Dolla Biography

Before he was signed to Akon's label and climbed the charts with the hardcore single "Who the Heck Is That," Atlanta rapper Dolla played talent shows and showcases as a member of Da Razkalz Cru. They released the 2003 single "So Fly" on the major-label imprint Elektra, but it went nowhere and the band was dropped from the label that same year. In the end, the best thing that would happen to Dolla as he was hanging with Razkalz was meeting both Akon, who was producing for the label, and Diddy, who would take Dolla under his wing not as a rapper, but as a model. Modeling clothes from Diddy's Sean John label took him around the country and put his image on the huge billboard above the Hyatt Hotel in Los Angeles. He eventually ran into his old friend Akon and after some studio sessions, Dolla was signed to Akon's Konvict Muzik label. In 2006 he landed on the Step Up soundtrack and partnered with mixtape DJ Nappy Wilson for The Beatdown Mixtape. He spent the next year working on his debut album. Early in 2008 the "Who the Heck Is That" single appeared, although the street version replaced "Heck" with the "F bomb." Singers T-Pain and Tay Dizm appeared on the initial cut, while Akon was added to the remix. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide