Yo Gotti

Artist Image: Yo Gotti
Attribution

Biography

Mario Mims (born May 19, 1981 in Memphis, Tennessee), better known by his stage name Yo Gotti, is an American rapper signed to Cash Money Records. Formerly known as Lil Yo in the 90's, he released his first album, From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game, in 2000. Since then he has released 2001's Self-Explanatory, 2003's Life, 2006's Back 2 Da Basics, 2008's Cocaine Muzik, 2009's CM2 (Cocaine Muzik 2 hosted by DJ Drama), and The Pyrex King: Street Runnaz Special Edition. As one of the six epicenters of Southern hip hop, Memphis has always had a thriving underground capable of producing major platinum superstars such as Eightball & MJG, 3-6 Mafia and Project Pat,Skip a.k.a Gianni Booker. All of the above-mentioned artists at one point in time literally dominated the city's underground rap scene before going on to become national superstars. Next up to bat is Yo Gotti, M-Town's current underground rap kingpin. Like his namesake John Gotti, the Memphis based rapper has been running the Southern underground scene with an iron fist for the past. Known and respected throughout the South for his skill and finesse on the microphone, Yo Gotti is one the South's most respected young rappers. Born Mario Mims, Yo Gotti grew up in the infamous Ridge Crest Apartments in a North Memphis neighborhood called Frazier. His childhood was typical for a poor ghetto youth in the Deep South. Raised in a family of hustlers and exposed to hard times 24 hours a day the Tennessee rap titan soon turned to the only thing that he knew could get him paid, hustling. "Being from the hood things like hustling will come your way," says Yo Gotti. "Everybody in my family hustled in some kinda way." Ironically, hustling is what ultimately led Yo Gotti to rapping. Taking his cue from Memphis rap legends such as Eightball & MJG, Al Kapone, Gangsta Black, Triple 6 Mafia and Kingpin Skinny Pimp, all of whom he lists as influences, Yo Gotti released his own underground tape entitled, Youngster on the Come Up and placed it on consignment at local mom & pop record stores as well as hustling it out the trunk. The tape sold like hotcakes on the street and made Yo Gotti the hottest rapper on the streets of Memphis. From the Dope Game to the Rap Game, Yo Gotti's sophomore effort sold so well that Select-O-Hits, a local based independent distributor offered him a small deal and the Memphis rapper more than doubled his fan base with absolutely no marketing or promotions. Soon he found himself ranked among the city's top rappers. In addition to being featured on the cover of Murderdog Magazine along side his idols Kingpin Skinny Pimp and Al Kapone his record From the Dope Game to the Rap Game made the list for the magazine's top independent record for the year 2000. Two years later he inked a distribution deal with TVT Records and released the critically acclaimed album Life, which did respectable numbers for an independent label. "It sold about 40 or 50,000, with no promotions or video," says Yo Gotti. "That record did what it did on its own." But as the old saying goes when one door is closed another opened. Gotti's reputation as the king of Memphis continued to spread and that eventually led him to a production deal with Cash Money/Universal records for his group the Block Burnaz. With his TVT sophomore album entitled Back 2 Da Basics, Yo Gotti returns with the same hardcore street flavor that his die-hard fans have come to know and love, only this time around the true king of Memphis has elevated his game a bit. Given the fact that his last record didn't do the type of big number he'd hope for you'd think that Yo Gotti would switch up his style to reach a larger audience. Right? Wrong! According to Gotti his street credibility with his underground fans means more to him than gold or platinum status. "The one thing that you have to understand is that when you create a fan base off of street product the last thing you wanna do is disrespect them by changing because of the record companies and stuff like that. When you do that you change what created you. To me it is very important that I keep in tune with the people that helped to sell 40,000 records independently. That's why I call my record Back 2 Da Basics." Produced by DJ Thoomp, Mannie Fresh, Carlos Brody and newcomers Street Tunes, Back 2 Da Basics offers fans a gritty, insider's view into the real streets of Memphis as seen through the eyes of Yo Gotti. Nowhere is this viewpoint more intense than on "Full Time," the amped up lead single -and featured in the MTV Films' Hustle & Flow movie - with a thunderous bass and intoxicating beat that espouses Gotti's formula to success -hustle full time. "A lotta cats wanna be a rapper or a street hustler but they don't wanna put in the time that it takes," says Yo Gotti. "They want the money and the cars and the girls, but they don't wanna work hard for it. But to be successful at anything you gotta grind for it." On the song "Mama We Gone Be Alright," he waxes introspective by reflecting on all of the hard times that he and his family have suffered through the years and offers her hope-filled words encouragement. "Mama We Gone Be Alright" along with the gripping tune "My Story" emerges as two of the most interesting songs on Back 2 Da Basics. These three titles along with club banging songs like "Shorty" featuring Baby make Back 2 Da Basics one of the best albums of the year.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1981
Number of Albums 90
Record Label
Website
Wikipedia Yo Gotti on Wikipedia
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Genres

