40 Glocc

40 Glocc is a West Coast gangsta rapper who was signed to G-Unit Records in 2006. Born Lawrence White (aka Tory Gasaway) in Galveston, TX, on December 16, 1979, he was raised by his grandmother and didn't meet his mother until age eight. Upon reuniting with his mother, he moved with her first to Los Angeles and then to Colton (aka the Zoo), a city in San Bernardino County, CA. He was quickly drawn into the gang culture of the area, and after leaving home at age 13, he lived on the streets as a member of the Colton City Crips. He made his commercial recording debut as a rapper in 1998 on the album Migrate Adapt or Die by the Zoo Crew, a group also featuring rappers K-9 and Natural Born. Several years later he made his solo album debut with The Jackal (2003). Released on the BMG-distributed label Empire Musicwerks, The Jackal features an impressive production roster including Dr. Dre, Battlecat, and Prodeje of South Central Cartel, plus notable guest features such as Kurupt, Ras Kass, Suga Free, Spice 1, and Tray Deee. Unfortunately, the association with Empire Musicwerks was short-lived, and 40 Glocc subsequently found himself in search of other recording opportunities. In 2006 he was signed to G-Unit Records thanks in part to his affiliation with labelmates Mobb Deep, with whom he shared management, but little came of the association besides publicity and prestige. In addition to releasing a series of mixtapes such as That New Nigga and Street Hop (both 2007), he sought to garner attention for himself with attacks on various rappers of greater renown; for example, he released the commercial single "3 Amigos," on which he attacked G-Unit adversaries the Game, Lil Wayne, and Young Buck. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide