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Biography
Infobox musical artist|name = Junior M.A.F.I.A.|image =|caption =|image_size =|background = group_or_band|origin = Brooklyn, New York |genre = Hip hop music|Hip hop |years_active = 1994& ndash;1997 2005& ndash;2007|label = Undeas / Atlantic Records - Mega Media Records|associated_acts = Sean Combs Aaliyah Jay-Z Mobb Deep Capone-n-Noreaga |Also Known As =|website =|current_members = Lil' Cease MC Klepto Banger Nino Brown Dariel Heron|past_members = The Notorious B.I.G. (deceased) Lil' Kim Chico Del Vec Blake C Capone Bugsy Junior M.A.F.I.A. was an United States|American hip hop music|hip hop group from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn , New York. The acronym M.A.F.I.A. stands for M asters A t F inding I ntelligent A ttitudes. They were formed and mentored by New York rapper The Notorious B.I.G. in the early 1990s and released their debut album, Conspiracy (Junior M.A.F.I.A. album)|Conspiracy in 1995. The success of the group's singles, "Player's Anthem" (US #13) and "Get Money" (US #17) helped launch the career of Lil' Kim as a solo artist. The group became defunct in 1997 following the death of The Notorious B.I.G. In 2005 and 2006, three of the original members released the album Riot Musik and two DVD s under the Junior M.A.F.I.A. name.
History
Formation
The members of Junior M.A.F.I.A. met as childhood friends of The Notorious B.I.G. All the members were under the age of twenty when the group was formed. The group was composed of three separate groups and two individual artists. The 6s, or sixsix-six's, (Lil' Caesar, Bugsy, Capone, Chico, and Nino Brown) who claim to know right from wrong and practice it; the Sixes knew Biggie before he was rapping (the other members other than Lil' Kim were added on to the group but still were very close to Biggie). The Snakes (cousins Larceny and Trife) who represent the enraged attitude expressed in a large number of America’s youth, MC Klepto, who offered insight on a life of “boostin' and hustlin'”, and Lil' Kim , (a.k.a. Big Momma or The Lieutenant), the only female in the group, who showed the ghetto life from a woman’s point of view. The Notorious B.I.G. acted as the "godfather" to the group. http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx? pfid=1034682& title=Conspiracy+%5bExplicit+Lyrics%5d& artist=Junior+M.A.F.I.A. Conspiracy Tower Records . Retrieved on 2006-12-16
Debut
The group released their debut album, Conspiracy (Junior M.A.F.I.A. album)|Conspiracy , in 1995, under the NYC-based Big Beat Records and Undeas labels. The album was produced in a similar style to The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut, Ready to Die "successfullyreplicating... the earlier record's strengths".Allmusic|class=album|id=r221707|pure_url=yes Conspiracy > Overview allmusic . Retrieved on 2006-12-16 B.I.G. featured on four of the album’s tracks. The rhyme topics were hard-hitting, mostly addressing gun s, money , and sex . The album featured production by DJ Clark Kent, EZ Elpee, Daddy-O (musician)|Daddy-O , Akshun, and Special Ed . Conspiracy gained some positive reviews, but received criticism for some of its group members not showing enough individuality. It debuted at number eight on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and was RIAA certification|certified gold.
The lead single “Player’s Anthem”, produced by DJ Clark Kent , and featuring The Notorious B.I.G., went gold. The accompanying video showed the group flying on helicopters and Learjet s whilst carrying out business under F.B.I. surveillance. The album also spawned the popular top twenty hit "Get Money", a duet featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Lil' Kim, and its remix "Gettin' Money", which has Lil' Cease with B.I.G. & Lil' Kim. The single was certified platinum and helped Kim start her own solo career.Lane, LyndaAllmusic|class=artist|id=p165563/biography|pure_url=yes Junior M.A.F.I.A. > Overview Allmusic . Retrieved on 2007-03-11 "I Need You Tonight" (featuring Aaliyah ) was the only single released from the album that did not feature The Notorious B.I.G. The music video featured the members and Aaliyah holding a house party at Kim's house while she was away.
Post-Conspiracy
After the death of The Notorious B.I.G. in March 1997, the crew became defunct. In an interview with the Notorious B.I.G., which was conducted in 1995 but appeared in a 2003 issue of XXL Magazine , he claimed he was planning to retire from rap music in the year 2000 to manage the careers of Junior M.A.F.I.A. In 2005, three of the previous seven members of the group, Lil' Cease, MC Klepto and Larceny (now known as Banger), released an album entitled Riot Musik under the Junior M.A.F.I.A. name, however the album failed to match their previous success, only making it to #61 on the Billboard R& B/Hip-Hop albums chart and #50 on the Top Independent albums chart. On March 26, 2007, the trio released another album entitled Die Anyway , however it did not make it on any album charts.
