Background
Long Junior. was born on March 10, 1969, in the Bronx, New York City, the son of Motown composer Jerry B. Long. His family soon relocated to Pomona, California, where he would grow up surrounded by his father"s work.
Long Junior. was born on March 10, 1969, in the Bronx, New York City, the son of Motown composer Jerry B. Long. His family soon relocated to Pomona, California, where he would grow up surrounded by his father"s work.
He started his career at Eazy-East"s Ruthless Records in 1989, co-writing songs for North.W.A and Above the Law, before releasing his first album, Addictive Hip Hop Muzick, in 1991. He began his career as a vocalist in the mid-1980s before eventually signing to Eazy-East"s Ruthless Records label in late 1989. His debut album, Addictive Hip Hop Muzick, was released in 1991, on which he was credited as "Who Am I?" to avoid infringing on laws which forbade the use of his usual moniker.
His first solo single, "Nickel Slick Nigga", appeared on the Deep Cover soundtrack.
In addition to co-writing "Appetite for Destruction" for North.W.A"s Niggaz4life, Long also contributed to other West Coast gangsta rap albums such as Above the Law"s Black Mafia Life. Foreign his second album, 1994"s Funk Upon a Rhyme, Long drastically changed his style, incorporating a great deal of singing and an eccentric form of G-funk.
He would leave Ruthless Records shortly after Eazy-East"s death in 1995. He was supposed to be on Tupac Shakur"s One Nation collaboration album, alongside others, before Shakur"s murder in 1996 cut plans for the album short.
He continued to make guest appearances until releasing his next solo album through Eureka Records in 1999, entitled They Call Maine Mr.
Kane. lieutenant was on the Los Angeles posse cut "Some Los Angeles Niggaz", from Doctor Dre"s 2001 album, that Long"s career found a second wind. While Long had been involved with West Coast hip hop since the dawn of gangsta rap, he had been unable to secure any substantial success for himself.
This changed after his work on 2001, through which Long developed a relationship with Snoop Dogg and Tha Eastsidaz.
He soon became involved in Tha Eastsidaz" debut album, and went on to play a significant role in the success of Snoop Dogg"s Tha Last Meal. Long spent the next few years signed to Dogghouse Records, working on Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Kane. He later signed with Koch Records, forming a new group, The Hood Mob, comprising himself and fellow rappers Cricet and Contraband.
They released their self-titled album The Hood Mob on July 3, 2006.
Over the course of his career Long has worked with artists such as Above the Law, North.W.A, Eazy-East, Snoop Dogg, Doctor Dre, George Clinton, Tha Eastsidaz, Cypress Hill, Ice Cube, East-40, Kurupt, Nipsey Hussle, and many others