Playboi Carti

Biography:

Jordan Terrell Carter (born September 13, 1995), popularly known as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Fairburn, Georgia.

Carti began his career in music under the moniker $ir Cartier from 2011 to early 2013, a twist on his last name, but also indicative of a growing interest in fashion and luxury brands. In 2012, he became a member of the art collective Awful Records, but would eventually depart two years later to move forward with A$AP Mob. The production behind most of Carti’s earliest works were handled by Awful’s Ethereal, who would help him garner a local following. Carti would frequently collaborate with his cousin and fellow Zone 3 rapper, UnoTheActivist, who has collaborated with him on songs such as “What” and “Vlone Thug,” among others.

After graduating from North Springs High School in 2014, Carti moved to New York where he would become acquainted with A$AP Rocky and later affiliated with Rocky’s creative agency, AWGE. A month later, Carti released singles “Broke Boi” and “Fetti” respectively, which proved to be viral hits among the underground rap scene. On September 10, 2016, Rocky announced at a show that Carti had signed to Interscope Records.

Under Interscope and AWGE, Carti released his long-awaited eponymous debut mixtape on April 14, 2017. The record featured two of Carti’s biggest singles, “Magnolia” and “wokeuplikethis*,” which would help propel him into the mainstream.

After months of garnering buzz and momentum off his successful debut mixtape, Carti released his debut studio album Die Lit on May 11, 2018. The album included the singles “Love Hurts,” “Shoota,” and “Poke It Out.” Die Lit is a reminder of the power of simplicity, as the album is full of effortless vibes and hypnotic flows that create an array of catchy, uncomplicated tracks. On certain tracks, notably “FlatBed Freestyle,” Carti explores different vocal inflections and emphasizes his Atlanta accent in his delivery more.

Carti is currently in the process of preparing and recording material for his sophomore studio album, Whole Lotta Red. Additionally, in his June 2019 cover story with The FADER, Carti alluded to having enough songs to make a collaborative mixtape with producer Metro Boomin:

I got a whole ‘nother tape with this nigga. That’s why my head’s fucked up. This shit could go on my album, but if it goes on the album, then we gotta change the whole thing.

In 2019, Carti started his own label, Opium. Its affiliates include recording artists Capo Ree, International Jefe, Ken Car$on, and Lancey Foux, and visual artists Joy Divizn and Lumbyst.