Playboi Carti
Jordan Terrell Carter, known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern hip-hop and a pioneer of the rage microgenre. His music has been characterized as atmospheric and avant-garde, often marked by unconventional vocal techniques such as his "baby voice", with critics highlighting his focus on mood and persona over traditional lyricism.
Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Carter began his musical career under the stage name Sir Cartier in 2011, self-releasing early tracks on SoundCloud. He signed with Awful Records in 2014 and later with ASAP Rocky's AWGE imprint, a joint venture with Interscope Records, in 2016. Carter gained mainstream attention with his eponymous debut mixtape, which peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200 and produced the singles "Magnolia" and "Wokeuplikethis". His debut studio album, Die Lit, was met with commercial success, debuting at number three on the Billboard 200.
His second album, Whole Lotta Red, became his first number-one album on the Billboard 200 and was later ranked among the greatest hip-hop albums by Rolling Stone. After a series of high-profile collaborations, including Travis Scott's "Fein" and Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign's "Carnival" —the latter becoming his first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100—Carter released his third album, Music. The album received generally positive reviews and became his second consecutive number-one on the Billboard 200. It yielded the promotional single, "Evil J0rdan", which debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.
Aside from his recording career, Carter founded the record label and rap collective Opium in 2019, which has signed artists including Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, Homixide Gang, and fellow ASAP Mob member ASAP Nast.
Early life
Jordan Terrell Carter was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 13, 1995, or 1996, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Riverdale. He has one older brother and attended North Springs Charter High School in Sandy Springs. In a 2016 interview with Complex, Carter stated that he had little interest in pursuing higher education or military service, instead seeking ways to make money. Before beginning his rap career, Carter aspired to play professional basketball. In an interview with The Fader, he recalled focusing on basketball during his youth but eventually quit the sport following a disagreement with his coach. He then began dedicating more time to music, sometimes skipping class to record songs or work at an H&M.Carter developed an interest in music at a young age, first participating in choir, which he admitted he initially joined to meet girls but later found creatively inspiring. During his teenage years, he began rapping under the name Sir Cartier and recording songs influenced by Wiz Khalifa, Currensy, and Odd Future, releasing projects and music videos that circulated locally in Atlanta. His earliest videos show him performing in South Atlanta strip malls and parking lots with friends, and he credited his older brother with introducing him to Gucci Mane and other Atlanta rappers who shaped his early style.
Alongside music, Carter developed a strong interest in fashion. He recalled being among the first in his neighborhood to wear skinny jeans and ride a skateboard, drawing inspiration from punk aesthetics he observed at Atlanta's Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark. He frequently shopped at thrift stores, experimenting with clothing that set him apart from peers, sometimes attracting ridicule for his unconventional style. He later said he rarely attended school in his later high school years, focusing instead on recording and attempting to secure a record deal, which prevented him from being recognized in categories such as "best dressed" despite cultivating a reputation for fashion among classmates. At 18, he left Atlanta for New York City, where he lived with family and friends while further pursuing a music career.
Career
2011–2016: Career beginnings
Carter began his musical career under the moniker Sir Cartier in 2011, initially uploading his early tracks on SoundCloud. By 2013, he rebranded himself as Playboi Carti and expanded his reach by sharing his music on platforms like Newgrounds. In 2014, after meeting fellow Atlanta native, Ethereal, a producer and member of the underground collective Awful Records, Carter soon joined the Awful roster. Carter credits Ethereal with helping him discover and develop his distinctive sound. As Carter committed to pursuing music full-time, he made the significant decision to relocate to New York City, where he temporarily stayed with a drug dealer he knew. During this time, he frequently encountered members of the influential ASAP Mob, eventually meeting ASAP Bari, who introduced him to ASAP Rocky. This connection was instrumental in Carter's career, leading him to accompany Rocky on a trip to Texas, marking the beginning of his rise in the music industry.In 2015, Carter began attracting widespread attention with the release of his singles "Broke Boi" and "Fetti", featuring Dash and Maxo Kream. These tracks, shared on SoundCloud, quickly gained traction within the underground scene. Concurrently, Carter was actively collaborating with artists in Atlanta's burgeoning underground rap scene, including UnoTheActivist, Thouxanbanfauni, Yung Bans, Lil Yachty, as well as producers MexikoDro and Icytwat. In 2016, he officially signed to ASAP Rocky's AWGE imprint, a joint venture with Interscope Records. Later that year, he'd support ASAP Ferg on the Turnt & Burnt Tour and to co-headline the Left Right Tour alongside Lil Uzi Vert. Carter was featured on two tracks from ASAP Mob's debut studio album, Cozy Tapes Vol. 1: Friends, released on October 31, 2016. He contributed to "Telephone Calls" alongside ASAP Rocky, Tyler, the Creator, and Yung Gleesh, and appeared on "London Town" with ASAP Rocky and ASAP Ant.
