Petey Pablo

Moses Mortimer Barrett III (born July 22, 1973), known by the stage name Petey Pablo, is an American rapper from Greenville, North Carolina. Born in Greenville, North Carolina, Barrett spent five years in prison for a 1993 armed robbery and on his release moved to New York City, where he met Black Rob and Busta Rhymes, and, according to legend, was signed by the A&R director of Jive Records after hearing him rapping in a club bathroom. After a few guest spots, his first solo single was "Raise Up" in 2001 at the age of 28, produced by Timbaland, followed by debut album Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry the same year. "Raise Up" was helped by rotation on MTV and heavy play on urban radio, reaching number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Hot Rap Singles Chart. The release of his second album, Still Writing in My Diary: 2nd Entry, was delayed until 2004. Lead single from the album, the sexually-explicit "Freek-a-Leek" was another major success, reaching #7 in the Hot 100. In 2005 Petey Pablo formed a relationship with Suge Knight, but never signed an official contract with his former label Death Row Records. Barrett currently resides in Fort Dix Jail, where he is working under