplegic requiring the use of a wheelchair.[8][9]
After a two-year legal battle, Williams was sentenced to 16 months in state custody. He served five months of his sentence at the California Health Care Facility before being released early due to Proposition 57. Williams returned home to his family after his release.[10]
Discography
Solo albums
- Sneakacydal (1999)
- Hi-Tek (2001)
- Retaliation (2002)
- The Farm Boyz (2002)
- Counting Other Peoples Money (2003)
- Keak da Sneak (2004)
- Town Business (2005)
- Thizz Iz Allndadoe (2006)
- The Farm Boyz Starring Keak (2006)
- On One (2007)
- G 14 Classified (2007)
- All N Da Doe (2008)
- Deified (2008)
- Thizz Iz All N Da Doe Volume 2 (2009)
- Mobb Boss (2010)
- Keak Hendrix (2011)
- The Tonite Show With Keak da Sneak – Sneakacydal Returns (2011)
- Withdrawl (2017)
- Gorilla (2020)
Collaboration albums
- Dual Committee with Dual Committee (2000)
- Da Bidness with Messy Marv & P.S.D. Tha Drivah (2007)
- Welcome to Scokland with San Quinn (2008)
- Word Pimpin 2: We Don't Need You with Baby S and Q-Z (2008)
- Da Bidness Part II with Messy Marv & P.S.D. Tha Drivah (2010)
- The Allinner Album with Benner (2010)
Compilation albums
- The Farm Boyz (Special Edition) (2006)
Soundtrack albums
- Copium (2005)
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Memphis Cakalac Oakland" (Natalac featuring Project Pat & Keak Da Sneak) |
2018 | Pimp of the Nation |