Trivia

When was Mario Mimms born?

May 19, 1981

...Biography Mario Mims (born May 19, 1981 ), better known by his stage name Yo Gotti, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. In 1996, Gotti relea...
How old was Mario mims when he began his career?

14

...me Up under the alias Lil Yo. He began his music career around the age of 14 , rapping as Lil Yo, affiliated with DJ Sound and his crew. Between 2000 a...
What was the name of the rapper who began his career as Lil Yo?

Mario Mims

...Biography Mario Mims (born May 19, 1981), better known by his stage name Yo Gotti, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. In 1996, Gotti relea...
Who was the rapper who made the hit single El Chapo?

Young Flocko

... of independent albums. Then He Met a Young Rapper From Queens Named Young Flocko Who made the hit single El Chapo which released on soundcloud. After...
When did Yo Gotti release his debut studio album Live From The Kitchen?

January 10, 2012

...leased his major label debut studio album Live From The Kitchen on January 10, 2012 . Women Lie, Men Lie featuring Lil Wayne the album's second single ...
What was the name of the single released on soundcloud?

El Chapo

... a Young Rapper From Queens Named Young Flocko Who made the hit single El Chapo which released on soundcloud. After several delays Yo Gotti released h...
On what date was the album's second single released?

December 11, 2009

... Lie featuring Lil Wayne the album's second single was released on December 11, 2009 . Look In the Mirror was the third single released 7 months after ...
How many copies did the album sell in its first week of sales in the US?

16,000

...ive From The Kitchen debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200, with 16,000 copies sold in its first week of sales in the United States. After thre...
How many times has the album sold in the United States after three weeks on the chart?

36,000 copies

...000 copies sold in its first week of sales in the United States. After three weeks on the chart the album has sold 36,000 copies in the United States....
What was his first album called?

From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game

...ly known as Lil Yo in the 90s, he released his first album, From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game , in 2000. Like his namesake John Gotti, the Memphis based ...
When was From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game released?

2000

...he 90s, he released his first album, From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game, in 2000 . Like his namesake John Gotti, the Memphis based rapper has been running...
What was the name of the neighborhood Yo Gottis grew up in?

Frazier

... infamous Ridge Crest Apartments in a North Memphis neighborhood called Frazier . Raised in a family of hustlers and exposed to hard times 24 hours a d...
What was the only thing that Yo Gotti knew could get him paid?

hustling

...p titan soon turned to the only thing that he knew could get him paid, hustling . Being from the hood things like hustling will come your way, says Yo ...
How did Yo Gottis sophomore effort sell so well?

SelectOHits, a local based independent distributor offered him a small deal

...is sophomore effort sold so well that SelectOHits, a local based independent distributor offered him a small deal and the Memphis rapper more than dou...
Who offered Yo Gottis a small deal?

