Who is Jeezy? All about musician as he sets Guinness World Record for largest hip-hop orchestra

Jay "Jeezy" Jenkins, who is 48, is a rap veteran. Before becoming a celebrated hip-hop figure, Jeezy was born in Columbia, South Carolina, and raised in Hawkinsville, Georgia, before later relocating to Okinawa, Japan, due to his father’s military career. Reflecting on his early years, he told Yahoo News:

“I just always loved music. When I was coming up, I loved the Master P’s, the 8Ball and MJGs, Da Brat. My thing was to listen to music before I went to school every morning. A lot of people would listen to it because they liked it. I would listen to it because I was learning things from it. So those were my books, because I hated reading back then.”

Jeezy makes history with record-breaking hip-hop orchestra performance in Las Vegas

Jeezy set a Guinness World Record by leading the biggest orchestra ever for a hip-hop concert. The Atlanta rapper made history during the second night of his Las Vegas residency, TM:101 Live. The event took place on Saturday, November 1, at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

🎺🎖️ @Jeezy has been awarded an official @GWR title for the largest orchestra ever assembled for a hip-hop concert. pic.twitter.com/up0QCtn5Am

— Okayplayer (@okayplayer) November 3, 2025

Jeezy's performance included 101 orchestra members, which earned him the Guinness title of having the largest orchestra at a hip-hop concert. It also became the biggest orchestra to perform on a Las Vegas stage, no matter the genre. Derrick Hodge created the compositions for the orchestra called the Color of Noize Orchestra, and Adam Blackstone oversaw the music. Accepting the recognition on stage, Jeezy expressed his gratitude to everyone involved.

“This isn’t just a win for me — it’s a moment for the culture, for music, and for Vegas,” he said in a press release shared with PEOPLE. “Thank you to every musician, every fan, and everyone who believed we could take this all the way. A winner is a dreamer who never gave up!”

Andy Glass, the official Guinness World Records adjudicator, presented Jeezy with the record title. The rapper thanked collaborators, saying:

“Thank you to all 101 orchestra members, composer Derrick Hodge, musical director Adam Blackstone, DJ Drama, DJ Ace — and most importantly, the fans.”

Jeezy later celebrated the achievement on Instagram, posting a video of the award presentation.

“It has always been my purpose to motivate and inspire my culture,” he wrote in the caption. “Thank you to everyone involved for believing in my vision. Couldn’t have done it without you. This one’s for the books… literally” He concluded the post with the line, “The purpose of life is the life of purpose.”

Jeezy, a Grammy-nominated artist, continues to be recognized for his contributions to hip-hop and his efforts to inspire through his music.