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D4L (an acronym of Down For Life) was an American hip hop group formed in 2003, composed of Atlanta-based rappers Fabo, Mook-B, Stoney, and Shawty Lo. They are best known for their hit single "Laffy Taffy", which peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in January 2006.

History

Rapper Shawty Lo (born Carlos Walker) self-funded the group in its early days. He explained that the group's name stands for "Down for Life". D4L signed to the independent Dee Money Entertainment, which released the group's debut in conjunction with Asylum Records. The group debuted with "Betcha Can't Do It Like Me", which Billboard claimed to have popularized snap music. In January 2006, D4L's single "Laffy Taffy" reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. As was another Atlanta rap group Dem Franchize Boyz, D4L was part of the snap music trend in 2006 which continued when rapper Soulja Boy Tell 'Em came out with the No. 1 hit song "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" in 2007.

The group's debut album Down for Life, was released jointly by Dee Money Entertainment and Asylum Records, in November 2005. Following their immediate success, the group went on tour. While being promoted through Outreach Entertainment, they performed alongside several of the Midwest's then up-and-coming artists, most notably the Joplin, Missouri-based hip hop duo Midwest Connect composed of Southeast Kansas artist Brent Ward (Koo-Laid) and St. Louis rapper/artist Neno Blakc. Several other accredited and up-and-coming artists also performed alongside the group at the Oakley-Lindsay Civic Center in Quincy, IL. As other performances soon followed the group's popularity continued to soar.

"Laffy Taffy" achieved continued success on the charts, largely due to its significant online sales. It was produced by Cory Way p/k/a Born Immaculate, Broderick Thompson Smith and Richard Sims p/k/a K-Rab. The song samples and interpolates elements of "Candy Girl" by New Edition. There are several remixes of the song, most notably the official remix featuring rapper Busta Rhymes. Another version featured the Chicago rapper Twista. However, as the group celebrated their success with the single "Laffy Taffy" (a Multi-Platinum hit), criticism quickly arose during "The Champ" from 2006's FishScale. Ghostface Killah asks "Y'all stuck on Laffy Taffy/Wonderin' how'd y'all niggas get past me?" Ghostface had mocked the "snap dance" during his 2005 tour. There has also been controversy on who wrote the lyrics to "Laffy Taffy". Rapper Liam "Smack Eyes" Thomas claims that the group stole the lyrics from his rhyme book. After D4L's debut album, Shawty Lo embarked on a solo career. He released his solo debut Units in the City in 2008. Most recently, in 2011, D4L signed a joint venture with 50 Cent's G-Unit record label.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

References

1. "D4L – Bio". Atlantic Records. Archived from the original on December 3, 2008. Retrieved September 2, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
2. "Shawty Lo". Billboard. December 27, 2007. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
3. "D4L's 'Taffy' Dethrones Mariah on Hot 100". Billboard. January 5, 2006. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
4. Reid, Shaheem (December 5, 2005). "The ATL Sound". My Block: Atlanta. MTV News. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
5. "D4L Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
6. "D4L Album & Song Chart History – R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
7. "D4L Album & Song Chart History – Rap Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
8. "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – January 10, 2011: D4L certified albums". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on February 25, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
9. "D4L Album & Song Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
10. "D4L Album & Song Chart History – R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
11. "D4L Album & Song Chart History – Rap Songs". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
12. "D4L Album & Song Chart History – Pop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
13. "irishcharts.com – D4L discography". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
14. "charts.org.nz – New Zealand charts portal". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
15. "Chart Stats – D4L". chartstats.com. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
16. "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – January 10, 2011: "Laffy Taffy" certified awards". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
17. "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – January 10, 2011: "Betcha Can't Do It Like Me" certified awards". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on February 25, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

• Musical groups from Atlanta
• American hip hop groups
• Southern hip hop groups
• Snap music
• African-American musical groups
• Musical quartets
• Asylum Records artists
• Musical groups established in 2003
• Musical groups disestablished in 2006