Lloyd

Born in New Orleans but raised in Atlanta, Lloyd Polite began singing as a young child, and he got his first record deal at age 11, fronting a boy band called N-Toon. The group released an album called Toon Time on DreamWorks in 2000. Soon after, he was picked up as a solo artist by Magic Johnson Records and recorded a new LP's worth of songs. That situation didn't pan out, and Lloyd found himself being eyed by two different industry honchos: L.A. Reid and Irv Gotti. He decided to go with Gotti, breathing new life into the Inc., a label whose sales and credibility have taken a substantial hit due to flagship artist Ja Rule's fall from grace. Lloyd's solo album, Southside, a showcase for his romantic vocals that features collaborations with Ashanti, Lil Wayne and Chink Santana, was finally released in the summer of 2004. The album was an immense success and was followed up in 2007 with the equally sentimental Street Love. After that album went platinum (a remarkable feat in a diminished sales environment), Lloyd released the hit single "Girls Around the World" the following year, along with the subsequent album, Lessons in Love.