Big Hawk
Background information
Birth nameJohn Edward Hawkins
Also known as
  • H.A.W.K.
  • Hawk
  • Five Star General of the Screwed Up Click
Born(1969-11-15)November 15, 1969[1][2]
Houston, Texas, U.S.
DiedMay 1, 2006(2006-05-01) (aged 36)[3]
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Genreship hop
Occupation(s)Rapper
Years active1992–2006
Labels
  • Dead End
  • Ghetto Dreams

John Edward Hawkins (November 15, 1969 – May 1, 2006), better known by his stage names Big Hawk and H.A.W.K., was an American rapper from Houston, Texas and a founding member of the late DJ Screw's rap group the Screwed Up Click.

Life and career

Born John Edward Hawkins in Houston, Texas on November 15, 1969, he grew up with a younger brother, Patrick "Fat Pat" Hawkins and two sisters. He started rapping in 1992 when Fat Pat took him to DJ Screw's house, an upcoming mixtape producer and DJ in the southern area of Houston.[4] In April 2006 Hawk married his longtime girlfriend, Meshah Henderson. The couple had two sons.[4]

In 1994 Hawk, Fat Pat, DJ Screw, Lil' Keke and Koldjack collaborated to form the group D.E.A. and Dead End Records (named for the dead end block of Martin Luther King Blvd where Hawk grew up in Houston). In late 1998 D.E.A. released an original independent album entitled, Screwed For Life featuring Lil' Keke, Big Pokey and the rest of the S.U.C. After the deaths of Hawk's brother (Fat Pat) and DJ Screw and the incarceration of many others SUC members, Hawk's ultimate mission and goal became keeping the "Ghetto Dream" alive. In 1999 Hawk participated in a Southside Playaz compilation album titled You Got Us Fuxxed Up, with Mike D, Claydoe and other members of the S.U.C. Hawk released his solo album, Under Hawk's Wings on Dead End Records in 2000 and had recorded with Lil' Flip, Lil' Keke, Big Moe, Z-Ro and was featured on the Lil' Troy hit "Wanna Be A Baller".

Big Hawk appeared on numerous mixtapes from artists in the Houston underground rap scene. After Screw's death in 2000, he was the main person responsible for keeping the S.U.C. together, so much so that his nickname was the Five Star General of the Screwed Up Click. He collaborated with Lil' O on the smash hit, "Back Back" Next, he partnered with Game Face Records in 2002 and released his first album under his label Ghetto Dreams Entertainment, self-titled, "HAWK". With the hit song, "U Already Know", the album charted the Billboard's list of top R&B and Rap Albums at no. 45. It was at Game Face Records where Hawk met and clicked with a young up and coming group called the GritBoyz and an artist named Starchy Archy. Hawk and Ghetto Dreams Ent. teamed up with Presidential Records in 2003 to release "A Bad Azz Mix Tape Vol. II." A year later he and Lil' Keke teamed up to release "Wreckin 2K4" with Presidential Records as well. It was around this time when the original S.U.C. members, along with M.J. (of Southside Studios) started collaborating on a group/compilation album titled "The Takeover". Trae tha Truth made an album dedicated to BIG HAWK called Life Goes On.

Hawk was featured on the popular single "Swang" by Trae that included a tribute to Fat Pat in 2005. In 2006, Hawk, along with Clint Dempsey of the U.S. National Soccer team recorded a song for Nike's "Joga Bonito" World Cup soccer promotion called "Don't Tread". He was part of Pepsi's Yahoo! "Houston Mic Pass" with Lil' Flip, Chamillionaire, Trae, Chingo Bling, Bun B, Short Dawg, Magno and Mike D. Since his death, Hawk has been featured on several tracks including Lil O's "I Do" single, "Down In Texas" off of the 2008 A.B.N. album It Is What It Is, and Big Unk's "I'ma Beast" to name a few.

On November 11, 2011, two posthumous singles were released called "Somebody Who Loves You" and "Praise God."

