Happy Birthday, Boosie Badazz!

It looked like prison was going to take another one of hip-hop's rising stars. Fortunately, that wasn't the case for Boosie Badazz (formerly known as Lil Boosie). The Louisiana rapper turns 33 years old today (Nov. 14).

Boosie, whose real name is Torrence Hatch, made a name for himself in the rap game with his pronounced southern drawl, high-pitched rasp and the urgency of his lyrical style. The Baton Rouge, La. native has been honing his skills since he began rapping at the age of 14 as a member of the group Concentration Camp. He grew to outshine everybody in that group thanks, in part, to his work ethic. He released his debut album, Youngest of da Camp, at the age of 17.

Afterwards, Boosie released a slew of mixtapes and albums to position him as Louisiana's biggest hope. Unfortunately, a jail sentence halted that momentum. Boosie was hit with a variety of charges after deputies found weed and a gun in Boosie's car (violating probation), including possession of narcotics with intent to distribute and first-degree murder. Boosie was found not guilty of the murder charge that could've possibly given him the death penalty.

So, Boosie was behind bars from 2008-2014. The eight years gave listeners a chance to dive into his music and consequently build-up the hype for his release.

As a result, it was as if a holy deity had returned when Boosie left prison in March 2014. For Boosie, it was time to reconnect to his family and restart his music career. Boosie's comeback album, Touch Down 2 Cause Hell, dropped in May.