Juelz Santana

Quick Facts:

What is Juelz Santana’s Net Worth?

Juelz Santana is a rapper and part of the Diplomats, an East Coast hip hop trio. Juelz Santana has a $1 million net worth. His appearances on fellow rapper Cam’ron’s tracks “Oh Boy” and “Hey Ma,” both of which charted in the top five on the Billboard Hot 100, helped him attain mainstream notoriety in 2002. His solo albums “From Me to U” and “What the Game’s Been Missing!” both charted in the top ten on the Billboard 200.

Early Years and the Start of a Career

On February 18, 1982, Juelz Santana was born LaRon Louis James in New York City, New York. On his father’s side, he is of Dominican heritage. James, who was born and raised in Manhattan’s Harlem district, began rapping at the age of five. He and his friend Malik founded the rap duo Draftpick when he was 12 years old. The lads went on to play all throughout the city, including two weeks in a row at the Apollo Theater on Amateur Night, where they triumphed. James and Malik were signed to Priority Records not long after. They followed up with the track “Play Ruff,” which featured Tracey Lee and Memphis Bleek.

The Diplomats

Cam’ron, a rapper, was introduced to James in 1998. After that, he changed his name to Juelz Santana and joined Cam’ron’s hip hop group the Diplomats, which included Freekey Zekey and Jim Jones. A remix of “What Means the World to You” was his first collaboration with the group. The Diplomats then appeared on Cam’ron’s album “S.D.E.,” which debuted at number two on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in 2000.

“Diplomatic Immunity,” the group’s debut album, was released in 2003. The album reached the top of the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. In 2004, “Diplomatic Immunity 2” was released, featuring new Diplomat members 40 Cal., Hell Rell, and J. R. Writer. After a pause due to artistic differences, the band signed with Interscope Records, then E1 Music. The Diplomats embarked on a nationwide tour dubbed Dipset Forever in 2018 and released a new album titled “Diplomatic Ties.”

Beginning of a Solo Career

In 2002, Santana rose to prominence as a solo artist after contributing to Cam’ron’s studio album “Come Home with Me.” Santana appeared on the tunes “Welcome to New York City,” “Hey Ma,” and “Oh Boy” on the album. Cam’ron and Santana were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for the latter two songs, which both charted on the Billboard Hot 100.

Santana debuted the mixtape “Final Destination” in 2003, followed by his debut album “From Me to You” in 2004. The album reached number eight on the Billboard 200 and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and it featured the track “Dipset (Santana’s Town),” which earned Santana and Cam’ron another Grammy nod for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

Legal Issues

Following a 10-month investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and Gang Unit, Santana’s recording facility in Bergenfield, New Jersey was raided in early 2011. At the location, the Unit discovered two loaded handguns, crates of ammo, and cannabis. Santana was arrested shortly after on numerous counts of handgun possession without a permit and intent to distribute a prohibited narcotic within 1,000 feet of a school. He was also charged with disruptive behaviour and making terrorist threats at the end of 2011.

Santana had another run-in with the authorities in March of 2018, when he was arrested at the Newark Liberty International Airport with a loaded weapon and oxycodone pills. He ran away from the scene and remained on the run for three days before surrendering to authorities. Santana was sentenced to 27 months in jail and a year of supervised release in December. After spent 17 months in prison, he was eventually freed early.

Personal Experiences

Santana had an on-again, off-again romance with hip hop model Kimbella Vanderhee beginning in 2009. Juelz, Bella, and Santana, the couple’s three children, were born in 2019.

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