Born in Griffin, Georgia, a rural industrial city 30 minutes south of Atlanta. Known throughout as “Grip-Town City” or simply, “Da Grip”, Griffin has produced athletic greats like NFL Hall of Fame member, Rayfield Wright, future Hall of Famer member, Jesse Tuggle, Olympic Women’s Track & Field gold medalist, Wyoma Tyus, and former NBA star, Darren Hancock, who Michael Jordan called “one of the best defensive players he’s ever faced”. Now, Griffin is setting its sights for the takeover in the music industry starting with one of the pioneer and innovators of the “Grip-Town Sound”, Homebwoi
Homebwoi (pronounced Homeboy), a.k.a. James Maddox, Jr. has been a tear of nature within the music industry for quite some time. Homebwoi began his music career when he was 8 years old when his older brother Kelvin Bell A.K.A. Pete, who was a deadly lyricist as well, made him learn to freestyle. Pete would be so hard on Homebwoi about his freestyling, he made a solid oath to himself to work hard at his new craft and become way better than his big brother.
A few years have passed and Homebwoi was recording and producing himself in the studio when his brother returned home after joining the Army. After having a very long session of freestyling, Homebwoi finally got the approval of his brother. It was on a citywide sixth grade middle school trip to Washington, D.C. that he met friend Derrick Cleveland. After returning to Griffin, they started their first group NCT (Niggaz Causin’ Trouble). NCT went on to win many Rap Battles on the radio. Homebwoi left the group a few years later, and by the 9th grade linked up with another young rapper in the city, Breakin’ B-Thru and formed Victim 2 Society.
Still remaining friends, Derrick introduced Homebwoi to VicXL a manager and businessman in the city. Vic along with partner, Fletcher Batts, wanted to make a compilation album with the top artists throughout the city of Griffin. The name of the album was called RED CLAY WARRIORS. Homebwoi served double duty as a rapper and also producer for the Red Clay Warriors. The group were signed to Mo Money Records in 2000, but later went their separate ways.
Homebwoi began his solo career with VicXL as his manager. His first single, “GIMME A BREAK” began getting a buzz, and it was a visit at Vic’s store, Backstage Music in Riverdale, GA from DJ Smurf, a.k.a. Mr. Collipark from Collipark Music that began the Homebwoi era. Smurf heard Homebwoi and was blown away. He called Vic and wanted Homebwoi to do a track with the Ying Yang Twins. Vic and Homebwoi traveled to “The Zone” recording studio & recorded his verse for the song, “Halftime (Stand Up and Get Crunk)”.
Homebwoi met the Ying Yang Twins for the first time a couple of minutes before they performed for an episode of Soul Train in which, Homebwoi was still an unsigned artist.
After the performance, Mr. Collipark was so pleased that he signed Homebwoi to Collipark Music with his first single being “Where They At?” featuring former Cash Money Records artist, B.G. Homebwoi went on to record, engineer, & write the track “Hard Hittin’” for the WWE entrance of Jonathan “Coach” Coachman. Homebwoi also was featured on “Coach Carter” the Motion Picture, the trailor for “Crossover” the Motion Picture, Dj Khaled’s “Listennn”, four Ying Yang twins albums: “My Brother & Me”, “U.S.A.”, “Still United”, & “U.S.A. Chopped & Screwed”, & B.G. A.K.A. B. Gizzle formerly of Cash Money Records’ The Heart of The Streetz Vol.1.
Homebwoi has shown his ability to be a versatile artist, something that is a lack of in the music industry. Now that Homebwoi has the attention of the world, his up coming and anticipated debut album “NO PLACE LIKE HOME” will definitely prove that if NAS would have came to “Da Grip”, he would see that Hip-Hop is alive and well, and claims Griffin, GA as No Place Like HOME!!
