Field Mob
Field Mob is an American hip hop duo from Albany, Georgia, composed of artists Shawn Timothy "Shawn Jay" Johnson and Darion "Smoke" Crawford.
Field Mob
History[edit]
Formation[edit]
Darion and Shawn grew up on the outskirts of Albany, Georgia a few blocks from each other in a relatively poor neighborhood locally known as "The Field" because of its semi-rural location as compared to the city's public housing.[1] As teenagers attending Monroe Comprehensive High School, Darion observed Shawn and a group of friends holding rap freestyle battles in the schools courtyard, with Shawn being the "reigning champion." Darion decided to challenge Shawn on the idea that "he was just as good" and won. For four weeks afterward, the informal competition continued daily, with the victor alternating between himself and Shawn, and attracting the attention of many other students who came to spectate. Eventually, Shawn offered to form a rap group with Darion, and Field Mob was born.[2]
According to Smoke and Shawn Jay, the origins of the duo's name are twofold. Field is a reference not only to the neighborhood where they grew up, but also an allusion to a slang term for the southern United States. Mob signifies the strength the duo represents: "We're two people but together we make an army. We're making a strong statement with two people. We're a two man army."[1]
MCA[edit]
Late in 1999, after floundering for some time in the local music scene, Field Mob was signed to Southern House Records, a small independent label, recording the single Project Dreamz. The group then set out on the road to promote their new release during a time when the southern hip hop scene was on the rise. The single eventually drew the attention of MCA Records Benny Pough and within days Field Mob inked a deal, making them the first southern hip hop act to be signed to a New York-based label.[1]
Controversy[edit]
In April 2006 a controversial video leaked on the internet appeared to feature Smoke and Shawn Jay disrespecting New York rappers and challenging the likes of Jay-Z and Nas to rap battles. This video turned out to have been filmed and produced by a Disturbing tha Peace cameraman who had subsequently been terminated by the label. In attempt to slander Field Mob, he had edited various pieces of footage together, bringing them totally out of context. The most inflammatory footage, of the pair poking fun at New York slang, was confirmed by Smoke to be a friendly joke toward Disturbing tha Peace co-CEO's, executives, and Harlem natives Chaka Zulu and his brother Jeff Dixon. Furthermore, though the footage was edited to cast a negative light, Smoke points out that "[New York artists] do [Southern artists] like that all the time, but nobody says nothing about it..."[4]
Solo projects[edit]
As of spring 2008 Smoke has signed a record deal with the Phoenix Arizona-based indie label Mpire Records, under the Chevy P moniker. A new album, Caprice Classics , was scheduled for release in 2009 but has since been shelved. The music video for this album's pre-release single, "So Lonely" produced by Scott Storch, however did receive heavy rotation on BET as well as being featured on several video sharing and hip hop websites.[6]
Shawn Jay has entered into a solo contract with parent company Universal Music Group.