2017–2020: Self-titled mixtape, ''Die Lit'', and ''Whole Lotta Red''
In April 2017, Carter released his self-titled debut mixtape, which garnered significant attention from major music publications such as XXL, Pitchfork, Spin, HotNewHipHop, and PopMatters. The mixtape debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 and produced two successful singles: "Magnolia", which peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Wokeuplikethis" featuring Lil Uzi Vert, which reached number 76. To promote the mixtape, Carter embarked on a tour alongside Gucci Mane and Dreezy, as well as embarking on his own tour later that year. In June 2017, Carter was featured on the cover of XXL, as part of its annual "Top 10 Freshman List", along with fellow up-and-coming rappers such as XXXTentacion, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Ugly God, and PnB Rock. During this period, Carter was featured on ASAP Mob's single "Raf", from their album Cozy Tapes Vol. 2: Too Cozy and on Lana Del Rey's single "Summer Bummer" from her album Lust for Life. In September 2017, Carter teased a collaboration mixtape with Lil Uzi Vert titled 16*29. In October, a joint tour with Lil Uzi Vert called the 16*29 Tour was announced, further promoting the possibility of a collaboration project. The tour was cancelled shortly thereafter due to Lil Uzi Vert claiming they needed to "focus". In late 2017, Carter would begin working on his debut studio album, Die Lit, alongside producer Pi'erre Bourne.In May 2018, Carter released his debut studio album, Die Lit. Marketed with no radio play or much press coverage, it was a commercial success and was positively reviewed by several publications. To support the album, Carti embarked on the Die Lit Tour during the summer of 2018, performing across various cities in North America. Later that year, in August 2018, Carter announced his second studio album, Whole Lotta Red, which would be released two years later. During the next two years, numerous tracks, including "Pissy Pamper" were leaked online, amassing tens of millions of streams unofficially. Carter did not release any new original music during this period, though he was featured on several songs, including "Baguettes in the Face" with Nav and A Boogie wit da Hoodie from Mustard's album Perfect Ten, "Almeda" by Solange, from her album When I Get Home, and "Earfquake" by Tyler, the Creator, from his album Igor, as well as opening up for ASAP Rocky's Injured Generation Tour and Wiz Khalifa's Decent Exposure Summer Tour. In the same year, Carter launched his own imprint, under the name of Opium.
In April 2020, Carter broke his musical silence by releasing the single "@ Meh", which peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. The following month, Carter appeared on Drake's mixtape Dark Lane Demo Tapes, on the song "Pain 1993", which debuted at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Carter's first entry into the chart's top ten. In November 2020, Carter announced that Whole Lotta Red was complete and had been submitted to his label. The following month, Carter was featured on Lil Yachty's deluxe album Lil Boat 3.5 on the track "Flex Up", alongside Future. In December 2020, Carter released his second studio album, Whole Lotta Red, on Christmas Day, after announcing its release date four days earlier. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming Carter's first chart-topping album on the chart. Rolling Stone deemed it "one of the most forward-thinking rap records since Yeezus", and later crowned it the best rap album of 2021. In 2022, the magazine also included it in "The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time". To support the album, Carter embarked on the King Vamp Tour, originally titled the Narcissist Tour, for fall 2021.