A decade has passed since Jeezy released his classic debut album, Thug Motivation 101: Let’s Get It. The album was released at a time when rap music was still a juggernaut on the Billboard charts. In 2005, 14 rap albums reached platinum status, including Jeezy’s debut. But in 2015, only one rap album has reached platinum status, thus far.
Mixtapes and prominent singles have become the gold standard in a genre that often appears to have lost the art of creating great full-length albums. Jeezy’s latest album, Church in The Streets, uses a traditional approach to taking fans on a worthwhile journey in music. The album’s completeness was rewarded with a top 5 placement on the Billboard charts and selling over 106K units in its first week.
Jeezy celebrated his success with a recent show at the Tabernacle in Atlanta to highlight his new album and past hits. Shortly before 10 p.m., Jeezy stepped on stage and opened with the self-motivating “Grind State” from Church in These Streets. Other standout songs performed from the new album included “God,” “Hustlaz Holiday,” “Gold Bottles” and “Sweet Life.”
Jeezy also took fans down memory lane by performing hits from his previous five albums. Crowd favorites included, “Standing Ovation,” “Go Crazy,” “Bottom of the Map,” “Trap or Die,” “I Luv It” and “Put On.”
Overall, Jeezy proved that he has the stamina to run the distance in a genre that has seen a multitude of rappers come and go since the release of TM101 in 2005. Jeezy’s prominence in the future remains to be seen, but he continues to establish himself as a living legend in hip-hop.
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Photos: Jordan Bradley
