Lil Yachty | |
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 Lil Yachty performing in 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Born | Miles Parks McCollum (1997-08-23)August 23, 1997 (age 28) Mableton, Georgia, U.S. |
| Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Works | |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | Concrete Boys |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | lilyachtyofficial |
| Signature | |
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Miles Parks McCollum (born August 23, 1997), known professionally asLil Yachty, is an American rapper. He first gained recognition in August 2015 for his viral hit "One Night", thelead single from his debutextended play (EP),Summer Songs.[3] He released his debutmixtapeLil Boat in March 2016, and signed ajoint venture record deal withMotown,Capitol Records, andQuality Control Music in June of that year.[4]
His debut studio album,Teenage Emotions (2017), peaked at number five on theBillboard 200 despite mixed critical response. His second album,Lil Boat 2 (2018), peaked at number two on the chart, while his third,Nuthin' 2 Prove (2018), peaked at number 12; both were met with continued unfavorable critical reception. His fourth album,Lil Boat 3 (2020), peaked at number 14, while his fifth album,Let's Start Here (2023), marked a departure from hip hop in favor ofpsychedelic rock and saw a critical incline.[5] His collaborative album with English singerJames Blake,Bad Cameo (2024), further experimented with the genre and was met with continued praise despite failing to chart.
McCollum is also known for his guest appearances on the 2016 singles "Broccoli" byDRAM and "ISpy" byKyle. His former cherry-red hairstyle, lighthearted tone, and optimistic image were also centers of attention.[6][7] Yachty was nominated for aGrammy Award for his work on "Broccoli".[8]
McCollum was born inMableton, Georgia.[9] He attendedAlabama State University in fall 2015 but soon dropped out to pursue his musical career.[10] He adopted the name "Yachty" and moved from his hometown ofAtlanta to New York City to launch his career. In New York, he lived with a friend and networked with onlinestreet fashion personalities, while he built up his ownInstagram following.[11] He worked atMcDonald's to supplement his income early in his career.[12]
Yachty first came to prominence in December 2015 when theSoundCloud version of his song "One Night" was used in a viral comedy video.[1]
In February 2016, Yachty debuted as a model inKanye West'sYeezy Season 3 fashion line atMadison Square Garden.[13] Yachty's debut mixtapeLil Boat was released in March 2016.[14]
In April 2016, Yachty collaborated withDRAM on the hit song "Broccoli", which peaked at number 5 on theBillboard Hot 100.[1] Hefeatured onChance the Rapper'sColoring Book mixtape, released in May 2016.[11] On June 10, 2016, he announced he had signed a joint venture record deal with Quality Control Music,Capitol Records, andMotown Records.[4][15] Yachty released his second mixtapeSummer Songs 2 in July 2016 with features fromG Herbo, Offset, and his former collective the "Sailing Team".[16]
In June 2016, Lil Yachty appeared inXXL magazine as part of their2016 Freshman Class. As part of this appearance, Yachty performed a 'freshman cypher' alongsideDenzel Curry,Lil Uzi Vert,21 Savage, andKodak Black. As of March 2021, this cypher has received over 180 millionYouTube views, by far the most for the XXL channel.[17]
In December 2016, he was featured on the hip hop single "iSpy" byKyle.[18] He was featured inTee Grizzley's single "From the D to the A", released in March 2017.[19]
On May 26, 2017, Lil Yachty released his debut studio album,Teenage Emotions. It features guest appearances fromMigos,Diplo, andYG, among others.[20][21] Three promotional singles were released to coincide with the album. The first promotional single, "Harley", produced by K Swisha, was released on April 14, 2017.[22][23] The second promotional single, "Bring It Back", produced by Free School, was released on May 4, 2017.[24][25] The third promotional single, "X Men", produced by 30 Roc and Tillie and featuring a guest appearance from American rapper Evander Griiim, was released on May 18, 2017.[26][27] He featured in a remix of "With My Team" by Creek Boyz, released December 15, 2017.[28]
In 2017, Yachty appeared in several high-profile promotional campaigns. He starred alongsideLeBron James in aSprite commercial, where he is seen in an ice cave playing the piano.[29] Lil Yachty was picked to be the face of the newNautica andUrban Outfitters collection for the Spring 2017 season.[30] Yachty also appeared in the "It Takes Two" video withCarly Rae Jepsen forTarget.[31]
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In January 2018, it was reported that Lil Yachty andTakeoff were working on a collaborative project.[32] This project has yet to be released as of 2023, especially following the death of Takeoff in November 2022. Yachty's second studio album,Lil Boat 2, was released on March 9, 2018.[33] Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics,Lil Boat 2 performed well commercially, debuting at number two on the USBillboard 200, with 64,000album-equivalent units. The album featured2 Chainz,Quavo, andOffset,Ugly God, among other guests. On October 19, 2018, Yachty released his third album,Nuthin' 2 Prove. The project received similarly mixed reception and debuted at No. 12 on theBillboard 200. Also in 2018, Yachty appeared onBhad Bhabie's platinum single "Gucci Flip Flops" andSocial House's gold single "Magic in the Hamptons", and worked withDonny Osmond to create a theme song forChef Boyardee titled "Start the Par-dee".[34] In December 2018, E-sports groupFaZe Clan announced that Yachty had become their newest member. Yachty took on the name "FaZe Boat", in reference to his 'Lil Boat' nickname and mixtape.[35]
