Turk (rapper)

Turk (shortened from "Young Turk"), born Tab Virgil, Jr. in 1981 in New Orleans, Louisiana, is an African-American rapper.

Turk was first discovered was in 1996 when he was rapping for Cash Money Records (brothers Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Baby" Williams ) Later that same year, he made his debut with a cameo on Juvenile's solo debut, "Solja Rags". He was welcomed into the newly formed Hot Boys (who also included Juvenile, B.G., and Lil' Wayne),and jr. issuing "Get It How You Live!" in 1997 and "Guerilla Warfare" (which would eventually go platinum) two years later.

He continued to make cameos on other rapper's recordings, including Juvenile's big hits "400 Degreez" and "Tha G-Code", Lil' Wayne's "Tha Block Is Hot" and "Lights Out", as well as B.G.'s "It's All on You, Vol. 1" and "It's All on You, Vol. 2". June 2001 saw the release of Turk's solo debut, '"Young and Thuggin'"' on Universal Records. His first solo album also coincided with the dissolution of the Hot Boys and the departure of B.G. and Juvenile from the Cash Money label over a royalties dispute with CEO Bryan Williams. While he recorded another album, "Untamed Guerilla", for Cash Money as a follow-up to "Young and Thuggin'" , it was never released as he became embroiled in a similar contractual conflict as Juvenile and B.G.

In 2003, Turk followed B.G. to Koch Records, where he recorded "Raw and Uncut", technically his second solo album. Most Recently, Turk announced that once he is released from prison he plans on returning to his former label, Cash Money Records stating that CEO's Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Baby" Williams have showed unconditional financial and moral support throughout his legal troubles.

Legal Troubles

In January of 2004, Turk was in a Memphis, Tennessee apartment when narcotics officers and SWAT team members stormed in. According to police, Turk and Tylon Rivers shot an officer during the drug raid. In the shootout, SWAT team member Deputy Chris Harris had been shot in the jaw, hip, arm and calf.

At a preliminary hearing a charge of first-degree attempted murder was reduced to second-degree attempted murder but Turk was not granted bail. He was awaiting trial in prison as his third album, the aptly-named "Penitentiary Chances", hit the streets in April of 2005. Attorneys made their final arguments on August 9, 2005 and the jury took just five hours to convict him.

Virgil’s attorney expressed disappointment at the time the jury spent deliberating and has vowed to appeal. Virgil faces between five and 10 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 26, 2005. He is still facing an attempted-murder trial stemming from the shooting, but a trial date has not been set.

Virgil was sentenced to 30 years in prison on April 1, 2004 by a Memphis judge after entering a "best interest plea" in the 2004 shooting of a sheriff's deputy.

Virgil entered an Alford plea, also known as a best-interest plea, in which a defendant may dispute some of the allegations but accepts an agreed-upon sentence, to avoid a longer sentence if convicted at trial. The plea has the same legal effect as a guilty plea.

Turk pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder and was handed the 12-year sentence. He faced up to 25 years if convicted as charged of attempted first-degree murder.

The sentence was then later reduced to 10 years after a series of court battles that worked out a bargaining deal that ran Virgil's state court charges with his federal court charges concurrently.

Turk has been allowed to withdraw a guilty plea in the second-degree murder charge. Memphis news outlet, The Commercial Appeal, received a statement from Judge J.C. Mclin, stating the rapper was allowed to withdraw his plea because the plea was "not knowingly, voluntarily, and understandingly entered, and that the pleas were entered through a misunderstanding as to their effects." Turk hopes to be released from prison sometime in 2008.

