Atlanta, GA

At Atlanta's Miller Grove Middle School, two young wannabe rappers met up with each other, left their individual rap crews, and joined forces to become YoungBloodZ. Sean Paul, who claims that rapping is second nature and easier than conversation, and J-Bo, the DJ of the two, were heavily tied in with the Atlanta rap/production posse known as the Attic. While they honed their skills and showcased their talent for various record labels, opening the door for the Attic crew to get noticed, it took only one meeting with LaFace A&R executive PA to sign the YoungBloodZ duo. The 1999 album Against da Grain was their full-length debut. Three years later, the highly regarded Drankin' Patnaz found the group on Arista while 2005's Ev'rybody Know Me returned the duo to LaFace. ~ Roxanne Blanford