Before establishing himself as a solo artist in the early 2000s, Mr. Cheeks made a name for himself as a member of the Lost Boyz in the mid- to late '90s. Cheeks and the other members of the Lost Boyz practiced a sincere, literate, non-sensational style of New York hip-hop. As a result, they never attained substantial commercial success, yet garnered substantial critical acclaim and were underground favorites. But when Freaky Tah met an unfortunate demise, the Lost Boyz soon broke ranks and remained quiet.