Theodore Joseph Jones III (September 19, 1984 – October 29, 2018),[1] better known by his stage name Young Greatness, was an American rapper. He was best known for his 2015 single "Moolah",[2] which peaked at number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[3] He was shot and killed in October 2018.[2]
Taking the stage name Young Greatness, he began attracting notice from Houston rappers such as Bun B and Mike Jones, resulting in a deal with the record label Quality Control Music and Motown in 2015.[5] In November 2015, he released the single "Moolah", which peaked at number 85 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[3] In March 2016, Rolling Stone included Greatness in their list of "10 New Artists You Need to Know".[6] In July 2016, Greatness performed "Moolah" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[7]
Death
On October 29, 2018, Jones was fatally shot in the back while in the parking lot of a Waffle House on Elysian Fields Avenue in New Orleans.[8][9] He was 34 years old.[8] Two men, Donald Reaux and Donny Maxwell, and a juvenile were indicted for Jones' murder in March 2019.[10] Reaux, who was believed to be main orchestrator of the attack and the one who fatally shot Jones, was a friend of Jones who prosecution alleged attempted to steal marijuana from him.[9][10] Reaux also was believed to have armed his two accomplices, who each received less severe armed robbery-related criminal charges.[10][9] Wix would receive a prison sentence of 20 years after pleading guilty to numerous armed robbery charges, while Maxwell would receive a 19 year prison sentence after pleading guilty to similar charges in December 2019.[9] In January 2023, Reaux would be convicted by a jury of second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. [9]