Petey Pablo

North Carolina rapper Petey Pablo scored big in the early ’00s with a string of Southern party anthems. • After a stint in prison, the Greenville native moved to New York City and met rappers like Black Rob and Busta Rhymes. Pablo was apparently signed to Jive Records after a label exec heard him rapping in a nightclub bathroom. • Pablo’s 2001 debut album, Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. The single “Raise Up” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart. • Pablo’s 2003 single "Freek-a-Leek,” from his sophomore album, Still Writing in My Diary: 2nd Entry, peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went platinum. • In 2004, Pablo notched his first and only Hot 100 chart topper by guesting on singer Ciara’s “Goodies.” • He returned in 2018 with Keep on Goin', his first album in 14 years.