Lil Yachty
Biography
Miles Parks McCollum, known professionally as Lil Yachty, was born on August 23, 1997, in Mableton, Georgia. His father, Shannon McCollum, is a professional photographer, which exposed Yachty to a creative environment from a young age. He briefly attended Alabama State University in the fall of 2015 but dropped out to pursue his music career. At 17, he adopted the stage name "Yachty" and moved from Atlanta to New York City to launch his career, where he networked with online street fashion personalities and built his Instagram following.
Career Beginnings and Breakthrough
Lil Yachty first gained recognition in August 2015 with his viral hit "One Night," which was the lead single from his debut EP, Summer Songs. The song's popularity surged after it was used in a viral comedy video. In February 2016, he made his modeling debut in Kanye West's Yeezy Season 3 fashion show. His debut mixtape, Lil Boat, was released in March 2016. A major career milestone came in April 2016 when he was featured on DRAM's hit song "Broccoli," which peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned him a Grammy nomination. In June 2016, he signed a joint record deal with Quality Control Music, Capitol Records, and Motown Records.
Musical Style and Evolution
Lil Yachty has famously described his early style as "bubblegum trap." His music often incorporated samples from sources like Mario Bros., Charlie Brown, and the Nintendo GameCube startup sound. Initially known for his lighthearted and playful "mumble rap" style, his career has seen significant evolution. His debut studio album, Teenage Emotions (2017), peaked at number five on the Billboard 200. He followed this with Lil Boat 2 (2018), which reached number two. His fifth studio album, Let's Start Here (2023), marked a significant departure from his hip-hop roots, venturing into psychedelic rock and receiving positive critical reception. In 2024, he continued to experiment with the genre in a collaborative album with James Blake titled Bad Cameo.
Studio Albums
- Teenage Emotions (2017)
- Lil Boat 2 (2018)
- Nuthin' 2 Prove (2018)
- Lil Boat 3 (2020)
- Let's Start Here (2023)
Mixtapes and Other Projects
Throughout his career, Lil Yachty has released several mixtapes, including the notable Lil Boat (2016) and Summer Songs 2 (2016). He also released Michigan Boy Boat in 2021, which drew inspiration from the Detroit rap scene. In 2024, he debuted his group Concrete Boys with the album It's Us, Vol. 1.