Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr. (born March 31, 1985), better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Los Angeles. He signed to indie label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), in 2005. Under TDE, Rock secured a record deal in 2007 with Warner Bros. Records and later Asylum Records, but mergers fell through and Rock departed from the label shortly after. He then signed with fellow American rapper Tech N9ne's Strange Music, in a joint-venture deal with TDE. Apart from his solo career, Rock is also known for being a member of the hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, alongside fellow West Coast rappers and TDE label-mates Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul. Since 2006, Rock has amassed several TDE-released mixtapes and first gained major recognition following his 2008 commercial debut single, "All My Life (In the Ghetto)" (featuring Lil Wayne and will.i.am). In 2011, after signing his deal with Strange Music, Rock's often-delayed and long-awaited debut album, Follow Me Home, was released in July of that year. The album was supported by the aforementioned single, as well as "Hood Gone Love It" (featuring Kendrick Lamar). His second album 90059 was released in September 2015 and was supported by the singles "Money Trees Deuce" (featuring Lance Skiiiwalker), "Gumbo" and the title-track. In June 2018, Rock released his third album Redemption. In 2019, Jay Rock received his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance for "King's Dead". Life and career 1980–2007: Early life and career beginnings Jay Rock was born Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr. on March 31, 1980. Rock was raised in Watts, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, in the Nickerson Gardens projects. As a youth, he became a member of the Bounty Hunter Bloods street gang and attended Locke High School. During this time, he was jailed on two occasions, due to the area's anti-gang injunction. In 2005, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, chief executive officer (CEO) of independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), discovered Rock and signed him to his label, after hearing a verse of his. After signing to TDE, Rock released several mixtapes throughout his neighborhood and via the internet. With the help of TDE, Rock was able to secure a recording contract with Asylum Records and later a joint venture deal with Warner Bros. Records, in 2007. At TDE, Jay Rock met fellow labelmate Kendrick Lamar, and the two would go