Prior, he formed the New York City-based hip hop group Harlem World in 1995, with whom he released one studio album—The Movement (1999)—to commercial success until their disbandment in 1999. As a solo act, Loon signed with Arista Records, and later Bad Boy Records that same year to release his eponymous debut studio album (2003). It was met with commercial success and peaked at number six on the Billboard 200, although critical response was mixed. He then parted ways with the label in the following year due to his conversion to Islam, and released three independent albums until his retirement from recording altogether in 2009.[1][2]
Career
Chauncey Lamont Hawkins was born in Harlem, New York. He began his musical career as a member of Mase's rap collective Harlem World in 1995,[3] and signed with Arista Records after their 1999 disbandment. He also began working severally with group cohort Mase; due to Mase signing with P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records, Loon was led by proximity to sign with the label himself, as it was also an imprint of Arista.[4]
His 2003 debut commercial single, "Down For Me" (featuring Mario Winans) peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest charting song as a lead artist. It's follow-up, "How You Like That" (featuring Kelis) peaked at number 88 on the chart. Both preceded the release of his self-titled debut studio album in October of that year, which peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 and saw mixed reviews. Loon left Bad Boy Records in the following year to launch his own record label, Boss Up Entertainment. He then retired from the music industry entirely in 2009.[6]
Conversion to Islam
Loon converted to Islam in December 2008 after a trip to Abu Dhabi, and Dubai, UAE. Born Chauncey Lamont Hawkins, he officially changed his name to Amir Junaid Muhadith after traveling to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest site of Islam, to perform Umrah. After having converted to Islam, he subsequently ended his music career and would later relocate to Cairo, Egypt where he lived until 2011, and then lastly moved back to the United States of America from 2011 to 2022, and stayed in the United States of America in 2022.[7]
Legal issues
On November 22, 2011, Muhadith was arrested while on a trip to Brussels. He was extradited to the United States in May 2012 and was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in July 2013 for conspiracy with intent to traffic one or more kilograms of heroin.[8] Many reports have advocated for and confirmed his innocence.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic effects in prison centers, Muhadith was granted early release on July 29, 2020.[9]
