Antagonist Tour
Carter's debut studio album, Die Lit (2018) saw further critical and commercial success, peaking at number three on the Billboard 200. Following a two-year hiatus, his second studio album, Whole Lotta Red (2020) debuted atop the chart and was met with critical acclaim; it was listed as among the greatest albums of that year by Rolling Stone and The Washington Post. He guest performed alongside Rich the Kid on ¥$'s 2024 single, "Carnival", which became his first song to peak atop the Billboard Hot 100. Carter is scheduled to release his third studio album later in 2024.
Aside from his recording career, Carter founded the record label and rap collective Opium in 2019, through which he has signed aesthetically-similar fellow Atlanta-based rappers Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely, as well as the trap duo Homixide Gang.
Early life
Jordan Terrell Carter was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 13, 1995. He grew up in the nearby suburb Riverdale. In a 2016 interview with Complex, he stated, "My ma couldn't tell me shit. Nobody could tell me shit." This type of lifestyle influenced Carter to get into trouble as a youth and sway away from the idea of pursuing a higher level of education after high school. He attended North Springs Charter High School in Sandy Springs.
Before rap, Carter wanted to become an NBA star to try and make something of himself. In an interview with The Fader, he said, "I was a young AI and didn't go to practice. That was the time I was really ducking school and it was all hoop and no rap. I would smoke before practice, get on the court and drop 30." He stopped playing basketball after a disagreement with his coach. He then dedicated his time to music.
Carter skipped high school classes regularly to work on his music or go to his job at H&M, which led to Carter barely graduating high school. In an interview with The Fader, he said, "I was in class with freshmen finishing work, and if I finished the nine assignments before this time I could graduate." He was so close to not graduating that no one showed up to his graduation, because they didn't know it was actually going to take place.
Carter developed a unique fashion sense from an early age, shopping in thrift stores. He told Vogue that he was teased for being an early adopter of new styles, such as colored skinny jeans.
Career
2011–2016: Career beginnings
Carti began rapping at an early age under the name Sir Cartier in 2011. He changed it to Playboi Carti in 2013. He began uploading songs on SoundCloud in 2011, and Newgrounds a year later. In 2014, after meeting producer Ethereal, he joined Awful Records. Carti credits Ethereal with helping him find his sound. Once Carti chose to pursue music full-time, he made the decision to move to New York City with some family.
While in New York City, Carti stayed at his drug dealer's house, and members of ASAP Mob frequented the house. Carti ran into ASAP Bari, who introduced him to ASAP Rocky. Carti decided to go to Texas with ASAP Rocky. He began to attract attention in 2015 with his singles "Broke Boi" and "Fetti" featuring Dash and Maxo Kream, both of which were published to SoundCloud.
Around this time, Carti frequently collaborated with artists in Atlanta's underground rap scene, including UnoTheActivist, Thouxanbanfauni, Yung Bans, Lil Yachty, Ethereal, and producers MexikoDro, and Icytwat. He began to tour with ASAP Ferg and Lil Uzi Vert, and he signed a deal with Interscope Records.
In 2016, he was featured on the ASAP Mob's single "Telephone Calls" from their album Cozy Tapes Vol. 1: Friends. The same year, Carti signed to the ASAP Mob's AWGE imprint.
2017–2020: Playboi Carti, Die Lit, and Whole Lotta Red
Carti released his eponymous debut mixtape in April 2017. The release gained attention from various music publications, including XXL, Pitchfork, Spin, HotNewHipHop, and PopMatters, and reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200. The mixtape spawned two successful singles: "Magnolia", which reached number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Wokeuplikethis" featuring Lil Uzi Vert, which reached number 76. Accompanying the mixtape's release, Carti embarked on a tour with Gucci Mane and Dreezy. In June 2017, Playboi Carti was named as one of the ten of XXL's "2017 Freshman Class", alongside rappers like XXXTentacion, A Boogie wit da Hoodie and Ugly God. Around this time, he was featured on ASAP Mob's single "Raf" from their album Cozy Tapes Vol. 2: Too Cozy and Lana Del Rey's single "Summer Bummer" from her album Lust for Life. In May 2018, Carti released his debut full-length studio album Die Lit, debuting at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 61,000 album-equivalent units (including 5,000 copies as pure album sales) in its first week. Months later, in August 2018, Carti announced his second studio album Whole Lotta Red, which would be released 2 years later.
Carti began work on his second album Whole Lotta Red late in 2018. Over the next two years, many of Carti's songs including "Pissy Pamper" were leaked onto the internet and accumulated tens of millions of streams. He did not release any original music, instead being featured on numerous singles, including "Baguettes in the Face" featuring NAV and A Boogie wit da Hoodie from DJ Mustard's album and "Earfquake" by Tyler, the Creator. In April 2020, Carti released his first new music since 2018 with the song "@ Meh", which peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The following month, he was featured on the single "Pain 1993" by Drake, which debuted at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Carti's first top-ten on the chart. In November 2020, Carti announced that Whole Lotta Red was complete and had been submitted to his label. On Thanksgiving Day, 2020, Carti was featured on Lil Yachty's deluxe album Lil Boat 3.5 on the song "Flex Up" with Future. The following month, hip-hop commentator DJ Akademiks announced that Whole Lotta Red was scheduled for a Christmas Day release. Carter confirmed the Christmas release date on December 21, 2020. On December 25, 2020, Carti released the 24-track long album Whole Lotta Red. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, becoming Carti's first chart-topping release.