After a relatively quiet 2019, Lil Yachty teamed up with fellow Atlanta artistsLil Keed,Lil Gotit, and veteran producerZaytoven in February 2020 for a collaborative mixtape,A-Team.[36] Yachty released the lead single for his next studio album,Lil Boat 3, on March 9, 2020. The song, titled "Oprah's Bank Account", featuresDrake andDaBaby.[37][38] The release was accompanied by a 9-minutemusic video directed byDirector X, in which Yachty dresses up as a parody ofOprah Winfrey.[39]Lil Boat 3 was released on May 29, 2020 and debuted at number 14 on the USBillboard 200.[40] A deluxe version of the album titledLil Boat 3.5 was released on November 27.[41] On October 19, 2020, Lil Yachty announced his intention to release a mixtape before the end of 2020.[42]Michigan Boy Boat was released on April 23, 2021. The project draws heavily from the burgeoning Detroit rap scene, in contrast with Yachty's usualpop rap andAtlanta trap style.[43]
Throughout 2020, Yachty was one of the many celebrities to gain a large following on social media appTikTok.[44][45] Yachty performed the theme song for the2020 revival ofSaved by the Bell, which was a remixed version of the theme from theoriginal television series.[46] In early 2021, Yachty was reported to be producing and starring in a live-action movie based on theUNO card game, which is being developed byMattel Films.[47] Yachty is featured in thePokémon25th anniversary music album.[48]
On October 11, 2022, Yachty released the non-album single "Poland", which went viral online right after.[49]
In December 2022, Yachty's fifth studio album, then rumored to be calledSonic Ranch, was leaked online. The album was a departure from Yachty's signaturetrap sound, and was instead heavily influenced bypsychedelic rock. On January 27, 2023, the album, entitledLet's Start Here, was released to positive reviews.[50] Several publications included the album in their lists of best albums of 2023, including Rolling Stone #4 ,[51] Billboard #8 ,[52] and Complex #10.[53] Yachty's label and collective Concrete Boys, which includesKarrahbooo, Dc2trill, and Draft Day, released their debut single, "Mo Jams", in December 2023.[54]Bad Cameo, a collaborative album with English producerJames Blake, was released on June 28, 2024.[55] On 23 October, 2024, it was announced Yachty would open forTyler, the Creator onChromakopia: The World Tour alongside hip hop duoParis Texas.[56]
Lil Yachty has called his style "bubblegumtrap."[11][1] His songs have sampled sounds fromMario Bros.,Charlie Brown, the theme fromRugrats, the startup sound of aGameCube console, as well asJ-pop singerDaoko.[11] Other themes in his works include clouds,cotton candy, theSuper Nintendo, and scenes fromPixar films. His friendTheGoodPerry is heavily involved in the production of his songs.[1] Yachty's style has also been described asmumble rap.[2]
Rolling Stone described his music as "catchy, intentionally dinky-sounding tunes packed with off-color boasts delivered in a proudly amateurish singsong."[11]The Guardian called his music "fun, hook-first pop rap oblivious to songcraft and structure that doesn't take itself too seriously, with very little interest in legacy and even less in rap canon."[1]
Yachty expressed support forBernie Sanders in the2016 presidential election, and praised Sanders for his work during thecivil rights movement.[57]
On October 20, 2021, Yachty welcomed a daughter named Varsity with designer Selangie Henriquez. He has chosen to keep his daughter out of the public eye.[58]
On December 20, 2018, Yachty signed withFaZe Clan.[59] He has also participated in competitiveFortnite tournaments.[citation needed]
On February 18, 2022, in a class-action lawsuit filed against thecryptocurrency companySafeMoon that alleged the company is apump and dump scheme, McCollum was named as a defendant along with professional boxerJake Paul, musicianNick Carter, rapperSoulja Boy, and social media personalityBen Phillips for promoting the SafeMoon token on their social media accounts with misleading information.[60][61] On the same day, theU.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a lawsuit againstBitconnect that theSecurities Act of 1933 extends totargeted solicitation using social media.[62]
In March 2023, Yachty was among eight celebrities charged by theUnited States Securities and Exchange Commission, with violating investor protection laws by promoting cryptocurrencies without disclosing that he was a paid sponsor. The lawsuit was connected with crypto asset entrepreneurJustin Sun's Tronix (TRX) and BitTorrent (BBT) companies. He settled the charges for over $400,000 without admitting or denying the claims.[63][64]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Teen Titans Go! To the Movies | Green Lantern | Voice role[65] |
| 2018 | Life-Size 2: A Christmas Eve | The Beatboxer | [66] |
| 2019 | Long Shot | Himself | |
| 2019 | How High 2 | Roger Silas | Television film[67] |
| 2020, 2023 | The Eric Andre Show | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | A Man Named Scott | Himself | Documentary |
| 2022 | The System | Joker | Also executive producer |
| 2023 | Grown-ish | Cole Hudson | Recurring |
| 2025 | Beast Games | Himself | Episode: "Fight to Win a Private Island" |
Studio albums
Collaborative albums
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Broccoli"(withDRAM) | Top Rap Collaboration | Nominated |
| Top Rap Song | Nominated | ||
| Top Streaming Song (Audio) | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Broccoli"(withDRAM) | Best Hip Hop Video | Nominated |
| Best Collaboration | Nominated | ||
| "iSpy"(withKyle) | Best Visual Effects | Nominated |
| Year | Awards | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Grammy Awards[68] | Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | "Broccoli"(withDRAM) | Nominated |
| iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards | Best New International Artist | Himself | Nominated | |
| MTV Europe Music Awards | Best Video | "iSpy"(withKyle) | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Grammy Awards | Album of the Year | Donda (as a featured artist) | Nominated |
| 2023 | BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards | Producer of the Year | Himself | Won |
| 2024 | Berlin Music Video Awards | Best Director | Say Something | Nominated |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Studio albums |
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| Mixtapes |
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| Singles | |
| Featured singles | |
| Other songs | |
| Related articles | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
