Natalac and Lil Ru have spent more than two decades building a connection that reaches beyond individual records, linking Jacksonville and South Carolina through music, entrepreneurship, independence and a shared Southern identity.
Long before their names became attached to separate milestones in Southern hip-hop, Natalac and Lil Ru were already establishing themselves on their own terms. Jacksonville native Natalac, born Sheldon Martinez Davis, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who developed his distinctive “Pimp Hop” style while building Natalac Records independently. His 2003 record “Pimp of the City” became one of his signature releases, with his persona cited as the inspiration behind A Pimp Named Slickback from Adult Swim’s The Boondocks. South Carolina’s Lil Ru, born Sylvester Samuels, built his reputation through the Carolinas before eventually signing with Def Jam Recordings and expanding his audience with “The Nasty Song.”
Their creative history stretches back to 2003, when Lil Ru appeared on Natalac’s “Redneckz and Kuntry Thugs” alongside Snook Da Rokkstarr and Collard Greens. Featured on The Original Step Daddy, the record represented an early meeting point between Natalac’s Jacksonville foundation and Lil Ru’s South Carolina background. The collaboration arrived when both artists were still establishing their identities, making it the starting point for a relationship that would continue through several different stages of their careers.
A particularly unusual connection between the two arrived on August 25, 2009, when Def Jam released Lil Ru’s debut studio album, 21 & Up. The date is significant because August 25 is also Natalac’s birthday, with the Jacksonville artist born on August 25, 1974. 21 & Up housed “The Nasty Song,” one of Lil Ru’s best-known records, meaning a defining moment in his major-label career happened on a date already carrying personal importance for Natalac.
That shared August date fits naturally into a tradition Natalac has spent years developing across two states. His annual Birthday Bash celebrations in Jacksonville, Florida and Columbia, South Carolina have become gathering points for artists, collaborators and supporters connected to both music communities. The events reflect the relationship Natalac has maintained with South Carolina throughout his career and have helped keep the Florida-Carolina connection active beyond studio collaborations alone.
By 2018, Natalac and Lil Ru were ready to reconnect musically with “Playground,” a track from Natalac’s Pimp of the Nation album. Released through Natalac Records on February 19, 2018, the song arrived roughly 15 years after their earliest documented collaboration and showed how both artists had evolved without losing the qualities that originally made their styles work together. Natalac’s direct delivery was matched by Lil Ru’s melodic presence, while an accompanying music video helped introduce their renewed partnership to another generation of listeners.
Their bond has also been reinforced by careers built around independence. Natalac has operated Natalac Records since 1997 while developing Natalac Express, his freight and cargo business serving the Southeast. His trucking career became part of his public identity, including his reputation for driving his own 18-wheeler to shows across the country. Routes through areas such as the I-95 and I-26 corridors regularly brought him through South Carolina, giving him another practical connection to the region. Lil Ru, after experiencing life within the major-label system, launched his own imprint Presidential Music in 2015, creating another parallel between the two artists’ approaches to ownership.
More than 20 years after “Redneckz and Kuntry Thugs,” the Natalac and Lil Ru story stands as an example of how regional relationships can outlast changing eras of the music business. Their history spans underground releases, Def Jam success, independent labels, trucking, birthday celebrations and a return to the studio with “Playground.” What began as an early Southern collaboration has grown into a long-running alliance connecting Florida and South Carolina while highlighting the value of consistency, ownership and relationships built to last.
Connect With Natalac:
- Instagram: Natalac74
- Facebook: Natalac Sheldon M Davis
- X (Twitter): Natalac74
- Wikipedia: Natalac Wikipedia page
- Spotify: Natalac
