Lake

by Cyril Cordor Known both for his association and subsequent falling out with Nas, Lake (aka Lakey the Kid) walked the streets of Queens, NY, representing the famed (or infamous) housing projects of Queensbridge, as a respected hustler before becoming a rapper. In fact, he first began to write rhymes while he was serving a seven-year bid in prison. While he was behind bars during most of the '90s, many of the Queensbridge alumni with whom he grew up -- Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga, and Nas among others -- obtained record deals, dropping seminal hip-hop albums. So, after Lake was released from prison in 1999, he quickly threw himself into the rap industry. His first project unified several notable MCs from his Queens neighborhood for the 2001 compilation The 41st Side. The street release sold a remarkable 100,000 copies -- no radio promotion or official backing whatsoever. Lake soon connected with Nas and worked closely with him on his 2002 platinum-selling album God's Son, which gave Lake much more exposure due to his guest verse on the track "Revolutionary Warfare." Nonetheless, his relationship with Nas soured as the rap star's Ill Will Records venture folded, leaving Lake with no support as an artist. In 2006, in high-publicized fashion, Lake signed with Suge Knight's once powerful Death Row Records, that is, its East Coast subsidiary, Death Row East, as the imprint's flagship artist. The media attention allowed him to push his collaborative album with fellow Queensbridge MC Cormega, entitled My Brother's Keeper, released that August.