Ezekiel Giles (born October 13, 1975), better known by his stage name Freekey Zekey, is an American rapper and music executive best known as a founding member of The Diplomats, a group he helped form in Harlem in 1997 alongside his childhood friend Jim Jones and cousin

Cam'ron Cameron Ezike Giles (born February 4, 1976), better known by his stage name Cam'ron, is an American rapper, record executive, and actor from Harlem, New York City. Beginning his career in the mid-1990s as Killa Cam, Giles signed to Lance "Un" ...

. Freekey also serves as the owner/CEO of 730 Dips Records. Aside from The Diplomats, he is also a member of fellow rapper Jim Jones'

ByrdGang Joseph Guillermo Jones II (born July 15, 1976), better known by his stage name Jim Jones (formerly Jimmy Jones), is an American rapper, music video director, and record executive. He is an original member of the hip hop collective the Diplomats ...

, and has made a habit of yelling his name in songs; it is his signature on tracks, whether he is featured or the solo artist.

Career

Giles, along with his cousin

and their friend Jim Jones formed the hip-hop group The Diplomats in their hometown of Harlem,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

in 1997. Giles adopted the stage name Freekey Zekey and the group began writing and performing songs together. In the early years of the group, Zekey served mostly as a hype man, yelling adlibs or his name during other members' songs and performances. Zekey was responsible for writing and performing almost all of the

skit Skit may refer to: * * A short segment in a performance, such as: ** Sketch comedy ** Hip hop skit ** Puppet skit ** Promo (professional wrestling) * Skit note, parody of a banknote See also * Skete A skete ( ) is a monastic community ...

s on Diplomat mixtapes and Cam'ron’s albums, and did this until he was sentenced to 35–42 months in prison in February 2004. While in prison, Zekey began writing his own songs and honed his skills as a rapper. Just a few weeks after being released from prison in November 2006, Freekey signed a contract with Asylum Records to release his debut album, Book of Ezekiel. The album was released on July 24, 2007, and featured guest appearances from other members of The Diplomats, including Cam'ron, Jim Jones and Juelz Santana. The album peaked at #23 on the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. After The Diplomats effectively disbanded in 2007, Freekey went on to form his own label/group, the 730 Dips, and also joined Jim Jones' new group,

.730DipsOfficial YouTube
YouTube. Accessed August 28, 2008.All those clicks are real gangs.v=wshh9yXQPBp7Q3ziL420Jim Jones, Freekey Zekey, & Byrd Gang Interview On Rap City! "Kanye West You Betta Watch M**** Mouth, Before I Pull You By That Glow In The Dark Pink, Stickin & Learn In The Nerd Lane"
WorldStarHipHop. Accessed August 28, 2008.

Personal life

Giles is the first cousin of Cam’ron, and was a childhood friend of Jim Jones and

Damon Dash Damon Anthony Dash (born May 3, 1971) is an American entrepreneur and record executive. Dash is best known as co-founder of Roc-A-Fella along with Jay-Z and Kareem Burke. Early life Born in New York City, Dash swept the floors of a local barbe ...

2003 shooting

On April 25, 2003, Giles and his crew were involved in a minor car collision outside of a Manhattan nightclub, after another car collided with the back of the vehicle Giles and his crew were inside. After stepping out of their vehicle, the men in the other car attempted to rob Giles and his friends. Giles was shot once in the abdomen and sustained minor injuries after the incident. In total, over 44 bullets were fired at Giles and his crew during the altercation, and one member of Giles’ entourage, his bodyguard Eric Mangrum, was killed. In December 2005, Chauncey Dillon was sentenced to 30 years in prison for both robbery and the murder of Mangrum.

Legal issues

Giles was sentenced to 35–42 months in prison on February 5, 2004 for running an

ecstasy Ecstasy may refer to: * Ecstasy (emotion), a trance or trance-like state in which a person transcends normal consciousness * Religious ecstasy, a state of consciousness, visions or absolute euphoria * Ecstasy (philosophy), to be or stand outside o ...

ring. Giles served 33 months at the Durham Correctional Center in

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...

before being released on November 20, 2006.

Discography

Studio albums

Mixtapes

*2006: ''Kiss my Browneye'' *2007: ''Henry'' *2008: ''Blame It on the Henny'' *2008: ''Henny & a Cigarette'' *2010: ''Gangsta Ambition''

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Guest appearances

References

External links

*
Freekey Zekey
on Twitter {{DEFAULTSORT:Freekey Zekey 1975 births Living people African-American businesspeople African-American male rappers American shooting survivors American music industry executives American prisoners and detainees Businesspeople from New York City People from Harlem Rappers from Manhattan The Diplomats members East Coast hip hop musicians Gangsta rappers 21st-century American rappers