J. HOLIDAY - Aug 2026

J. Holiday was born Nahum Grymes, a name derived from a biblical figure because he is the son of a preacher. Holiday was raised alone by his mother in Washington, D.C., after his father died when he was just 11. Frances was the type of mother who stuck to conventional rules like completing her education and attending church. Holiday was sent to a local High School where he acknowledged a talent in singing during a showcase night. By then, he was a frequent listener to Boyz II Men, Tupac Shakur, and Jodeci records. Although he had the passion to go deep into the music path, his mom sent him back to school to complete his education first. Upon graduation, Holiday skipped college and headed straight to studios where he began recording demo tapes.

2006-2009: Back of My Lac'

The album debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart at number 5, selling 105,000 copies in its first week. It debuted at #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album debuted in the Top 20 R&B/Hip Hop albums in Canada and charted within the Top 100 albums in Canada. It became a Top 10 R&B/Hip Hop album in the UK and a Top 40 UK album entry peaking at #32. In the U.S., it also made it to #8 on the Tastemakers chart and #5 on the Top Digital Albums and Billboard Comprehensive Albums Chart. The promotional single from this album was "Be with Me", which stalled at #83 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. Bed debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in the issue week of July 4, 2007, at number 89 and has peaked at number 5. It was number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for five weeks in a row. The single has also debuted on BET's 106 & Park countdown at number 9 on Tuesday, July 31, 2007. On Wednesday, August 15, 2007, "Bed" hit number one on its 11th day on the countdown. J. Holiday also performed "Bed" on 106 & Park on August 17, 2007. "Bed" was also performed on Showtime at the Apollo along with the single "Suffocate". This song was #70 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. The video for "Bed" was ranked the #11 video of 2007 on BET: Notarized. His video for the third single, "Suffocate," debuted on BET's 106 & Park on November 7, 2007. The video was shot in Paris, France. "Come Here" was released as a single but was ultimately canceled. In 2009, Back of My Lac was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Contemporary R&B Album.

2009-2010: Round 2

Round 2 is the second studio album by contemporary R&B singer J. Holiday. The album was released on March 10, 2009. The album is the follow-up to his platinum-selling debut album Back of My Lac'. The album sold 55,000 units in its first week and debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200. "It's Yours" is the first single from singer J. Holiday's second studio album, Round 2. The single features production from The Co-Stars (Teairra Mari's Make Her Feel Good) and Jasper Cameron (Lloyd's Player's Prayer). The song was well received, becoming the most-added single at Urban Mainstream radio the week of December 13, 2008. It's Yours peaked at 25 on the US R&B chart. The 2nd single that was supposed to be released was Fall, but due to label problems, it was canceled, like "Come Here" on his previous album.