* En anglais uniquement
Verse Simmonds debuted on the Interscope label in 2009 with "Buy You a Round (Up and Down)," a cocky, percussion-heavy club single that failed to chart but enabled the upcoming singer, songwriter, and occasional MC to tour extensively. In December of that year,
R. Kelly released
Untitled, an album containing a song
Simmonds co-wrote, "Crazy Night." The Puerto Rico-born, Virgin Islands-raised native of Atlanta, Georgia was released from his recording contract, but his behind-the-scenes work advanced beside partner
Sham with
Rihanna's "Man Down" (from
Loud) and
Kanye West and
Jay-Z's "Who Gon Stop Me" (from
Watch the Throne). After signing with Bu Vision, a
Def Jam-affiliated boutique label run by
Akon's brother Bu Thiam,
Simmonds released the 2011 single "Boo Thang" (featuring
Kelly Rowland).
Simmonds then self-released the six-track EP A Sextape Chronicle in 2012 and released another Bu Vision single, the
Mtume-sampling "Fully Loaded" (featuring
Young Jeezy), in 2013. ~ Andy Kellman