Discography

• Young & Thuggin'(June 5, 2001) Cash Money (Gold)
• Raw & Uncut (October 21, 2003) Koch
• Penitentiary Chances (April 27, 2004) Koch
• Still a Hot Boy (September 13, 2005) Select-O-Hits
• Convicted Felons (September 5, 2006) Laborato
• Early Release (August 4, 2008) Cash Money

Featured On

• 1993 - Smell Like Fish - Platinum Status
• 1996 - Our Thang - Durdy Jack Lex Ball ft. Baby & Turk - Platinum Status
• 1998 - Hypnotize Cash Money - Tear Da Club Up Thugs ft. Hot Boys - CrazyNDaLazDayz
• 1999 - Ballas- Project Pat /Hot Boys/jr.nond as tylon rivers - Ghetty Green
• 1999 - Bring Da Pain - Blaxuede/Lil' Wayne - Dey Don't Kno
• 1999 - Tha Hood (It's All Good) - Hot Boys/Big Tymers - The Wood
• 1999 - Make 'Em Break It - Lil' Keke/Hot Boys/Big Tymers - It Was All A Dream
• 1999 - Play That Sh*t (Remix) - DJ Clue/CNN/Hot Boys - Queens Day Part 1
• 1999 - Rock Ice - Hot Boys/Big Tymers - Blue Streak
• 1999 - Servin' It Hot - Servin' Da World Click/Hot Boys/Big Tymers - Shippin' N Handlin'
• 1999 - Tear The Club Up (Remix) - DJ Whoo Kid/Tear The Club Up Thugs/Hot Boys - DJ Whoo Kid Goin Platinum
• 1999 - U Don't Wanna - J Prince/Hot Boys/Big Tymers - Realest Niggaz Down South
• 2000 - Baller Blockin' - E-40/Baby/Juvenile - Baller Blockin'
• 2000 - Uptown - B.G. - Baller Blockin'
• 2000 - Let Us Stunt - Big Tymers/B.G. - Baller Blockin'
• 2000 - Hey Ya - Strings/Hot Boys/Big Tymers - Tongue Song
• 2000 - Told U - Malone/Baby - Hustler 3 - Hustler 3
• 2000 - Dirty World - T.C/Lil' Derrick/Juvenile - 3rd Coast Finest
• 2000 - Tear It Down - Zoe Pound/B.G. - Little Haiti Stories
• 2001 - Steady Grinding - Mack 10/Baby - Exit Wounds
• 2001 - Murder - Mack 10/Big Tymers - Bang Or Ball
• 2001 - Low Down & Dirty - Smoked Outt/Lil' Derrick - Done Didit
• 2001 - What Side R U On - Jerzey Mob/Hot Boys - Outlawz Presents
• 2002 - Cleanin' Out My Closet (Freestyle) - Larrell - Freestyles And Unreleased
• 2002 - Tear It Down (Remix) Red Eye/B.G. - Da Dirty South #### Vol. 1
• 2003 - F*ck Cash Money (Dissin' Cash Money) - Larrell - Freestyles And Unreleased
• 2003 - Uptown Downtown - 7th Ward Soulja/B.G. - Ghetto Terminology
• 2003 - What You Are - Lil' Derrick/Kayotic - Undisputed Champions Knockout
• 2003 - Throw Your Sets Up - Tru Thug - The Storm
• 2003 - Tellin U - Tru Thug - The Storm
• 2004 - Stuntin' - Bumpy Johnson/Kenoe - Tha Hustle Life Vol.1 & Vol.2
• 2004 - Gun Bust - Dro/Hitman/Sammy Sam - Respect The Connected
• 2004 - Come Up - Froze Ony - Gutta Wayz
• 2004 - I Don't Know Whats Wrong - Ke'Noe - Game Over
• 2004 - Bitchn*gga - Mac-E/Da Inc - Da Nu Boi
• 2004 - Whatchabout - Mac-E - Da Nu Boi
• 2004 - Ain't No Fun (When Rabbit Got The Gun) - Slugga/Young Thugga - Rookie Of The Year
• 2004 - Murda, Murda - Yung Ro/Mippy - Undagrind
• 2005 - She's A Huker - AJ 003/Ying Yang Twins - AJ 003
• 2005 - Over A Ho - Handy - Rap Hustlin'
• 2005 - Dat's Right - Iceberg/Froze Ony - Slab Muzic
• 2005 - Road Bitch - Iceberg/Froze Ony - Slab Muzic
• 2008 - Ya Heard Me Remix - (B.G. feat the Hot Boys)