J-Diggs

Jamal Diggs, better known by his stage name J-Diggs, also Jay Digs or J-Diggs tha Rockstar, is an American rapper and co-CEO of the late Mac Dre's Thizz Entertainment.

History

Early life

Growing up with both parents in his household in the Country Club Crest neighborhood in Vallejo, California, Diggs eventually developed an interest in hip hop.

He grew up listening to the likes of Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five and later Run-DMC, LL Cool J & Too Short. He knew hip hop was where his heart was after having started rap groups and winning talent shows such as the Bay Area Music Awards in 1987 at the age of 16^[2] while appearing on local television stations around the San Francisco Bay Area.

Prison

At the youthful age of 19, Jamal along with two friends (Mac Dre & Kilo Curt) were arrested in Fresno, California for conspiracy to rob a bank. Because of his involvement in the offense, J-Diggs received a stiff penalty of 10 years while Mac Dre & Kilo Curt got five and eight years respectively.

J-Diggs began his leave in a federal prison in southern California named Terminal Island, where he received much respect and notoriety in prison as a warrior and even more as a rapper. In 1995, Diggs was shipped out for his leading role in a violent prison riot that left prisoners and officials in prison injured during their "Diesel Therapy" (solitary confinement & surprise jail bills from the authorities). Diggs kept all of his steps while bouncing back and forth across the United States to Federal facilities in Louisburg, Pennsylvania, Lompoc, California, Raybrook, New York, El Reno, Oklahoma, Fairington, New Jersey, Allenwood, McKean & Schuylkill, Pennsylvania.

Life After Incarceration

After his incarceration, the trio were out to make the unfinished business of creating one of the world's most powerful and respected independent record labels, Thizz Entertainment. Diggs has appeared on numerous television programs on DVD discs, such as the BET shows Oh Drama, Rickey Lake and the 2009 highly received rating television series American Gangster.^[3] He has also appeared on Hood to Hood, Exhibition of Speed 23109, Too Real for TV #3, Treal TV 1 & 2, Ghostride the Whip and others.

Because of Mac Dre's untimely death in 2004, Kilo Curt & J-Diggs were forced to step up their game plan. They created a logo, and put together a company called Thizz Nation, a subdivision of Dre's label. They and fellow rapper Miami became the co-CEOs of Thizz Entertainment.

Legal issues

On September 14 2012, J-Diggs and three other Thizz Entertainment members were arrested for assault and attempted murder in Hawaii.^[4]

On June 9 2013, Washington County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jamal Diggs on a felony warrant out of Hawaii, and for drug and drug-related charges.^[5]

Controversy

In 2005, he was involved in a feud with rapper J-Kwon.^[6]

In February 2011, J-Diggs released a diss track at ex-Funk Mobb member Mac Shawn called "Rat Shawn".^[7]

Discography

Studio albums

• Both Sides of the Gate
• California Livin' Pt. 2 (2005)
• JDiggs.com (2007)
• Da Good... (2009)
• ...Da Bad... (2009)
• ...Da Ugly (2009)

Compilations

• Bay Commission (2006)
• Ghost Ridin' 101 (2007)

Soundtracks

• Ghostride the Whip (2008)

with I-Rocc

• Fixed Fight (2009)

with Mac Dre

• Me & My Cuddie (2007)

with Philthy Rich

• Izm 101 (2012)

with Poodeezy

• Iz Big Bidness (2012)

with Rich da Factor

• Street Ballin': Volume One (2009) - #8 Top Heatseekers (West North Central)^[8]
• Street Ballin': Volume Two (2010) - #3 Top Heatseekers (West North Central)^[9]

with various artists

• Medicine Man (2010)

Guest appearances

References

External links

• Official J-Diggs website
• / Official J-Diggs Twitter
• / Official J-Diggs Facebook
• / Official J-Diggs MySpace
• / Allmusic Discography of J-Diggs