Yo Gotti

Career

Yo Gotti grew up in the Ridgecrest Apartments in the Frayser neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee. He began his music career around age 14, rapping as Lil Yo and affiliating with DJ Sound and his crew. Between 2000 and 2006, he released four independent albums: From da Dope Game 2 da Rap Game (2000), Self-Explanatory (2001), Life (2003), and Back 2 da Basics (2006). His major label debut, Live from the Kitchen, arrived in January 2012 after several delays.

2009–2012: Live from the Kitchen

The first single, "5 Star" (May 2009), peaked at number 79 on the Hot 100, number 19 on U.S. R&B, and number 11 on U.S. Rap. The second single, "Women Lie, Men Lie" featuring Lil Wayne (December 2009), reached number 81 on the Hot 100, number 22 on U.S. R&B, and number 12 on U.S. Rap. The third single, "Look In the Mirror" (July 2010), peaked at number 97 on the U.S. R&B chart. Live from the Kitchen debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 with 16,000 copies sold in its first week and 36,000 after three weeks.

In 2012, Gotti left RCA Records and Polo Grounds Music due to low sales, then released Cocaine Muzik 7: The World Is Yours in October 2012. In early 2013, he announced that his label CMG had signed a distribution deal with Epic Records through L.A. Reid. His sixth studio album, I Am (November 19, 2013), was preceded by the single "Act Right" featuring Young Jeezy and YG, which debuted at number 5 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and number 39 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, later peaking at number 100 on the Hot 100.

2013–present: I Am, The Art of Hustle, Untrapped and CM10: Free Game

The I Am Tour ran from September 14 to November 19, 2013, with supporting acts YG, Zed Zilla, Shy Glizzy, and Cash Out. In September 2013, he released the mixtape Nov 19: The Mixtape to promote the album. The second single, "King Shit" featuring T.I., peaked at number 5 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. The third single, "Cold Blood" featuring J. Cole and Canei Finch, premiered on October 27, 2013.

His seventh album, The Art of Hustle (February 19, 2016), peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200, with lead single "Down in the DM" reaching number 13 on the Hot 100. In August 2016, Meghan Trainor released "Better" featuring Gotti as a single from her album Thank You. Gotti closed 2016 with a deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation in partnership with CMG. In June 2017, he released the collaborative mixtape Gotti Made-It with Mike Will Made-It; its lead single "Rake It Up" featuring Nicki Minaj peaked at number 8 on the Hot 100, his highest charting single, and was included on his ninth album I Still Am (2017).

His tenth album, Untrapped (January 2020), became his fourth consecutive top-ten debut on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 10, and served as his final release under the initial Epic Records contract. In July 2020, he released the single "Recession Proof" on CMG with Epic under a new contract. In September 2021, Gotti became co-owner of the Major League Soccer franchise D.C. United. His eleventh studio album, CM10: Free Game, was released in February 2022 as a double-disc album with discs titled "Free" and "Game", peaking at number 3 on the Billboard 200.

Personal life

Yo Gotti was widely accused of ordering a hit on rapper Young Dolph following a feud over Dolph's proclamation of himself as the "King of Memphis" in 2016. Dolph was murdered in November 2021, and several of Gotti's associates were arrested and charged, including his brother Anthony "Big Jook" Mims.

Big Jook was never charged for Dolph's murder before his own death but was suspected of ordering the fatal hit. On March 29, 2023, a shooting occurred at Gotti's Privé Restaurant in Memphis. On January 13, 2024, Big Jook was fatally shot in Memphis.

Did You Know?

• His first independent album, Youngsta's on a Come Up, was released in 1996 under the name Lil Yo.
• The single "5 Star" (2009) and "Women Lie, Men Lie" featuring Lil Wayne both received gold certifications from the RIAA.