Fam-Lay
Nathaniel Johnson, also known as Fam-Lay (born May 28, 1974) is an American rapper.[1][2][3]
Fam-Lay | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Nathaniel Johnson |
| Also known as | Fam |
| Born | May 28, 1974 |
| Origin | Norfolk, Virginia |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | Arista/Star Trak (2002–2004) Def Jam (2003–2004) Interscope/Star Trak (2004–2010) |
Biography
Signed to The Neptunes' Star Trak imprint, he first gained notoriety through several guest appearances he made on various Neptunes-related projects, including the Clipse's debut album Lord Willin' in 2002. He also later appeared on The Neptunes' compilation The Neptunes Present... Clones in 2003, which featured his song "Rock 'N Roll". Then in 2004 he had the single and video "Rock N Roll (Remix)" featuring Lil Flip. It gained heavy rotation on MTV Jams. He also was featured in the video game Def Jam: Fight for New York (2004) in which he was a playable/fightable character added into the storyline.
He planned to release his debut album, titled Traintogo, in March 2004,[4] through a joint venture between Star Trak and Def Jam Recordings. Unlike most Neptunes-helmed projects, where Pharrell and Chad Hugo handle almost all of the production duties, Traintogo was unique in that it was to feature production from outside producers, including Lil' Jon and David Banner. After suffering several delays, Traintogo failed to meet its scheduled release date. To further complicate matters, Fam-Lay's deal with Def Jam fell through, and he was dropped from the label in July 2004. Traintogo still has yet to be released.[2]
In the mid 2010’s Fam-Lay discovered the rapper BIA through YouTube and later introduced her to Pharrell.[5]
Discography
Mixtape
- 2004: Star Trak Presents: Fam-Lay (Hosted by DJ Cipha Sounds)
- 2005: Grand Theft Ghetto (Shark City) (Hosted by DJ Noe Dout)[6]
- 2008: DirtyWay - Never released
Singles
- 2003: "Rock 'N Roll"
- 2006: "Da Beeper Record"
- 2007: "No Time 4 No's" , featuring Pharrell & The Clipse
- 2012: "Clap Clap"
Guest appearances
(All songs feature Fam-Lay unless otherwise noted)
| Year | Artist | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Clipse | "Fam-Lay Freestyle" | Lord Willin' |
| 2003 | The Neptunes | "Rock 'N Roll" | The Neptunes Present... Clones |
| The Neptunes | "Rock 'N Roll" (Remix) (features Lil' Flip) | The Neptunes Present... Clones | |
| Philly's Most Wanted | "Cocoa Leaf (No Relief)" (features Clipse and Rosco P. Coldchain) | — | |
| 2007 | David Banner | "Toes Down" (features B.G.) | The Best Thing Smokin' Vol. 2 |
| 2009 | Teriyaki Boyz | "Tokyo Drift (Fast & Furious) Remix" (featuring Pusha T) | Serious Japanese |
| 2014 | Bia | "Chain Swang" (featuring Pharrell) | Chola Season |
| 2015 | Lupe Fiasco | "Chopper" (features Billy Blue, Buk of Psychodrama, Trouble, Trae tha Truth & Glasses Malone) | Tetsuo & Youth |
Video game appearances
Fam-Lay is a playable character in the video game Def Jam: Fight for NY.
References
- "Fam-Lay". Discogs. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
- Fennessey, Sean (2007) "Fam-Lay: Virginia's New Old Hope", Vibe, September 2007, p. 119, retrieved 2011-01-25
- Vibe. Vibe Media Group. 2007-09-01.
- "Fam-Lay To "Git Busy," Prepares Debut Album". AllHipHop.com. Archived from the original (Online news article) on March 21, 2006. Retrieved June 11, 2006.
- "Bia, the Perico Princess, came from the 'hood' to make her way to Hollywood". Niagara Frontier Publications. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- "DatPiff :: The Authority in Free Mixtapes". DatPiff. Archived from the original on 2007-02-18. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