2021–present: Upcoming album
In June 2021, Carti was featured on rapper/producer Pi'erre Bourne's song "Switching Lanes" from his The Life Of Pi'erre 5 album and on rapper Lil 1 Dte's single, "Homixide" from his self-titled mixtape. In August 2021, Playboi Carti was featured on the song "Unlock It" by ABRA and on the songs "Off the Grid", "Junya", and "Junya, Pt. 2" on Kanye West's tenth studio album Donda (2021).
On December 25, 2022, Carti came back to Twitter after over a year, making tweets, like "Hello Twitter", and "love all my supporters it's time", possibly hinting at another Christmas Day release alike to his second studio album, Whole Lotta Red in 2020. On March 3, 2023, Carti started day one of Rolling Loud California. During the set he performed an unreleased track "Rockstar", which is expected to be on his upcoming album. On May 28, 2023, Carti came back to Instagram since his December 2022 arrest posting a screenshot of him and The Weeknd FaceTiming on his Instagram story. Three days later on May 31, 2023, The Weeknd took to social media teasing the collaboration track "Popular" with Carti and Madonna, and announced that it would be released on June 2, 2023 as a single for his cancelled soundtrack album The Idol Vol. 1, for his television series The Idol. On June 12, 2023, Carti posted a photo of YoungBoy Never Broke Again wearing Opium's signature upside-down cross chain in an Instagram story. Later, an Instagram post from Jewelry Unlimited announced that both of them are working on a collab album titled 004KT. On June 12, F1lthy, who is a frequent producer for Opium, tweeted "004KT", further stoking rumors of a collab album.
On July 7, 2023, Carti performed a new song "Pop Out" at Wireless Festival which is expected to be on his upcoming album Music. On July 12, 2023, Carti confirmed on his Instagram story that he will be touring with his label artists Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, and Homixide Gang, which would be later postponed till 2024. On July 28, 2023, Carti was featured on Travis Scott's long-awaited fourth studio album Utopia, on the 8th track "Fe!n". The following day, Carti posted on his Instagram story rapping his verse of the song, and talked about his upcoming long-awaited third studio album, stating "New shit on the way, believe that." On December 7, 2023, Carti posted "I am music" to his Instagram story. This was followed by another story which showed a tweet from Pharrell Williams in response to Carti's original post, with Williams writing only the word "Prepare". That same day, DJ Akademiks shared that Carti is scheduled to release his album in January 2024, saying that it "will be the greatest thing you ever heard". Carti confirmed the 2024 release date on December 8, posting an Instagram story stating "2024", accompanied with a snippet of a presumed track that featured the tag of DJ Swamp Izzo, an Atlanta DJ who notably worked extensively with Young Thug.
Later the same day, Carti released "Different Day" exclusively on his secondary Instagram account. On December 14, Carti released the track "2024" on his YouTube channel, with it again hinting at a 2024 release date. The track was produced by Kanye West, Ojivolta and Earl on the Beat. On December 19, Carti released "H00dByAir" on Instagram - a track that confirmed that he has a daughter, Yves. On January 1, Carti would post a video of experimental musician, Blackhaine on his Instagram story (as he did with previous tracks) stating that Carti would be releasing a song that day. Later the same day, Carti released "Backr00ms", a track featuring Travis Scott, exclusively on his YouTube channel. On January 8, 2024, Carti postponed his planned Antagonist Tour, which was scheduled to begin the following week. On February 4, 2024, Carti appeared as a surprise guest during Travis Scott's performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. On February 10, 2024, Carti was featured twice, on Kanye West's and Ty Dolla Sign's collaborative studio album, Vultures 1 (2024), on the songs "Carnival" and "Fuk Sumn", the former of which became his first Hot 100 chart-topper. On March 22, 2024, Carti was featured on Future's and Metro Boomin's collaborative studio album We Don't Trust You (2024), on the song "Type Shit". On March 27, 2024, Carti was featured on Camila Cabello's single, "I Luv It".
Fashion and modeling
Carter's fashion style is one of the main features of his public image. He has called himself a "thrift store kid" and often prefers vintage garments. GQ has defined Carter as the "leader of a youth style", and said that he represents a stylistic midpoint between the "fashion gloss of ASAP Mob, the punk-rock attitude of Lil Uzi Vert, and the playful camp of Lil Yachty."
Carter's favorite designer label is Balmain and his favorite designer is Raf Simons, whom he met at a 2017 fashion show in New York City. Carter is featured on the song "Raf" by ASAP Mob, which was dedicated to Raf Simons. The music video for the song included Carter, ASAP Rocky, and Quavo wearing rare Raf Simons-designed clothing. In 2017, Carter told Vogue that he considers Kanye West and ASAP Rocky his fashion inspirations.
