Lloyd

Lloyd Polite, Jr. is an American contemporary R&B and hip hop artist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Born in 1986, he begins recording and performing as a teenager and first appears in the pre-teen group N-Toon with his younger brother Chuckie. He is also credited as a singer, rapper, dancer and actor.

Early life and group work

Lloyd is born in New Orleans and later moves with his mother and older sister Brandy to Atlanta, Georgia after his father dies when he is two years old. He is discovered by Joyce Irby in 1996 and joins N-Toon at the age of 14. The group appears on Nickelodeon's Double Dare 2000, where it beats No Authority, and is signed to DreamWorks Records. N-Toon releases the singles “Ready” and “Shoulda Been My Girl” and records the album Toon Time, but the album receives little attention and the group later splits up.

Solo recording career

After N-Toon ends, Lloyd looks for a solo deal and is initially signed to MCA Records, with “Young Girl” intended as his first single. When MCA folds into Geffen Records, he is dropped, then signs a new contract with Irv Gotti at The Inc./Def Jam Records using “Young Girl” as a demo. His debut single “Southside”, a duet with Ashanti, becomes an R&B hit and reaches number one on BET's 106 & Park. The follow-up “Hey Young Girl” is less successful, although his debut album Southside includes both songs.

His second album, Street Love, appears in 2007. The single “Get It Shawty” becomes his most successful follow-up from the record and reaches the top twenty on the pop charts. A third single, “Player's Prayer”, does not perform as strongly, and the album’s momentum fades. In 2008 he releases Lessons in Love, with “How We Do It (Around My Way)” promoted as a single and “Girls Around the World” issued next as a collaboration with Lil Wayne. His fourth studio album, King of Hearts, appears in 2011.

Collaborations and other appearances

Lloyd contributes hooks to Ja Rule's “Caught Up” and Tango Redd's “Let's Cheat”, and appears in the video for Ciara's “1, 2 Step”. He also features in Sammie's video “You Should Be My Girl”. Later, a track titled “You” surfaces with Lil Wayne, with an alternate version featuring Tango Redd. Lloyd also appears on television, including One on One, an episode of Wild 'N Out, and Gotti's Way on VH-1.

Style and labels

His recorded work is associated with contemporary R&B, R&B and hip hop. He is linked across his career with Sho’nuff Records, The Inc. Records, Def Jam Recordings, Interscope Records and Zone 4, and he also runs his own label, Young Goldie Music. His career is connected to a joint venture between Interscope, Polow da Don's Zone 4 and Young Goldie Music.

Personal details

Lloyd is born on January 3, 1986, in New Orleans, to Robin Polite and Lloyd Polite Sr. He says he has about twenty tattoos, including a picture of his father, the logo of Young Goldie Music and a “rebel baby angel”.