Ezekiel Jiles (born October 13, 1975), better known by his stage name Freekey Zekey, is an American rapper best known as a founding member of the Diplomats, a group he helped form in Harlem in 1997 alongside his childhood friend Jim Jones and cousin Cam'ron. Freekey also serves as the owner/CEO of 730 Dips Records.[1]
Freekey Zekey | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ezekiel Jiles |
| Born | October 13, 1975 Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, record executive |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels | Koch, Big Cat, Diplomat, 730 Dips |
Aside from The Diplomats, he is also a member of fellow rapper Jim Jones' ByrdGang, and has made a habit of yelling his name in songs; it is his signature on tracks, whether he is featured or the solo artist.
Career
editJiles, along with his cousin Cam'ron and their friend Jim Jones formed the hip-hop group the Diplomats in their hometown of Harlem, New York in 1997. Jiles adopted the stage name Freekey Zekey and the group began writing and performing songs together. In the early years of the group, Zekey served mostly as a hype man, yelling adlibs or his name during other members' songs and performances.[2] Zekey was responsible for writing and performing almost all of the skits on Diplomat mixtapes and Cam'ron's albums, and did this until he was sentenced to 35–42 months in prison in February 2004.[2] While in prison, Zekey began writing his own songs and honed his skills as a rapper. Just a few weeks after being released from prison in November 2006, Freekey signed a contract with Asylum Records to release his debut album, Book of Ezekiel.[2] The album was released on July 24, 2007, and featured guest appearances from other members of The Diplomats, including Cam'ron, Jim Jones and Juelz Santana. The album peaked at #23 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. After The Diplomats effectively disbanded in 2007, Freekey went on to form his own label/group, the 730 Dips, and also joined Jim Jones' new group, ByrdGang.[3][4]
Personal life
editJiles is the first cousin of Cam’ron, and was a childhood friend of Jim Jones and Damon Dash.
2003 shooting
editOn April 25, 2003, Jiles and his crew were involved in a minor car collision outside of a Manhattan nightclub, after another car collided with the back of the vehicle Jiles and his crew were inside. After stepping out of their vehicle, the men in the other car attempted to rob Jiles and his friends. Jiles was shot once in the abdomen and sustained minor injuries after the incident. In total, over 44 bullets were fired at Jiles and his crew during the altercation, and one member of Jiles’ entourage, his bodyguard Eric Mangrum, was killed. In December 2005, Chauncey Dillon was sentenced to 30 years in prison for both robbery and the murder of Mangrum.[5][6]
Legal issues
editJiles was sentenced to 35–42 months in prison on February 5, 2004, for running an ecstasy ring. Jiles served 33 months at the Durham Correctional Center in Durham, North Carolina before being released on November 20, 2006.[7][8][6]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Year | Title | Chart positions | Certifications and sales | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | |||
| 2007 | Book of Ezekiel
|
154 | 23 | 8 |
|
Mixtapes
edit- 2008: Blame It on the Henny
- 2008: Henny & a Cigarette
- 2010: Gangsta Ambition
Singles
editAs lead artist
edit| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | |||
| 2007 | "Hater What You Lookin' At" | — | — | — | Book of Ezekiel |
| "Like This" | — | — | — | ||
| "Livin' It Up" | — | — | — | ||
| 2009 | "I'm Poppin'"[9] | — | — | — | — |
As featured artist
edit| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | |||
| 2004 | "Hey Lady" (Cam'ron featuring Freekey Zekey) | — | — | — | Purple Haze |
Guest appearances
edit| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Disgusting" | 2012 | Young Cutta, Tito Green | Where's The Fire |
References
edit- ^ Edwards, Brandon. "Freaky Zekey So Harlem Pt. 1" Archived March 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, XXLmag.com, February 13, 2007. Accessed April 5, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Freekey Zekey - Biography, Albums, Streaming Links - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ^ 730DipsOfficial YouTube YouTube. Accessed August 28, 2008.
- ^ All those clicks are real gangs.v=wshh9yXQPBp7Q3ziL420Jim Jones, Freekey Zekey, & Byrd Gang Interview On Rap City! "Kanye West You Betta Watch M**** Mouth, Before I Pull You By That Glow In The Dark Pink, Stickin & Learn In The Nerd Lane" WorldStarHipHop. Accessed August 28, 2008.
- ^ "Today in Hip-Hop: Freekey Zekey Gets Shot - XXL". XXL Mag. April 25, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ^ a b AllHipHop (November 21, 2006). "Freekey Zeeky Talks About Being Home From Prison - Exclusive Hip Hop News, Interviews, Rumors, Rap & Music Videos - Allhiphop". allhiphop.com. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ^ Winn, Patrick (November 21, 2006). "Freaky Zekey' free from prison". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Retrieved April 5, 2007.
- ^ "Freaky Zekey Released From Prison". HHNLive.com. November 21, 2006. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2007.
- ^ "I'm Poppin (Single)" Archived June 1, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
External links
edit- [2]
- Freekey Zekey on Twitter