Playboi Carti

Playboi Carti's ascent from Atlanta's underground rap circuit to the top of the Billboard 200 has been built on an elastic voice, a strong visual identity, and records that often prize mood and persona over conventional lyricism. Born Jordan Terrell Carter on September 13, 1995 or 1996, he first released music under the name Sir Cartier in 2011, posting early tracks to SoundCloud before adopting the Playboi Carti name.

Raised in Atlanta, Carter signed with Awful Records in 2014 and later joined A$AP Rocky's AWGE imprint through its joint venture with Interscope Records in 2016. His self-titled 2017 debut mixtape brought him mainstream attention, reaching number 12 on the Billboard 200. It included “Magnolia” and “Wokeuplikethis,” the latter featuring Lil Uzi Vert. The mixtape introduced a style built around airy production, repeated phrases, clipped melodies, and the high-pitched “baby voice” that became closely associated with his music.

His debut studio album, Die Lit, arrived in 2018 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. In 2020, he followed it with Whole Lotta Red, his first number-one album on the chart. Rolling Stone later included the record among its greatest hip-hop albums. Carti's work has been described as atmospheric and avant-garde, and he is regarded as an influential figure in modern hip-hop and a pioneer of rage rap.

Outside his own releases, Carter founded the Atlanta-based label and rap collective Opium in 2019. Its roster has included Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, Homixide Gang, and A$AP Nast. He has also appeared on high-profile collaborations, including Travis Scott's “Fein” in 2023, The Weeknd's “Timeless” in 2024, and Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign's “Carnival” in 2024. “Carnival” became his first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. Carter released his third album, Music, in 2025; it received generally positive reviews, became his second consecutive Billboard 200 number-one, and produced the promotional single “Evil J0rdan,” which debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.