SelectOHits

...pe Game to the Rap Game, Yo Gottis sophomore effort sold so well that SelectOHits , a local based independent distributor offered him a small deal and ...
Who did Yo Gotti sign a distribution deal with two years after his sophomore album?

TVT Records

...ting or promotions. Two years later he inked a distribution deal with TVT Records and released the critically acclaimed album Life, which did respecta...
What is the name of the number eight Hot 100 hit?

Rake It Up

...latinum status, counting Down in the DM, the number eight Hot 100 hit Rake It Up , and Put a Date on It among his biggest RIAAcertified singles. Origin...
Who was the lead singer of Men Lie?

Lil Wayne

..., along with the gold singles 5 Star and Women Lie, Men Lie (featuring Lil Wayne ) carried the rapper into the early 2010s. A couple majorlabel deals r...
What was Gotti's second straight Top Ten R&Bhiphop album?

Live from the Kitchen

...mercial success during the rest of the 2010s and into the 2020s. Live from the Kitchen , Gotti's second straight Top Ten R&Bhiphop album also a number ...
Gotti and Lil Baby teamed up for what song in 2019?

Put a Date on It

...um Top Ten pop hit Rake It Up among their triumphs. In 2019, Gotti notched another platinum smash when he and Lil Baby teamed up for Put a Date on It ....
Where was Gotti raised?

Ridge Crest housing projects

...He was raised in a notorious crimeridden neighborhood in Ridge Crest housing projects . They were arrested by cops when Gotti was in second grade. Cons...
What genre of music did Gotti turn to when he was 14?

hiphop

...he streets to fend for the household. At the age of 14, Gotti turned to hiphop . The record soon became a local hit, making Gotti the leader of local u...
Between 2000 and 2006, Gotti released a string of what?

independent albums

...ar in early 2000s. Between 2000 and 2006, he released a string of independent albums , including From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game, Self Explanatory, Lif...
What was Yo Gotti's first major album called?

Live From the Kitchen

...natory, Life and Back 2 Da Basics. Yo Gotti's first major effort Live From the Kitchen was released in 2012 via Polo GroundsRCA record label. 12 on Bi...
What was the name of the record label that released his first major effort?

Polo GroundsRCA

...s first major effort Live From the Kitchen was released in 2012 via Polo GroundsRCA record label. 12 on Billboard 200 after selling more than 16,000 c...
Gotti remains strictly what in most interviews?

hustlecentric

...ercely private rap mogul. In most interviews, Gotti remains strictly hustlecentric , doling out advice on investments, ownership, and artist marketing ...
Gotti would lay his head to rest when most of the blocks alarm clocks began what?

buzzing

...i would lay his head to rest when most of the blocks alarm clocks began buzzing , almost never making it to school in time for homeroom. It just became...
How far away was 42 Dugg from Miami?

660 miles

...i got almost everyone to Miami, save for Detroit star 42 Dugg stranded 660 miles away at the HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport after mis...
How many miles away was he at HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport?

660

...otti got almost everyone to Miami, save for Detroit star 42 Dugg stranded 660 miles away at the HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport after ...
What is the name of Drake's new album?

CMT

...It is for this reason alone he has a new album, CMT , coming out on April the 7th. But how did this rapper get so much rep, become so popular, whats hi...
On what date is CMT due out?

April the 7th

...It is for this reason alone he has a new album, CMT, coming out on April the 7th . But how did this rapper get so much rep, become so popular, whats hi...
In what city was he born?

Memphis

...ns to his beliefs. Yo Gotti was born on May 19th 1982 as Mario Mims, in Memphis Tennessee. Growing up in the 90s gave Yo Gotti a great chance to mess ...
What year was his birth year?

1982

...fluences, from his origins to his beliefs. Yo Gotti was born on May 19th 1982 as Mario Mims, in Memphis Tennessee. Growing up in the 90s gave Yo Gotti...
Gotti listened to Master P and his No Limit posse during what decade?

