Memphis Bleek
Rapper Malik Deshawn Cox, better known by his stage name Memphis Bleek, was a student of fellow New York rapper Jay-Z.
He was born on June 23, 1978. Cox founded his own record labels in 1998 with Get Low Records and in 2016 with Warehouse Music Group. He has four albums out, with the first two being gold-certified.
Music Career
As a student of Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek was one of the first musicians signed to Roc-A-Fella. He grew up in the same Bedford-Stuyvesant area as Jay-Z, in Brooklyn's Marcy Projects. He appears on two Jay-Z albums: Hard Knock Life, Vol. 3 and Reasonable Doubt, Vol. 2.
The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse, and The Life and Times of S. Carter. From Reasonable Doubt's "Coming of Age," Bleek made his debut in public.
The Roc-A-Fella label released Memphis Bleek's debut album, Coming of Age, following the enormous success of Hard Knock Life and the exposure of the Roc-A-Fella camp (a Memphis Bleek single off the aforementioned Jay-Z album, "It's Alright," actually peaked on Billboard).
The album had 118,000 units sold in its first week and peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200, making it the week's Hot Shot Debut.
The rapper explained that "Memphis," which stands for "Making Easy Money, Pimping Hoes In Style," was a tribute to pimps.
Meanwhile, "Bleek" was a childhood nickname given to him by his younger sister. Since his debut, he has released three additional albums: The Understanding, M.A.D.E., and 534.
(Out of the three, The Understanding was certified Gold by the RIAA). He took a three-year break between The Understanding and M.A.D.E. to care for his older brother, who had suffered catastrophic injuries in a motorbike accident.
The album 534, which was named after the house number in the housing project where he and Jay-Z were raised, contains three important lessons.
The first release came from the "new" Roc-A-Fella, with Jay-Z serving as President of Def Jam. It also includes Rihanna's debut official Def Jam recording.
The international superstar was a featured artist on the song "The One" and is a former labelmate. Last but not least, Jay-Z delivered his first single from this album since he started his temporary "retirement" in late 2003.
The song was titled "Dear Summer," which Jay used to refer to the time of year when he released a legendary album or single every year for eight years in a row, and how he had to leave "her," Summer, in a metaphorical sense.
Personal Life
In a nighttime ceremony at The Merion in Cinnaminson, New Jersey, with Jay-Z in attendance, Cox wed his longtime partner Ashley Coombs on December 13, 2014.
Their daughter, Cox's first child, was revealed to the world in July 2018. A son was also born to Cox in June 2002. Cox is a relative of Sean Price, a rapper from Brooklyn.
Networth
In 2022, American rapper Memphis Bleek will be worth $3 million.
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