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FOLLOW THE LEADER: YOUNG JEEZY - Young Jeezy is taking his hustler's ambition to the 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards. The Atlanta icon performed at rap's biggest night, Sept. 29, at Atlanta's Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center, set to air on October 9 on BET. But he didn't get to hip-hop's most prestigious stage overnight: He's been hustling hard for more than a decade now. Read on to follow the leader, Young Jeezy, and his journey to the 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards. (Photo: Kristian Dowling/Getty Images)

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The Birth of a Hustler - After making noise on ATL's indie and mixtape scene in the early 2000s, Jeezy started to break through nationwide as a member of Bad Boy group Boyz N Da Hood in 2004. He followed that up with two acclaimed mixtapes with DJ Drama, Tha Streetz Iz Watching and Trap or Die, which helped make him a solo star.  (Photo: Courtesy Berman Fenelus/Hot 97)

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Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 - After signing to Def Jam in the wake of his mixtape stardom, Jeezy unleashed his debut album, Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, in 2005. The album sold over 2 million copies on the strength of signature hits like "Soul Survivor" and "Go Crazy."(Photo: Chris McKay/Getty Images)

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The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102 - Jeezy didn't rest on his double-platinum laurels: In 2006, he dropped his sophomore LP, The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102, which topped the Billboard 200 chart, giving Jeezy his first No. 1.(Photo: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images)

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Gun for Hire - Young Jeezy isn't just known for his own stellar music though — he's also become one of the most-wanted guest spitters. He's laced hits for Kanye West ("Amazing," "Can't Tell Me Nothing"), Rihanna ("Hard"), Drake ("I'm Goin' In") and others.  (Photo: Jeffrey Ufberg/Getty Images)

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To the Top - But Jeezy's biggest triumph as a guest artist came in 2008, with Usher's "Love in this Club." The Snowman's verse helped propel the song to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100, a first for Jeezy. (Photo: Scott Legato/FilmMagic)

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The Recession - Young Jeezy kept his string of smash albums going with 2008's The Recession, which topped the charts and eventually sold over 1 million units.(Photo: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)

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"My President Is Black" - The Recession featured the inspirational anthem "My President Is Black," which celebrated Barack Obama's run for the White House. In 2009, after the song proved prophetic with Obama's victory, Jeezy and Jay-Z performed its remix at a D.C. club during the inauguration, drawing the ire of right-wing commentators including Bill O'Reilly.(Photo: Courtesy of Scott Irby Ranniar/Flickr)

Photo By Photo: Scott Irby Ranniar via Flickr

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Back on his Grind - While prepping his fourth studio album, Young Jeezy returned to his mixtape grind with a vengeance, releasing Trap Or Die Part 2: By Any Means Necessary (hosted by Don Cannon), 1,000 Grams (hosted by DJ Scream) and The Last Laugh in 2010. (Photo: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)

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The Drama King - With his album delayed by personal and industry drama, Jeezy reunited with his old mixtape partner-in-crime DJ Drama in 2011, releasing two acclaimed mixtapes, The Real is Back 1 & 2.  (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition - Jeezy finally returned with a proper studio release in December of last year with Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition. The album struck gold, boosted by singles "Lose My Mind," and "F.A.M.E.," featuring T.I., and proved Jeezy hadn't lost a step. With his performance at the HHAs, Jeezy celebrated his comeback in the city that made him. See the big moment for yourself on Oct. 9 on BET.  (Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for BET)