Before establishing himself as a solo artist in the early 2000s, Mr. Cheeks made a name for himself as a member of The Lost Boyz in the mid- to late ’90s. Cheeks and the other members of the Lost Boyz practiced a sincere, literate, non-sensational style of New York hip-hop. As a result, they never attained substantial commercial success, yet garnered substantial critical acclaim and were underground favorites. But when Freaky Tah met an unfortunate demise, the Lost Boyz soon broke ranks and remained quiet. Cheeks resurfaced in late 2001, though, and he came with a more mature outlook on life that informed his rhymes with a greater sense of knowledge and truth than before. His debut solo album, John P. Kelly, featured the massive hit single “Lights, Camera, Action!” as well as production by a broad roster of producers including Stephen Marley, Bink!, and Easy Mo Bee.