03 Greedo
03 Greedo | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jason Jamal Jackson July 26, 1987 West Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, vocalist, songwriter, music producer |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Known for | Purple Summer mixtape series, The Wolf of Grape Street mixtape, God Level album |
Jason Jamal Jackson (born July 26, 1987), professionally recognized as 03 Greedo, is an American rapper, vocalist, songwriter, and music producer originating from the Watts district in Los Angeles, California. He first attracted attention with his Purple Summer mixtape collection beginning in 2016 and gained additional prominence through the 2018 mixtape The Wolf of Grape Street. His initial studio album, God Level, was released on June 26, 2018.
In April 2018, Jackson received a 20-year prison sentence related to drug trafficking and firearm charges. He commenced his incarceration in late June 2018. On January 8, 2023, it was announced that he would be released following a successful parole hearing held in June 2022; he was freed on January 12.
Following his release, Jackson quickly reengaged with his music career, unveiling his fifth studio album Halfway There just one week after being paroled.
Early life
Born on July 26, 1987, in West Los Angeles, California, Jason Jamal Jackson is the son of Michael and Lisa Jackson. His father passed away in a motorcycle accident when Jason was only one year old. Soon after this tragedy, the family relocated to Gardena, California, where Jackson grew up alongside his brother and sister. Prior to his father's death, they had lived close to the Chester Washington Golf Course in Los Angeles. Throughout his childhood, which involved moving between various locations including St. Louis, rural Kansas, Compton, and Sacramento, Jackson eventually settled in the Jordan Downs Housing Projects within Watts, Los Angeles in 2000. After being expelled from school and experiencing family difficulties, he endured periods of homelessness and often stayed with friends or his girlfriend’s relatives. At age 17, anticipating fatherhood with his high school girlfriend, Jackson took on retail jobs and sold beats to provide for them. Subsequently, he turned to drug dealing to support his family. At 19 years old, he pled no contest to two misdemeanor firearm possession charges and served a ten-month term of a one-year sentence.
Career
Jackson began his musical journey under the alias Greedy Giddy, self-producing six mixtapes which included the Bipolar series as well as Everybody Weak and Money, Powder, Regrets. His early sound drew inspiration from southern rap icons such as Lil Boosie, Jeezy, and Gucci Mane, alongside influences from Phil Collins. These projects were distributed across platforms like DatPiff and SoundCloud.
From 2014 through 2016, performing as Greedy Giddy, he released numerous tracks on SoundCloud. In 2016, he adopted the moniker 03 Greedo and independently produced two mixtapes: Purple Summer and its sequel Purple Summer 2: Sun Don't Shine. That same year marked the establishment of his own label, Golden Grenade Empire. The following year saw the release of three mixtapes: Purple Summer 03: Purple Hearted Soldier, First Night Out, and Money Changes Everything.
In 2017, Jackson secured a million-dollar deal with Todd Moscowitz’s Alamo Records. His inaugural release under this label was The Wolf of Grape Street, which debuted in March 2018.
Later that month, he generated controversy by making disparaging remarks about rapper Tupac Shakur during an interview with Billboard. He subsequently addressed these comments in a Genius interview but chose not to issue an apology, emphasizing that his music reflected genuine experiences unlike Shakur's work.
Prior to commencing his two-decade prison term, Jackson pledged to leave behind a vault containing 30 albums and reportedly recorded over 3,000 songs. The day before beginning his sentence, he released his debut album titled God Level.
On July 5, 2019, Jackson collaborated with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker on an EP called Meet the Drummers.
In September of the same year, he teamed up with producer Kenny Beats for the album Netflix & Deal.
His eighth studio project, Load It Up Vol. 01, was released on August 14, 2020; this album included the single "Drip Keep Going" featuring Key Glock.
On February 4, 2022, Jackson dropped the single "Pourin" featuring Mike Free and BlueBucksClan through Alamo Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. Nearly one year later on January 9, 2023, he unveiled the Mike Free–produced mixtape Free 03, which contained that single.
After being released from prison in early 2023, Jackson resumed recording prolifically. On March 17, he issued "Bacc Like I Never Left," which served as a lead-up to his fifth studio album Halfway There, launched seven days afterward.
Personal life
Jackson is widely known for the distinctive "Living Legend" tattoo prominently displayed on his face.
In 2016, he was apprehended in Texas on allegations related to drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession. Law enforcement officers discovered four pounds of methamphetamine along with two stolen handguns inside his vehicle. Originally facing a potential sentence of 300 years, Jackson agreed to a plea bargain that reduced his imprisonment to 20 years, with eligibility for early release after five years due to good conduct. He commenced his incarceration in the summer of 2018 at Middleton Unit and was subsequently moved to William R. Boyd Unit in 2022. Parole requests were denied in both 2020 and 2021, but after completing a prerelease program, he was granted parole in June 2022. Jackson was officially released on January 12, 2023.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| God Level |
|
| Still Summer In The Projects |
|
| Netflix & Deal
(collaboration with Kenny Beats) |
|
| Load It Up Vol 01
(in partnership with Ron-RonTheProducer) |
|
| Halfway There |
|
| Hella Greedy
(featuring Helluva) |
|
Mixtapes
- Bi-polar Disc One (2010)
- Bi-polar Disc Two (2010)
- Bi-polar 3 (2011)
- Bi-polar 4 (2011)
- Money, Powder, Regrets (2012)
- Everybody Weak (2012)
- Purple Summer (2016)
- Purple Summer 2: Sun Don't Shine (2016)
- Purple Summer 03: Purple Hearted Soldier (2017)
- First Night Out (2017)
- Money Changes Everything (2017)
- The Wolf of Grape Street (2018)
- Free 03 (2023)
- Project Tpain (2023)
- Y'all Ni99az Owe Me Money (2024)
- Crip I'm Sexy (2024)
- Album Inna Day (2024)
- All I Ever Wanted Was A Bankroll (2024)
- 2025 The Streetz Is Over Wiit (2025)
Extended plays
- Porter 2 Grape (2018)
- Meet the Drummers (2019)
- 03 Inna Key (2021)
- Feed The Wolves (2023)
- Fucc Everybody (2024)
- Ear To Ear (2024)
- Another Night Out (2025)
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- Rappers from Los Angeles
- 1987 births
- Living people
- People from Watts, Los Angeles
- Crips
- 21st-century American rappers
- 21st-century American male rappers
- West Coast hip-hop musicians
- Alamo Records artists