Yo Gotti

Yo Gotti, born Mario Sentell Giden Mims in 1981 in North Memphis, has risen from underground rapper to rap mogul through decades of perseverance, business acumen, and street-rooted storytelling. Starting at age 14 under the moniker Lil Yo, he made his debut in 1996 with Youngsta’s On a Come Up, earning recognition in the Memphis rap scene and following it with albums such as Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000), Self-Explanatory (2001), and Life (2003). His breakout into the mainstream came in 2006 with Back 2 da Basics, hitting the Top Ten of Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and was followed by the Cocaine Muzik series and his first major-label studio album, Live From the Kitchen (2012), featuring hits like “5 Star” and “Women Lie, Men Lie” with Lil Wayne. Leveraging his growing influence, Yo Gotti founded Collective Music Group (CMG), signing artists such as 42 Dugg, Moneybagg Yo, EST Gee, Blac Youngsta, and GloRilla, while securing a distribution deal with Epic Records and later partnering with Roc Nation. Subsequent projects like I Am (2013), The Art of Hustle (2016), and singles like “Down in the DM” and “Rake It Up” featuring Nicki Minaj solidified his mainstream success, with “Rake It Up” peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Collaborations with Lil Baby, Rich Homie Quan, and others highlight his commitment to fostering new talent. Beyond music, he became a co-owner of MLS’s D.C. United in 2021, demonstrating his entrepreneurial vision. With his latest album I Showed U So, Yo Gotti continues to blend raw street rap with strategic leadership, remaining a central figure in hip-hop while mentoring and elevating the next generation of talent through CMG.