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Charles Kente Williams (né Bowens; born October 21, 1977), better known by his stage name Keak da Sneak, is an American rapper from Oakland, California. He is known for his gravelly voice,[1][2] for coining the term "hyphy" in 1994,[3] and for his contributions to the hyphy movement.[4]
He has collaborated frequently with fellow West Coast rapper E-40.
Keak da Sneak was born in Brewton, Alabama.[5] As a newborn, he moved to Oakland, California. He found popularity while attending Allendale Elementary School, which he parlayed into later friendships and talent show performances at Oakland's Bret Harte Junior High. Through theater, Keak met his collaborator Agerman.
Keak and Agerman formed Dual Committee when Keak was 15 years old. The duo's performances were first recorded on "Murder Man" and "Stompin in My Steel Toes" on C-BO's 1994 EP, The Autopsy. Citing the personal growth of all three artists, he later signed as a solo artist with Sacramento-based Moe Doe Records.[5] As a result of the signing, he began to receive more radio airplay, especially on San Francisco hip-hop station KMEL.
By the end of their junior year in high school, Keak and his collaborators had recruited rapper B.A. to form the group 3X Krazy. Their first EP, Sick-O, was released independently on August 5, 1995. In 1996 they signed to Virgin Records, releasing the album Stackin' Chips on March 8, 1997 (with help from the single Keep It on the Real; the album received national attention), the second album Immortalized, and then the release of Real Talk 2000 on January 18, 2000.[6] The last 3X Krazy album, a collection of previously unreleased material and remixed songs from Sick-O, was Flowamatic-9, which was released in 2004. The group eventually disbanded.
After years working in the underground scene, Keak began to see mainstream success in 2004 with the song Super Hyphy. His 2006 collaboration with E-40, Tell Me When to Go, received national attention.[1] In total, Keak da Sneak has released almost 20 albums and several mixtapes.
Keak was featured on MTV's My Super Sweet 16.[7]
Keak da Sneak has been married to his wife, Dee Bowens, a former clothing designer, since February 14, 2004. He has four children.
After surviving a shooting in January of 2017, Keak began carrying a firearm for protection, which led to a 2017 charge for firearm possession as a convicted felon. During the trial, Keak was targeted in another shooting at a gas station; he was shot eight times, fell into a three-day coma, and was left paralyzed. As a paraplegic, Keak would begin the regular use of a wheelchair.[8][9]
After a two-year legal battle, Keak was sentenced to 16 months in state custody. He served five months of his sentence at the California Health Care Facility before being released early due to Proposition 57. Keak would return home to his family after his release from custody.[10]
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Memphis Cakalac Oakland" (Natalac featuring Project Pat & Keak Da Sneak) |
2018 | Pimp of the Nation |
Keak Da Sneak has become, for many, the hip-hop voice of the Bay Area. It's a gravel-toned, jagged-edged, smoked-too-much-growing-up-in-Oaktown growl that cuts through a track like a diamond slicing glass.
Keak Da Sneak is renowned for his rubbery flow and raspy drawl.
A Bay Area rapper living in Sacramento started carrying a gun after he was shot twice. Now Keak da Sneak faces prison in a wheelchair.
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