Death

On May 1, 2006, eight years after his younger brother Fat Pat was murdered, Hawkins was shot dead in Houston.[5][6] He had arrived early at a house on Redfern Drive to play dominoes with a friend, and was alone at the time when an unknown assailant shot him multiple times. Hawkins was 36 years old.[6] His murder remains unsolved.[7]

Fellow Houston rapper Bun B, in an interview with the Houston Chronicle, said about Hawkins: "There were no kinks in this man's moral armor, because he was a rapper. There will be people who will take his death the wrong way, but he was a peaceful guy and a family man who had no beefs with anybody".[7]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and information
Year Title Peak chart positions
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[8] Top Rap Albums[9] Independent Albums[10] Heatseekers Albums[11]
1998 Dead End Alliance (with DJ Screw, Fat Pat & Kay-K)
  • Label: Dead End Records
 — — — —
2000 Under H.A.W.K.'s Wings
  • Label: Dead End Records
 68 — 30 33
2001 HAWK
  • Label: Ghetto Dreams Entertainment
 45 — 43 —
2004 Wreckin' 2004 (with Lil' Keke)
  • Label: Presidential Records
 93 — — —
2007 Endangered Species
  • Label: Ghetto Dreams Entertainment
 54 24 — —
2008 Still Wreckin' (with Lil' Keke)
  • Label: Presidential Records
 — — — —

Mixtapes

  • 2004: A Bad Azz Mix Tape Vol. II.
  • 2005: The Incredible Hawk Undaground Volume 1
  • 2005: The Incredible Hawk Undaground Volume 2
  • 2006: Since the Gray Tapes, Vol. 4
  • 2007: Terrible Texas Dub K Six

Guest appearances

Year Song Performer(s) Album
1999 "Boys N Da South" E.S.G. Shinin' N' Grindin'
"Day 4 Day G's" Day 4 Day G's, Big Moe What"s Da Deal!
2000 "Country Rap Tune" Towdown, Big Pokey By Prescription Only
"Nigga Who Dat" Woss Ness, South Park Mexican Bangin Screw
"Took A Lil Time" Mafio, Shunny Pooh, Ronnie Spencer Shunny Pooh Presents: 3rd Coast's Finest Volume 1
"Save Me" Candyman, Den-Den, Black-N-Mild, Lil J Makin' Deals Of A Lifetime
2001 "Already" G.I.N. of the Presidential Playas. Big Pokey Straight Out Da Bottle
"Real Recognize Real" Godfather Before It's Too Late
"PAT" D-Drew, Big Baby Down South Still Holdin
"You Made It Happen" H.A.W.K. ScrewHeads: Forever And A Day
"Down South We Mob" R.W.O., Lil' Keke Book Of Game: Chapter 1
2002 "Chicken Fried Steak" Tow Down, Slim Thug, Bun B Chicken Fried Steak
"Watch Out" E.S.G., Slim Thug Boss Hogg Outlaws
"Keep It 100" Kottonmouth Urban Legend
2003 "Sho Yo Thong" Lyrical 187 Ready 4 What Eva
2004 "G-Strang" Kottonmouth, Big G Authentic
2018 "Sicko Mode” Travis Scott, Drake, Swae Lee Astroworld

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are annual awards presented by The Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the mainly English-language music industry.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2019 "Sicko Mode" Best Rap Performance Nominated [12]
Best Rap Song Nominated

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997". familysearch.org. FamilySearch. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
  2. ↑ allmusic ((( H.A.W.K. > Overview )))
  3. ↑ "Houston Rapper Big Hawk Shot To Death". Associated Press. 2006-01-12. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  4. 1 2 Archived July 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ "Houston Police Department". www.houstontx.gov.
  6. 1 2 "Rap Deaths: John Edward Hawkins". CBS News. Archived from the original on June 14, 2010.
  7. 1 2 Clark, Michael D. (2006-05-03). "Police: Few clues in Houston rapper's slaying". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2011-06-04.
  8. ↑ "H.A.W.K. Chart History". Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Archived from the original on May 22, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  9. ↑ "H.A.W.K. Chart History". Top Rap Albums. Archived from the original on May 22, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  10. ↑ "H.A.W.K. Chart History". Independent Albums. Archived from the original on May 22, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  11. ↑ "H.A.W.K. Chart History". Heatseekers Albums. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  12. ↑ "61st Annual Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees". Grammy.
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