Originally a 1920s New Orleans slang for flashy, showboating individuals, the term "Hot Boys" was adopted by four friends from the Magnolia Projects and HollyGrove due to their penchant for wearing red and having luxury items in the hood. The four friends Gangsta, Sterling, Dooney and Mosquito were notorious thugs on the streets of New Orleans, and it was rumoured that when the Hot Boys were taken off the streets, the murder rate of New Orleans dropped.


Terrance "Gangsta" Williams was one of several children born to Terrance Sr. His half-siblings also included Ronald and Brian Williams. In a chance meeting at a funeral and unaware of their relations, Ronald had a conversation with Terrance in which he discovered that they were half brothers. Following this discovery, Terrance worked with his brothers on developing their label, Cash Money. When Cash Money's flagship artists were put into a supergroup, Terrance lent the name of his group to the upstart musicians. The rap group "Hot Boys" was born.

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