Soulja Slim

Biography

James Adarryl Tapp Jr. (September 9, 1977 – November 26, 2003), better known by his stage name Soulja Slim, was an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is best known for his appearance on Juvenile's 2004 single "Slow Motion", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100. Eight years prior, he signed with Master P's No Limit Records to release his debut studio album, Give It 2 'Em Raw (1998), which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200. It was followed by three albums until the single's posthumous release, which was in memory of his unsolved murder.

Early life

James Adarryl Tapp Jr. was born in New Orleans on September 9, 1977, to James and Linda Tapp. He was raised in the Magnolia Projects in New Orleans and attended Cohen Senior High School before dropping out of school in the 11th grade. He began selling drugs, as well as forming an addiction to heroin and cocaine. By 1993, he was performing as "Magnolia Slim" at venues and block parties. His first recordings, however, would be on Parkway Pumpin', an independent label run by record producer KLC and also featuring 39 Posse, Fiend, Mac, Mystikal Mike (later Mystikal), Mr. Serv-On, and Da Hound. Soulja Slim's solo debut, Soulja 'Fa' Lyfe, was released in 1994 by Parkway Pumpin' and Hype Enough Records and sold 90,000 units independently. In 1995, he released the four-song EP Dark Side on Hype Enough Records.

Hype Enough Records (1994–1995)

Soulja Slim originally performed under the name Magnolia Slim. On the label Hype Enough Records, Slim would release two albums. In 1994, the cassette Soulja 'Fa' Lyfe was released. The song "Kickin It For Them Hoes" became a radio hit heard on WQUE 93.3 FM, thanks to radio DJ Davey D and "It's Ya Boy" Wild Wayne, a.k.a. Mr. 9 O'Clock Props. The following year, Slim released the cassette Dark Side. Dark Side produced the track "You Got It" featuring Six Shot.

No Limit Records and "Slow Motion" (1995–2003)

In the same year, the song "You Got It" appeared on a No Limit Records double-CD compilation, Down South Hustlers: Bouncin' and Swingin' . This compilation went nationwide. This gave the world outside Louisiana its first glimpse of Slim. In 1998, Tapp, now calling himself Soulja Slim, released Give It 2 'Em Raw on No Limit, which featured singles "Street Life" and "From What I Was Told," the latter also produced as a music video. The album debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and sold 82,000 in the first week. At that time, Soulja Slim was convicted of armed robbery and incarcerated. He reappeared three years later with The Streets Made Me, which was again released on the No Limit label. From there, he started his own label, Cut Throat Committee Records, and released Years Later in late 2002. In 2003, he released Years Later...A Few Months After, his last album before his death. The album featured the song "I'll Pay for It×I'll Pay For It2003 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracksA1I’ll Pay for It (clean)3:36A2I’ll Pay for It (dirty)3:37B1I’ll Pay for It (instrumental)3:38". In 2003, he also collaborated with fellow New Orleans rapper Juvenile to make the song "Slow Motion". The song was released on Juvenile's album Juve the Great and reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. It was Soulja Slim and Juvenile's first number one hit, and as the song was released after Soulja Slim's death, he became only the sixth artist to have a posthumous number one song.

Death

Tapp died on November 26, 2003, after an assailant shot him four times, twice in the face and twice in the chest, on the front lawn of the home of his mother and stepfather, Phillip "Tuba Phil" Frazier of Rebirth Brass Band, in the Gentilly neighborhood. Tapp was buried with his Cut Throat Committee chain and the outfit he wore on the cover of Give It 2 'Em Raw. Tapp's burial place is Mount Olivet Cemetery in New Orleans.
On December 31, 2003, police arrested 22-year-old Garelle Smith in connection with Tapp's murder. Police discovered a stolen police pistol in Smith's possession with a scratched-off serial number. A ballistics test matched bullets from that gun to the ones that killed Tapp, but no witnesses would testify against him. By 2008, Smith had been arrested for three more murders, and, in each case, charges were dropped and he was released due to lack of witnesses and the New Orleans 60-day law. These murders, including that of Tapp, became cold cases. On August 13, 2011, Smith himself was found shot to death in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans.

Compilations

1999: Hype Enough Records: Limited Edition
2005: Greatest Hitz