Young Jeezy Ready To Drop New ‘Inspiration’

Hip-hop?s Young Jeezy will release his second solo artist album, ?The Inspiration? next Tuesday.

While his last effort, 2005s ?Let?s Get It: Thug Motivation 101,? entered the Billboard charts and number two, eventually going platinum, Jeezy said his new effort, in title anyway, pays homage to the community that has supported him. “I feel like I?m the underdog,” he said Monday night. “My last album did 2 million but at the same time I didn’t?t get the big notoriety or recognition [but] the streets just embraced me so much. That was my inspiration to go back in and try it again.”

Recorded in Atlanta, “The Inspiration,” features collaborations with a host of hip hop and R&B artists including T.I., Keyshia Cole and R. Kelly. With so many different acts contributing, Young Jeezy said he managed to keep his sound true to form. “It?s real melodic,” he noted. “My sound is street, but at the same time I?ve got the ability to make those records that still do good on radio [and] in the clubs.”

In addition to paying homage to where he comes from Young Jeezy is using his album promotion to encourage Atlanta youths to put pen to paper. For the last month the rapper has been running a contest for senior high school students in the city. “Normally in Atlanta I go by the schools and do the pep rallies and holler at the kids, get with the teachers, but I?ve been doing so much lately that I just wanted to do something for them,” he said. “With an album coming out they gotta do a 300 word essay describing what [inspires] them and whoever wins I?m gonna give them some scholarships for school.”

Young Jeezy is hoping to hit the road soon with his new effort. “Me and Jay [Z] been chopping it up. I think we?ll do a big Def Jam tour,” he said.

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