The North Memphis native underground rapper turned popular rap star has done what many others couldn’t. Born Mario Sentell Giden Mims, in 1981 Mario first began rapping at 14 years old under the alias Lil Yo. In 1996, he released his first album Youngsta’s On a Come Up under the name Lil Yo, affiliated with DJ Sound. This made him an up and coming star in the underground Memphis scene. He followed this up starting the new millennium with Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000), Self-Explanatory (2001), and Life (2003). The tough hustling street rapper first hit the Top Ten of Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with the 2006 album Back 2 da Basics, ten years after first debuting on cassette tape. 2008 saw Yo Gotti release the first of what would become a long series of Cocaine Muzik albums. Yo Gotti’s next major release arrived in 2012 with Live From The Kitchen, his first major label studio album which debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 and included popular hit singles “5 Star” and “Women Lie, Men Lie” (feat. Lil Wayne). After subsequently leaving RCA records in 2012, Yo Gotti founded the Collective Music Group label. Early the next year, Yo Gotti announced that CMG had signed a distribution deal with Epic Records citing his longtime business relationship with music mogul L.A. Reid. CMG label has now signed 42 Dugg, Moneybagg Yo, Blac Youngsta, EST Gee, GloRilla, Mozzy and others. In 2013, Yo Gotti prepared to release his next studio album I Am, releasing the first single “Act Right” feat. YG and Young Jeezy. The subsequent I Am tour included performances with YG, Zed Zilla, Shy Glizzy and Cash Out. The I Am record also includes hit singles “F-U” (feat. Meek Mill) and “King Sh*t” (feat. T.I.). Yo Gotti’s next big release arrived in 2016 with The Art of Hustle, the record would eventually peak at number 4 on the Billboard 200. The album’s lead single “Down in the DM” featured Nicki Minaj on the remix and remains one of Yo Gotti’s most streamed tracks. The end of 2016 saw Yo Gotti sign a partnership deal between CMG label and Jay Z’s Roc Nation label. The following year, Yo Gotti released a mixtape which included the leading single “Rake it Up” (feat. Nicki Minaj), which remains his most streamed song, peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2019, Yo Gotti teamed up with Lil Baby for a platinum smash hit “Put a Date on It”. The summer of 2020 saw the release of “Recession Proof”, Yo Gotti’s celebration of the longevity of success he’s had in the music industry and the many talented young rappers signed to his CMG label. In September the following year, Yo Gotti announced he had also become a co-owner of the MLS team D.C. United, demonstrating his dynamism as a businessman outside the music industry. Yo Gotti’s latest album release I Showed U So includes features with Rich Homie Quan, Moneybagg Yo and DJ Drama. Yo Gotti will continue to be a force in the rap game leading many of today’s best talent under his CMG label and also releasing the raw street rap he’s known for.