Wizard of Harlem

Loon
Birth nameChauncey Lamont Hawkins
Also known asAmir Junaid Muhadith
Born (1975-06-20) June 20, 1975 (age 48)
New York City, New York, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1996–2009
Labels
Formerly ofHarlem World
Children3

Amir Junaid Muhadith (born Chauncey Lamont Hawkins, on June 20, 1975), best known by his stage name Loon, is a retired American rapper best known for his association with Sean Combs's Bad Boy Records. He was featured artist on Combs's 2002 hits "I Need a Girl (Part One)" and "I Need a Girl (Part Two)".

Career

Chauncey Lamont Hawkins was born in Harlem, New York. He started his music career as a member of Mase's rap collective Harlem World[1] and then became part of P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records under the name Loon. He released his self-titled debut album Loon in 2003 and made many guest appearances on songs of the R&B and hip hop genres. Loon left Bad Boy Records in 2004 to start his own record label, Boss Up Entertainment. He then retired from the music industry in 2009.[2]

Conversion to Islam

Loon converted to Islam in December 2008 after a trip to Abu Dhabi, and Dubai, UAE. Born Chauncey Lamont Hawkins, he officially changed his name to Amir Junaid Muhadith after traveling to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest site of Islam, to perform Umrah. After having converted to Islam, he subsequently ended his music career and would later relocate to Cairo, Egypt where he lived until 2011, and then lastly moved back to the United States of America from 2011 to 2022, and stayed in the United States of America in 2022.[3]

Legal issues

On November 22, 2011, Muhadith was arrested while on a trip to Brussels. He was extradited to the United States in May 2012 and was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in July 2013 for conspiracy with intent to traffic one or more kilograms of heroin.[4] Many reports have advocated for and confirmed his innocence.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic effects in prison centers, Muhadith was granted early release on July 29, 2020.[5]

Discography

Studio albums

Album details Peak positions
Billboard 200
Loon
  • Released: October 21, 2003
  • Label: Bad Boy, Universal
  • Singles: "How You Want That", "Down for Me"
 6[6]
No Friends
Wizard of Harlem
  • Released: October 17, 2006
  • Label: Siccness
Bad Boy
  • Released: February 13, 2007
  • Label: Siccness
  • Collaboration album with G. Dep

Singles

As lead artist

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US US R&B US Rap AUS
[7] 		UK
"Down for Me"
(featuring Mario Winans) 		2003 24 28 19 — — Loon
"How You Want That"
(featuring Kelis) 		88[8] 41[9] — — —
"Show Me Your Soul"
(featuring P. Diddy, Lenny Kravitz & Pharrell) 		— — — 45 35 Bad Boys II soundtrack
"Who Is Dat"
(featuring T-Pain) 		2007 — — — — — —

As featured artist

Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US US R&B US Rap AUS
[7] 		UK
"Promise (So So Def Remix)"
(Jagged Edge featuring Loon) 		2000 — — — — — Promise
"You Gets No Love"
(Faith Evans featuring P. Diddy & Loon) 		2001 38 8 — — 124 Faithfully
"I Need a Girl (Part One)"
(P. Diddy featuring Usher & Loon) 		2002 2 2 1 5 4 We Invented the Remix
"I Need a Girl (Part Two)"
(P. Diddy featuring Ginuwine, Mario Winans, Tammy Ruggieri & Loon) 		4 2 2 — 4
"I Do (Wanna Get Close to You)"
(3LW featuring P. Diddy & Loon) 		58 [11] 50 [12] — 41 — A Girl Can Mack
"Young & Sexy"
(Lyric featuring Loon) 		— 79 [13] — — — Lyric
"Hit the Freeway"
(Toni Braxton featuring Loon) 		86 [14] 32 [15] — 46 29 More Than a Woman
"Crazy"
(Dream featuring Loon) 		2003 — — — — — Reality

Guest appearances

Filmography

Films
Year Title Role Notes
2003 Death of a Dynasty Turk directed by Damon Dash
2005 State Property 2 El Pollo Loco's father directed by Damon Dash

References

  1. ^ Farber, Jim. "HARLEM WORLD READY FOR BLASTOFF RAPPERS TAP INTO NABE PRIDE TO LAUNCH DEBUT 'MOVEMENT' ALBUM". nydailynews.com.
  2. ^ "Loon Leaves Bad Boy 'Amicably,' Forms Own Label". MTV.
  3. ^ "Rapper also known as Loon released from prison after friends lobbied Trump". 29 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Former Bad Boy Rapper Loon Gets 14-Year Sentence". BET.
  5. ^ "Bad Boy Records rapper Loon granted release from prison". TheGrio. 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  6. ^ "CLAY AIKEN GOES TWO FOR TWO, TOPS LEGENDS AND LOON ON ALBUMS CHART". MTV. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Discography Loon". australian-charts.com. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  8. ^ "Kelis". Billboard.
  9. ^ "Loon". Billboard.
  10. ^ "British single certifications – P Diddy – I Need a Girl Part II". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  11. ^ "Loon". Billboard.
  12. ^ "3LW". Billboard.
  13. ^ "Lyric". Billboard.
  14. ^ "Loon". Billboard.
  15. ^ "Loon". Billboard.

External links