| Petey Pablo | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Moses Mortimer Barrett III |
| Born | July 22, 1973 Greenville, North Carolina |
| Genres | Hip Hop, Southern Rap, Crunk |
| Labels | Jive, Death Row |
| Website | www.myspace.com/peteypablo |
Moses Mortimer Barrett III (born July 22, 1973),[1][2] known by the stage name Petey Pablo, is an American rapper from Greenville, North Carolina.
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Born in Greenville, North Carolina, Barrett spent five years in prison for a 1993 armed robbery and on his release moved to New York City, where he met Black Rob and Busta Rhymes, and, according to legend, was signed by the A&R director of Jive Records after hearing him rapping in a club bathroom.[1][3]
After a few guest spots, his first solo single was "Raise Up" in 2001 at the age of 28, produced by Timbaland, followed by debut album Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry the same year.[3] "Raise Up" was helped by rotation on MTV and heavy play on urban radio, reaching number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Hot Rap Singles Chart.[4]
The release of his second album, Still Writing in My Diary: 2nd Entry, was delayed until 2004.[3] Lead single from the album, the sexually-explicit "Freek-a-Leek" was another major success, reaching #7 in the Hot 100, although little chart success followed. In 2005 Petey Pablo formed a relationship with Suge Knight, but never signed an official contract with his former label Death Row Records.[5]
Barrett currently resides in the Raleigh suburb Wake Forest, North Carolina, where he is working under his own label: Carolina Music Group, or CMG.[4] His new album, A&R: Anticipated Recordings is scheduled to be released in 2011. He released the first single from the new album on July 22, 2010 entitled "Go", produced by Timbaland.[6]
On September 11, 2010, he was arrested at RDU Airport after allegedly trying to carry a 9mm automatic pistol aboard a US Airways flight bound for Los Angeles.[7] On September 26, 2011 Pablo was sentenced to 35 months in jail for this incident. It is unclear when he will begin to serve time.[8]