Plies sophomore release, "DEFINITION OF REAL", debuted at 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 215,000 copies in its first week. In fact, the album's first week sales gave Plies the highest selling first-week numbers in the history of Miami-based Slip-N-Slide Records.


Success hasn't changed Plies; it has just made him more real. After selling over a half million copies of his 2007 debut album, "THE REAL TESTAMENT," the rapper hailing from the streets of Fort Myers, Florida returns with the release of his sophomore set, "DEFINITION OF REAL." "I feel like what I try to stand for in this game and what I reflect and represent is the extinct individuality in terms of being real," explains Plies. "It was only right for me to embody my sophomore album with the whole definition of what I like to call real. It's a term that I looked up and I dissected and I feel like it fits me as a person; better than any term I ever ran across."

For most artists, being real is something their record labels invest marketing dollars in, but for Plies it just comes naturally. With so many of today's rappers claiming to be real, what is it that makes Plies different? It's a question only he can answer.

"The definition of real is based on who you choose to ask," explains Plies. "A lot of ni***s think being real is how many times you done been to prison or how many ni***s you done murked in the streets. I beg to differ," he says. "For me, real is being a responsible father, being a support system for my homies that's fucked up in the system, staying true to my beliefs, and staying loyal to the ni***s who done been with me for so many years."

Plies' main motivation is his brother and label CEO Big Gates, who is currently doing time in a federal penitentiary. "My brother being locked up is the biggest pill I had to swallow in my life," admits Plies." I never respected another human being as much as I respect my brother," he says. "You have a n***a that went fed a couple of years ago, but not only did he go fed, he took it for the team. I never had a person a part of my life that stood for what he stands for." It's the love for his brother Big Gates that ultimately fuels Plies' drive.

Plies grew up in Fort Myers, Florida. He attended the University of South Florida. In 1999, his brother Ronell Lawrence Levatte a.k.a. Big Gates, started Big Gates Records. Levatte served as CEO, while Plies initially developed the label's artists.

Plies initially refused to rap, however after a demonstration for one of his artists, Ronell decided to keep Plies' verse on the track "Tell Dem Krackers Dat". Levatte and Plies promoted the single and traveled many times to Miami, which eventually led to a deal for Plies on Slip-N-Slide Records.

'Bust It Baby Part 2, the first single from DEFINITON OF REAL, has already proven to be another massive hip-hop hit for Plies. The track is currently #1 at Urban mainstream outlets nationwide this week. Plies has unleashed two new videos for the album's I'm Da Man (Feat. Trey Songz) and Worth Goin FED For.

• PLIES Announces Non-Profit Organization and $10,000 "Somebody Loves You" Scholarship Fund

  Jun, 2008
  Big Gates/Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic recording artist Plies has announced details of his very own non-profit organization, Big Gates and Plies Power Of Visions Foundation, Inc., as well as a scholarship program, The "Somebody Loves You" Scholarship Fund. This all comes as the Ft. Myers, Florida-bred rapper continues to ride the wave of success proven by his sophomore release, DEFINITION OF REAL, which debuted at 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 215,000 copies in its first week. In fact, the album's first week sales gave Plies the highest selling first-week numbers in the history of Miami-based Slip-N-Slide Records.
  
  Keeping in the tradition of Plies philanthropy, Big Gates and Plies Power Of Visions will provide funding for legal representation and aid to needy individuals, specifically those who are incarcerated, with the goal of promoting a more functional, productive, and just community. The organization will also provide educational forums, classes, workshops, trainings, opportunities, and other charitable activities aimed at individuals in the community, in particular focusing on rehabilitation.
  
  In addition, Big Gates and Plies Power Of Visions will focus on promoting activities for youth and minorities, including education, mentorship, cultural experiences, and preventative measures aimed at combating incarceration in the Tampa and Ft. Myers, Florida areas.
  
  The organization's first effort will be the "Somebody Loves You" Scholarship Fund 2008 (named after the song Somebody (Loves You) from his current album), which is designed specifically for students attending an accredited college or university, who have a parent(s) that is presently incarcerated and who is financially disadvantaged. The scholarship is open to students who are currently enrolled or who will be entering school this fall. Two scholarships will be awarded to one male and one female in the amount of $5000 each.
  
  According to a published Senate report in September of 2000, as many as 70 percent of children of incarcerated parents will become involved with the criminal justice system unless effective intervention strategies are set in place. Big Gates and Plies Power Of Visions, Inc. hopes to inspire and encourage these at-risk youth to break the cycle of incarceration. Co-founder Plies comments, "We want to provide those who have been and continue to be affected by the negative impacts of the prison system with a sense of hope, and to let them know that they are not forgotten. No matter what adversities one may face in life, one thing remains true, and that is that somebody loves you."
  
  For more information on the organization and scholarship, as well as scholarship application details, visit
  
  http://www.pliesworld.com/somebodylovesyou.