Carter has modeled numerous times, including Louis Vuitton at Paris Fashion Week, Kanye West's Yeezy Season 5, VFiles, and Drake's OVO Lookbook alongside Ian Connor and John Ross.
Musical style
Carter has been described as a "mumble rapper", and his music as "playful, hard-hitting, and very melodic." Carter is noted for his "rock star" persona and lyrical focus on sex and drugs. Complex called his style of rapping "spare and repetitive, more concerned with flow and catchy phrases." Almost all of Carter's raps are freestyled, which was directly inspired by Lil Wayne. Briana Younger at Pitchfork said that "Carti's music is less about lyricism and more about atmosphere", going on to say that "whatever Carti lacks in substance he makes up in sheer audacity."
Carter is known for his "baby voice" vocal technique, characterized by his voice hitting high pitches with unclear pronunciations and frantic cadences. He has used this technique on popular songs such as "Almeda" with Solange, "Earfquake" with Tyler, the Creator, and "Pissy Pamper" with Young Nudy and Pi'erre Bourne. After the release of Whole Lotta Red, he has also experimented with various metal-inspired vocalizations, such as his coarse “deep voice” first being displayed on the song "Mr. Miyagi" with Kanye West and Future, later being displayed on other songs like Travis Scott's "Fe!n", the collaborative single "Type Shit" with Future, Metro Boomin, and Scott, and Camila Cabello's "I Luv It"; but it is more common on many unreleased, non-album songs.
The New York Times said Carti's rapping made it appear as if he was "more at ease with the performance of the role than with the actual act of rapping."
Aesthetically, Carter employs Satanic imagery and is influenced by vampire films. Musically he is influenced by ASAP Rocky, Kanye West, Jay-Z, MF Doom, Slayer, Sex Pistols and Kiss.
Personal life
In 2017, he briefly dated American model Blac Chyna. In 2018, Carter was romantically involved with Rubi Rose, a model and rapper who rose to fame after appearing in the music video for "Bad and Boujee" by Migos. He allegedly fired a gun in the air after Rose hid his phones from him before he was due to board a flight, Carter argues his intention was not to shoot Rose. They broke up after Carter cheated on her with Blac Chyna.
Later in 2018, Carter began dating Australian rapper Iggy Azalea, whom he met while he was overseas on tour. In December 2018, they moved in together in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta. In 2020, Azalea gave birth to Carter's son. They split in December 2019. In December 2020, Azalea revealed Carter had cheated on her and missed her son's birth. Carter refused to sign their son's birth certificate.
Carter has two children: a son named Onyx and a daughter named Yves.
As of June 2019, Carter is living and working in and around the Atlanta area after relocating from Los Angeles.
Carter suffers from asthma.
Legal issues
In 2017, Carter was arrested for domestic battery.
Carter punched a driver in Gretna, Scotland during his concert tour in February 2018. He was fined £800 after a trial.
In April 2020, Carter was arrested on gun and drug-related charges in Clayton County, Georgia. After Carter was stopped by police for having an expired tag on his Lamborghini, authorities found 12 bags of marijuana, three guns, Xanax, codeine and oxycodone. After an altercation between Carter and the police, he and another man named Jaylon Tucker, were arrested and taken to Clayton County jail. Carter was charged for expired tags, possession of marijuana and improperly passing an emergency vehicle. The following morning Carter was released on bond.
On September 21, 2022, Carter was arrested for reckless driving. Footage of the incident was released on January 9, 2024.
It was reported on February 14, 2023, that Carter was arrested on December 29, 2022, on a felony assault charge after allegedly choking his girlfriend, who was 14 weeks pregnant. Carter was released on bond a day after his arrest.
Opium
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Opium is an American record label and rap collective that was founded in 2019 by Playboi Carti. The label, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia, currently holds four acts all of whom are natives to the city; Playboi Carti himself, rappers Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely, and the duo Homixide Gang. The label is also affiliated with a variety of producers including KP Beatz, F1lthy, and Art Dealer, who all worked extensively on Playboi Carti's second studio album, Whole Lotta Red.
Opium artists usually feature a dark rap sound and aesthetic that is built upon the Atlanta rage rap scene and is influenced by the 70s and 80s punk rock era. The niche style of its artists strays away from mainstream trap rappers and has garnered its own cultlike fanbase.
Discography
Studio albums
- Die Lit (2018)
- Whole Lotta Red (2020)
- TBA (2024)
Tours
Headlining
- Left Right Tour (with Lil Uzi Vert) (2016)
- Playboi Carti Tour (2017)
- Die Lit Tour (2018)
- Neon Tour (2018)
- King Vamp Tour (2021)
Supporting
- ASAP Rocky – Injured Generation Tour (2019)
- Wiz Khalifa – Decent Exposure Summer Tour (2019)
Awards and nominations
BET Hip Hop Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Himself | Best New Hip-Hop Artist | Nominated |
| Playboi Carti | Best Mixtape | Nominated |
Grammy Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Donda (Kanye West, as featured artist and songwriter) | Album of the Year | Nominated |
iHeartRadio Music Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Himself | Best New Hip-Hop Artist | Nominated |