Lil Yachty

Lil Yachty first broke through with “One Night,” a viral 2015 single that led his debut EP, Summer Songs. Born Miles Parks McCollum on August 23, 1997, the Mableton, Georgia artist emerged with a lighthearted tone, melodic delivery and a cherry-red hairstyle that became closely associated with his early public image. He works as a rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer, and has also used names including Lil Boat and Yachty.

In March 2016, he released his debut mixtape, Lil Boat, then signed a joint-venture deal with Motown, Capitol Records and Quality Control Music that June. That same year, he appeared on DRAM’s “Broccoli” and Kyle’s “ISpy,” two major guest spots from his early rise. His work on “Broccoli” earned him a Grammy Award nomination.

Yachty’s first studio album, Teenage Emotions, arrived in 2017 and reached number five on the Billboard 200, despite mixed reviews. He followed it with Lil Boat 2 in 2018, which peaked at number two, and Nuthin’ 2 Prove later that year, which reached number 12. Both albums received unfavorable critical responses. Lil Boat 3, released in 2020, peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200.

His 2023 album Let’s Start Here shifted away from hip hop toward psychedelic rock and drew stronger critical response than several of his earlier albums. In 2024, he and English singer James Blake released the collaborative album Bad Cameo, continuing that experimentation with psychedelic rock. The album received praise but did not chart. In 2026, McCollum also began appearing for WWE as a manager for wrestler Trick Williams.