Dem Franchize Boyz

Dem Franchize Boyz

Company type	Hip-hop group
Industry	Music
Founded	2002 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Defunct	2009
Headquarters	Atlanta , United States
Products	Music albums and singles

Dem Franchize Boyz was a hip-hop ensemble hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, associated with the label E1 Music. The lineup included Parlae (Maurice Gleaton), Pimpin' (Jamal Willingham), Jizzal Man (Bernard Leverette), and Buddie (Gerald Tiller). They gained widespread recognition for their chart-topping tracks "I Think They Like Me" and "Lean wit It, Rock wit It".

History

Formed during their high school and college years, the members balanced their music careers with studies in business. Parlae described the group's name as symbolizing their mindset: "We operate like a franchise, a business venture... friends who are also business partners with distinct roles." Their initial hit, "White Tee," was produced in a dormitory setting before they moved back to Atlanta.

In 2004, Dem Franchize Boyz secured a deal with Universal Records and launched their eponymous debut album, which included "White Tee" and received considerable airplay on BET. The following year, after Jermaine Dupri transitioned his label So So Def from Arista Records to Virgin Records, he signed the group. Their remix of "I Think They Like Me," featuring Dupri alongside Bow Wow and Da Brat, reached number one on the Billboard R&B charts. Parlae recounted that their signing occurred after meeting Dupri at a Dallas car exhibition, which paved the way for their contract post-remix success.

Their 2006 release On Top of Our Game featured the track "Lean wit It, Rock wit It," which became emblematic of the "snap music" movement, similar to songs like "Laffy Taffy" by D4L.

In 2006, Parlae encountered legal difficulties including a studio search and charges that were ultimately dismissed; he was also removed as a suspect in a homicide investigation due to procedural reasons. In 2007, Pimpin' was detained following a DUI incident.

Dem Franchize Boyz partnered with rock group Korn on a hybrid track titled "Coming Undone wit It," blending "Lean wit It, Rock wit It" with Korn's "Coming Undone." Additionally, they appeared on Monica's song "Everytime tha Beat Drop." Their third studio album, Our World, Our Way, was distributed through Koch Records in September 2008.

Gerald "Buddie" Tiller died of cancer on August 25, 2019, at 36 years old.

Discography

Studio albums

• Dem Franchize Boyz (2004)
• On Top of Our Game (2006)
• Our World, Our Way (2008)

Mixtapes

• Voltron (2011)