Loon | |
|---|---|
| Born | Chauncey Lamont Hawkins June 20, 1975 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | Loon (stage name) Amir Junaid Hawkins (after conversion to Islam) |
| Occupation | Rapper, songwriter |
| Years active | 1996–2009 |
| Children | 3 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | Bad Boy (2001–2004) Boss Up (2004–2009) |
| Associated acts | Diddy, Mase, Harlem World, Trina |
Amir Junaid Muhadith (born Chauncey Lamont Hawkins, on June 20, 1975), best known by his stage name Loon, is a former American rapper formerly signed to P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records. He is best known for his role in P. Diddy's 2002 hits "I Need a Girl (Part One)" and "I Need a Girl (Part Two)".
Career
Chauncey Lamont Hawkins was born in Harlem, New York. He started his music career as a member of Mase's rap collective Harlem World [1] and then became part of P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records under the name Loon. He released his self-titled debut album Loon in 2003 and made many guest appearances on songs of the R&B and hip hop genres. Loon left Bad Boy Records in 2004 to start his own record label, Boss Up Entertainment. [2]
Loon converted to Islam in December 2008 after a trip to Abu Dhabi, UAE. Born Chauncey Lamont Hawkins, he officially changed his name to Amir Junaid Muhadith after traveling to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest site of Islam, to perform Umrah. After having converted to Islam, he subsequently ended his music career and would later relocate to Egypt where he lived until 2011. [3]
Legal issues
On November 22, 2011, Hawkins was arrested while on a trip to Brussels. He was extradited to the United States in May 2012 and was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment in July 2013 for conspiracy with intent to traffic one or more kilograms of heroin.[4] Many reports have advocated for and confirmed his innocence.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic effects in prison centers, Hawkins was granted early release on July 29, 2020.[5]
Discography
Studio albums
| Album details | Peak positions |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | |
| Loon | 6 [6] |
No Friends
| |
Wizard of Harlem
| |
Bad Boy
|
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Rap | UK | |||
| "Down for Me" (featuring Mario Winans) | 2003 | 24 | 28 | 19 | — | Loon |
| "How You Want That" (featuring Kelis) | 88 [7] | 41 [8] | — | — | ||
| "Show Me Your Soul" (featuring P. Diddy, Lenny Kravitz & Pharrell) | — | — | — | 35 | Bad Boys II soundtrack | |
| "Who Is Dat" (featuring T-Pain) | 2007 | — | — | — | — | N/A |
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Rap | UK | |||
| "Promise (So So Def Remix)" (Jagged Edge featuring Loon) | 2000 | — | — | — | — s | Promise |
| "I Need a Girl (Part One)" (P. Diddy featuring Usher & Loon) | 2002 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | We Invented the Remix |
| "I Need a Girl (Part Two)" (P. Diddy featuring Ginuwine, Mario Winans, Tammy Ruggieri & Loon) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| "I Do (Wanna Get Close to You)" (3LW featuring P. Diddy & Loon) | 58 [9] | 50 [10] | — | — | A Girl Can Mack | |
| "Young & Sexy" (Lyric featuring Loon) | — | 79 [11] | — | — | Lyric | |
| "Hit the Freeway" (Toni Braxton featuring Loon) | 86 [12] | 32 [13] | — | 29 | More Than a Woman | |
| "Crazy" (Dream featuring Loon) | 2003 | — | — | — | — | Reality |
Guest appearances
- 1998: "Back Up Off The Wall" Brand Nubian (uncredited)
- 2002: "How U Want Dat" (Remix) by the Game
- 2003: "Tru Rider" (Mowett feat. Loon)
- 2005: "Smile for Me" (Massari feat. Loon)
- 2009: "What You Say" (Loon feat. Christopher)
- 2009: "No Way Nobody" (Karl Wolf feat. Loon)