b. Mario Mims, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Memphis-based hardcore rapper and record label owner Yo Gotti made his name on the city’s thriving underground scene before crossing over to mainstream success in the mid-00s.
Raised in the tough Ridge Crest neighbourhood, the young Mario Mims was soon drawn into a life of crime. His hustling exploits inevitably led to run-ins with the police, but as with so many of his compatriots he also saw a way out of the streets through music. Taking his inspiration from classic and contemporary gangsta rap, Yo Gotti began performing around Memphis in the late 90s. His underground tape, Youngster On The Come Up, sold well on the local scene, but it was the follow-up, From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game, that helped establish Yo Gotti as one of Memphis’ most talented new voices. The album, originally released on his Inevitable Entertainment label, was distributed through the local independent Select-O-Hits.
Yo Gotti’s rising status led to a distribution deal with the major label TVT Records. His 2003 recording Life was a bestseller in Tennessee, but despite the local success his music was still largely ignored on the national scene. His breakthrough came in 2006 when Back 2 Da Basics reached the Billboard 200. Yo Gotti, who also records with his rap crew the Block Burnaz, has also released a number of mixtapes.