Solo careers
Lil' Kim continued her rise and went on to become a successful artist in her own right, releasing four albums as a solo artist. The M.A.F.I.A. were referenced on her debut album, '' Hard Core (Lil' Kim album)|Hard Core '', on the song "M.A.F.I.A. Land" and featured on "Fuck You". Lil' Cease collaborated with Kim on his single "Crush On You (Remix)". Lil' Cease's solo effort The Wonderful World of Cease A Leo was released in 1999 peaked at #26 on the Billboard 200 . The lead single, "Play Around", featured Bristal, Lil' Kim and Puff Daddy and peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.
Compilations and conflict
In 2004, The Best of Junior M.A.F.I.A (Cleopatra) was released, as well as a DVD directed by documentary filmmaker, April Maiya , titled Chronicles of Junior M.A.F.I.A ; a candid documentary film|documentary dealing with the controversy and conspiracies surrounding The Notorious B.I.G and the Junior M.A.F.I.A. It included unreleased footage of studio sessions and home videos of life with the Notorious B.I.G. and his crew. The DVD release included a free mix-tape. A follow-up DVD without the original Director was titled The Chronicles of Junior M.A.F.I.A. Part II: Reloaded was scheduled to be released in 2005, but was halted when Lil' Kim filed a $6 million lawsuit against Lil’ Cease, claiming she never granted permission for her name and image to be used. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1498345/20050321/lil_cease.jhtml#/news/articles/1505927/20050719/lil_kim.jhtml Lil' Kim Hits Lil' Cease With $6 Million Suit MTV News 2005-07-19. Retrieved on 2008-06-27
Lil' Cease and Banger (formerly known as Larceny) testified against Lil' Kim during a perjury trial in 2005, which resulted in Kim and the group's manager, D-Roc, being sent to jail. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1498345/20050321/lil_cease.jhtml Lil' Cease Says He's No Snitch for Testifying Against Kim MTV News 2005-03-21. Retrieved on 2006-12-16. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html? res=980DEEDB1F3DF93BA35750C0A9639C8B63 Metro Briefing | New York: Manhattan: Testimony Against Lil' Kim NY Times 2005-03-08. Retrieved on 2006-12-16. Following the case, Kim labeled the pair "snitches" on her 2005 album '' The Naked Truth (Lil' Kim album)|The Naked Truth . On June 27, 2006 a second DVD was released that was not as successful as its predecessor, entitled Reality Check: Junior Mafia vs Lil Kim. The DVD featured the pair explaining their side of the story on the case.
In 2007, "Chronicles of Junior MAFIA" Director, April Maiya , teamed with D-Roc for a follow-up tell-all documentary titled "Life After Death: The Movie." The film tried to minimize Lil Kim's perjury conviction and labeled Lil Cease and Banger as snitches. It also provided information about the WQHT|Hot 97 shootout and other missing details from the original 2004 release.
Discography
Studio albums
Year
Album details
Peak chart positions
Certifications ( List of best selling music artists
US cite web
US R& B cite web
US Indie cite web
CAN cite web
1995
Conspiracy (Junior M.A.F.I.A. album)
Release date: August 29, 1995
Label: Big Beat Records (Atlantic subsidiary)|Big Beat / Atlantic Records|Atlantic
8
2
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64
align="left"
Recording Industry Association of America|US : Goldcite web|url= http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php? table=SEARCH_RESULTS& artist=Junior%20M.A.F.I.A.& format=ALBUM& go=Search& perPage=50|title=RIAA - Gold & Platinum - August 02, 2010: Junior M.A.F.I.A. certified albums|publisher= Recording Industry Association of America |accessdate=2010-08-02
2005
Riot Musik
Release date: April 19, 2005
Label: Mega Media
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61
50
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2007
Die Anyway
Release date: March 26, 2007
Label: Street Danc Records
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2012
Coming Close to the Edge
TBA
Label: Atlantic Records
TBA
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
Compilation albums
Year
Album details
2004
The Best of Junior M.A.F.I.A.
Release date: June 22, 2004
Label: X-Ray Records
Singles
Year
Single
Peak chart positions
Certifications ( List of best selling music artists
Album
US cite web
US R& B cite web
US Rap cite web
NZ cite web
UK cite web
1995
" Player's Anthem " (featuring The Notorious B.I.G. )
13
7
2
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49
align="left"
Recording Industry Association of America|US : Goldcite web|url= http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php? table=SEARCH_RESULTS& artist=Junior%20M.A.F.I.A.& format=SINGLE& go=Search& perPage=50|title=RIAA - Gold & Platinum - Junior M.A.F.I.A. certified singles|publisher= Recording Industry Association of America |accessdate=2010-08-02