90s

...nd styles, in depth. Many of the artists Gotti listened to throughout the 90s , like Master P and his No Limit posse and N.W.A. While Gotti has many gr...
What genre of music did Gotti listen to during the 90s?

N.W.A

...listened to throughout the 90s, like Master P and his No Limit posse and N.W.A . While Gotti has many great influences, one of his own styles or signat...
What was the name of the rapper who started spraying Xrated lyrics?

Too Short

...til a rapper from Oakland came to the scene and started spraying them. Too Short who wasnt widely known as a gangster rapper did an awful lot to get t...
What class was Yo Gotti born in?

middleclass

...hood, things like hustling will come your way. Yo Gotti was born in a middleclass family. Nothing is known of his educational past. When Mario was in ...
What was the name of his first Gangsta style underground cassette?

Youngsta On A Come Up

... He released his first Gangsta style Underground cassette titled Youngsta On A Come Up as Lil Yo under Crime Lordz Records label in 1996. He put the c...
Who is Yo Gotti's nameake?

John Gotti

...Like his namesake John Gotti , the Memphis based rapper has been running the Southern underground scene with an iron fist for the past. Born Mario Mims...
How did the Memphis rapper double his fan base?

with absolutely no marketing or promotions

...and the Memphis rapper more than doubled his fan base with absolutely no marketing or promotions . Two years later he inked a distribution deal with TV...
How many followers does the singer have on Facebook?

1.3 million

...ics have several millions of fans worldwide. The singer has more than 1.3 million followers on Facebook, 4 million on Instagram and about 400,000 on h...
How many are on Twitter?

400,000

...han 1.3 million followers on Facebook, 4 million on Instagram and about 400,000 on his Twitter profile. Childhood and youth The future rapper was born...
Where did his father come from?

Zimbabwe

...00 people (75 of them were black) His father was a gym instructor from Zimbabwe , while the mother had SouthAfrican descendants. When he studied in the...
What did Mario do initially?

stole, smoked, drank a lot

...8 at 9:50am PST Initially, little Mario followedin their way: stole, smoked, drank a lot . However, one day he understood that it is dangerous to carry...
When did Yo Gotti release his debut album Youngsta's On a Come Up?

1996

...In 1996 , Gotti released his debut album Youngsta's On a Come Up under the alias Lil Yo. He began his music career around the age of 14, rapping as Lil...
What alias did Gotti use on his 1996 debut album?

Lil Yo

... Gotti released his debut album Youngsta's On a Come Up under the alias Lil Yo . He began his music career around the age of 14, rapping as Lil Yo, aff...
In what year was SelfExplanatory released?

2001

...pendent albums: From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000), SelfExplanatory ( 2001 ), Life (2003), and Back 2 da Basics (2006). 20092012: Live from the Kitc...
What was the name of the second single from Live From The Kitchen?

Women Lie, Men Lie

...bel debut studio album Live From The Kitchen on January 10, 2012. Women Lie, Men Lie featuring Lil Wayne the album's second single was released on Dec...
On what day was Look In The Mirror released?

July 27, 2010

...or was the third single released 7 months after the second single on July 27, 2010 . Live From The Kitchen debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200...
How many months after the release of Look In the Mirror was the third single?

7

...sed on December 11, 2009. Look In the Mirror was the third single released 7 months after the second single on July 27, 2010. Live From The Kitchen de...
The album sold how many copies after three weeks?

36,000

...in the United States. After three weeks on the chart the album has sold 36,000 copies in the United States. In 2012 due to Gotti's views of the low sa...
When did Cocaine Mozik release his 7th Mixtape, The World Is Yours?

October 17, 2012

...um he took his departure from RCA Records & Polo Grounds Music. On October 17, 2012 , he released the 7th version of his wellknown mixtape series Cocai...