NEW YORK, NY (Top40 Charts/ By Cara Donatto/ Atlantic Records) - "HUSTLENOMICS," the hugely anticipated second album from Block Entertainment/Bad Boy South recording artist Yung Joc, makes a triumphant debut on this week's charts - coming in at No 1 on Billboard's "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums" and "Top Rap Albums" charts. What's more, the collection - which features the current hit single, "Coffee Shop (Feat. Gorilla Zoe)" - arrives at No 3 on the Billboard 200.
The Grammy Award-nominated rapper celebrated last Tuesday's release of "HUSTLENOMICS" with a hometown in-store appearance at Best Buy's Morrow, Georgia location. The autograph session proved a huge success, with Yung Joc signing copies of the album for hundreds of fans and friends.
"Coffee Shop (Feat. Gorilla Zoe)" is undoubtedly one of the summer's biggest hip-hop hits. The track has bulleted into the top 30 at Urban radio outlets and into the top 20 on the Rap charts, while also scoring major airplay at Rhythmic stations.
The song's companion video - directed by Lenny Bass (Boyz N Da Hood, Field Mob, Nappy Roots) - is currently the week's No 1 "Most Played" clip on BET, following its network debut via a special installment of "Access Granted" earlier this summer. The clip is also a current rotation favorite at MTV2, MTV Jams, MTV Hits, Fuse, and Music Choice.
"Bottle Poppin' (Feat. Gorilla Zoe)," the follow-up single from "HUSTLENOMICS," recently arrived at multi-format radio outlets across the country. A companion video is now in production, with its premiere slated in the coming weeks.
Following up on the blockbuster success of last year's RIAA platinum-certified debut album, "NEW JOC CITY," "HUSTLENOMICS" confirms Joc's status as one of today's most ingenious and accomplished hip-hop artists. The album sees the 24-year-old MC collaborating with a who's-who of studio stars, including the Neptunes, Chris Flash, Cool & Dre, Jazze Pha, Kevin "Khao" Cates, Drumma Boy, Dee Jay Dana, and others. Along with the aforementioned Boyz N Da Hood member Gorilla Zoe, Joc is also joined by a series of special guests, including Russell "Block" Spencer, Diddy, The Game, Snoop Dogg, Trick Daddy, Bun B, Rick Ross, Jim Jones, Young Dro, and Pharrell.
"This album shows growth and maturity," says Joc. "I'm just expressing myself with different types of songs and different types of flows. A lot of cats think once you get on you get to make money, do shows, go to all the parties, and all this. There's a lot more to it than that."
In addition to its CD and digital release, "HUSTLENOMICS" marks Bad Boy Records' first-ever release in the new MVI format. An MVI is a DVD that contains the full album, portable music files, video content, and interactive features. The PC/MAC-compatible package includes a bonus CD, a never-before-seen video interview with Joc, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, a making-the-video special for "Coffee Shop," digital extras (such as screen savers, buddy icons, and wallpapers), U-Myx and UrTone (which allow fans to create their own custom remix and ringtone of "Coffee Shop"), plus much more.
Yung Joc spent his summer preparing the way for "HUSTLENOMICS" by joining the all-star bill for BET and Scream Star Entertainment's "Screamfest '07." The tour - which also featured such superstars as T.I., Ciara, and T-Pain - wrapped up this past weekend with a packed-out two-night-stand at Los Angeles' Gibson Amphitheatre.
What's more, the ATL-based MC made number of major TV appearances celebrating the new album's release. Among the highlights were visits to BET's "106th & Park," ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," and both MTV's "TRL" and "Making The Band 4." Other recent TV spots include multiple appearances on BET (including "Rap City," the annual BET Music Awards, and "106th & Park's" "Scream Tour" Special), and NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
Later this month, Joc is headed across the Atlantic for the UK's influential MOBO Awards 2007, where he will team up onstage with T-Pain on his No 1 hip-hop smash, "Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')." The blockbuster track has also just received a "Song of the Year" nomination from the upcoming VH1 Soul Vibe Awards, with star-studded ceremonies scheduled for a November 14th premiere on VH1 Soul (check local listings).
The release of "HUSTLENOMICS" follows Yung Joc's amazing 2006, a year which saw him rise up from the streets of College Park, Georgia to the platinum-certified heights of hip-hop stardom. Fueled by the massive hit single, "It's Goin' Down," the rapper's RIAA platinum-certified debut album, "NEW JOC CITY," exploded onto Billboard's "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums" and "Top Rap Albums" charts, entering in the No 1 spot upon its June release.
"It's Goin' Down" proved to be a mainstream breakthrough for Yung Joc, moving quickly from underground sensation to the top of Billboard's "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs" chart and the top 3 on Billboard's "Hot 100." In early 2007, the track received one of music's highest accolades - a Grammy Awards nomination as "Best Rap Song."
The street anthem's companion video also proved a blockbuster, topping the playlist at BET, which named "It's Going Down" as "Hip-Hop Track of the Year" at the inaugural BET Hip-Hop Awards event. At MTV, the clip scored Big Ten rotation and was ranked as one of MTV2's "Top 100 Sucker Free Videos of 2006."
Furthermore, "It's Goin' Down" was an out-and-out triumph in the ringtone world. With over 5 million ringtones sold, Yung Joc was Warner Music Group's No 1 mobile artist for 2006.
Yung Joc also reigned over the online world, spending much of summer 2006 as MySpace's No 1 artist. He also became an in-demand live act, with concert appearances including a sold-out MySpace Secret Show in his native Atlanta, an SRO tour alongside Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist T.I., and a top spot on the "Scream Tour 5," BET's hugely successful multi-artist arena trek. Other onstage highlights included a performance of "It's Goin' Down," during the main event ring walk at Don King's "Gateway to Glory" boxing event in St. Louis and an appearance on BET's annual "106th & Park" New Year's Eve extravaganza.
As if all that weren't enough, Yung Joc made guest appearances on a number of the year's biggest tracks, including Danity Kane's top 10 smash, "Show Stopper," and Lil' Boosie's top 20 hip-hop hit, "Zoom."
Yung Joc can currently be seen in a major national print ad campaign promoting the Rockport Company's "Established 1971" collection. The promotion sees Yung Joc appearing in a variety of high-profile magazines alongside such rising stars as actor Wood Harris, R&B artist Lyfe Jennings, and MTV personality Coltrane Curtis.
