Born in New Orleans but raised in Atlanta, Lloyd began singing as a young child, and got his first record deal at age 11, fronting a boy band called N-TOON. The group released an album called TOON-TIME on DreamWorks in early 1999. Soon after, he was picked up as a solo artist by Magic Johnson Records and recorded a new LP's worth of songs. That situation didn't pan out, and Lloyd found himself being eyed by two different industry honchos: L.A. Reid and Irv Gotti. He decided to go with Gotti, breathing new life into the Inc., a label whose sales and credibility have taken a substantial hit due to flagship artist Ja Rule's fall from grace. Lloyd's solo album Southside, a showcase for his romantic vocalism and collaborations with Ashanti, Lil Wayne and Chink Santana, was finally released in the summer of 2004.