Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of MoneyBagg Yo" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of MoneyBagg Yo" hosted by DJButterrock DeMario DeWayne White Jr. (born September 22, 1991[2]), known professionally as Moneybagg Yo, is an American rapper. Based in Memphis, Tennessee, he is noted for his melodic trap and Southern hip-hop style.[3][4]
White signed with fellow Memphis rapper Yo Gotti's record label, Collective Music Group in 2016, later in a joint venture with Interscope Records.[5] His commercial mixtape, Federal 3X (2017), peaked at numbers five on the Billboard 200, becoming his mainstream breakthrough.[6] His first four studio albums—Reset (2018), 43va Heartless (2019), Time Served (2020), and A Gangsta's Pain (2021)—were each met with critical and commercial success; the latter became his first to debut atop the chart and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top 20 single "Wockesha."
White is the recipient of multiple accolades, and has received a Grammy Award nomination, in addition to American Music Award, MTV Music Video Award, Hollywood Music in Media Award, and iHeartRadio Music Award nominations; for the latter of which, he received four.[7][8][9][10] He won the 2021 "Trapper of the Year" Award by genre progenitor T.I.[11][12][13]
Early life
Moneybagg Yo was born on September 22, 1991, in Memphis, Tennessee,[2] to a single mother. He is the oldest of three siblings and was raised in the West Junction-Walker Homes neighborhood of South Memphis. According to Moneybagg Yo, he had a difficult childhood where his mother served the role of both parents and they often struggled with financial issues, including not having lights, furniture or running water at times. Despite his mother's best efforts to provide for her children and keep them safe, the struggles at home and strict rules she imposed would often lead Moneybagg to run away from home and seek refuge with friends or on the streets from a young age.[14][15]
White attended Mitchell High School.[16] He later dropped out in the 12th grade,[17] describing himself as "terrible" during that time. Additionally, he explained that he felt that staying in school was not providing him with any financial benefits and saw no future in it. He was motivated by seeing his mother struggle to provide for him and his siblings, and having to sleep in unfurnished apartments.[18][19][20][16]
Career
2011–2013: Early life and career
Growing up in South Memphis, Moneybagg had a love for hip hop music from a young age and was heavily influenced by artists such as Boosie, Yo Gotti, Juvenile, and Future. According to him, he was captivated by everything about their lives and aspirations. "Everything about their life, I just fell in love with," he said in an interview reflecting on his childhood.[21] In an effort to escape the struggles of life in the hood, Moneybagg turned to rapping as a means of making a living. He began his career in 2011 with the release of his first single "F U Pay Me".[22] Over the following years, he released several mixtapes, including From Da Block 2 Da Booth in 2012. In a 2022 interview with the New York Times, Moneybagg spoke about how during the early stages of his career he had to sacrifice important moments in his life and his children's lives such as birthdays, holidays, football games and even simple things like doughnuts with his dad, as he was focused on providing for his children and making a name for himself in the industry.[23]
2016–2018: Release of several mixtapes and Moneybagg's debut studio album, Reset
White signed with fellow Memphis rapper Yo Gotti's record label, Collective Music Group in 2016, later in a joint venture with Interscope Records.[5] His commercial mixtape, Federal 3X (2017), peaked at numbers five on the Billboard 200, becoming his mainstream breakthrough.[6] His first four studio albums—Reset (2018), 43va Heartless (2019), Time Served (2020), and A Gangsta's Pain (2021)—were each met with critical and commercial success; the latter became his first to debut atop the chart and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top 20 single "Wockesha."
White is the recipient of multiple accolades, and has received a Grammy Award nomination, in addition to American Music Award, MTV Music Video Award, Hollywood Music in Media Award, and iHeartRadio Music Award nominations; for the latter of which, he received four.[7][8][9][10] He won the 2021 "Trapper of the Year" Award by genre progenitor T.I.[11][12][13]
Early life
Moneybagg Yo was born on September 22, 1991, in Memphis, Tennessee,[2] to a single mother. He is the oldest of three siblings and was raised in the West Junction-Walker Homes neighborhood of South Memphis. According to Moneybagg Yo, he had a difficult childhood where his mother served the role of both parents and they often struggled with financial issues, including not having lights, furniture or running water at times. Despite his mother's best efforts to provide for her children and keep them safe, the struggles at home and strict rules she imposed would often lead Moneybagg to run away from home and seek refuge with friends or on the streets from a young age.[14][15]
White attended Mitchell High School.[16] He later dropped out in the 12th grade,[17] describing himself as "terrible" during that time. Additionally, he explained that he felt that staying in school was not providing him with any financial benefits and saw no future in it. He was motivated by seeing his mother struggle to provide for him and his siblings, and having to sleep in unfurnished apartments.[18][19][20][16]
Career
2011–2013: Early life and career
Growing up in South Memphis, Moneybagg had a love for hip hop music from a young age and was heavily influenced by artists such as Boosie, Yo Gotti, Juvenile, and Future. According to him, he was captivated by everything about their lives and aspirations. "Everything about their life, I just fell in love with," he said in an interview reflecting on his childhood.[21] In an effort to escape the struggles of life in the hood, Moneybagg turned to rapping as a means of making a living. He began his career in 2011 with the release of his first single "F U Pay Me".[22] Over the following years, he released several mixtapes, including From Da Block 2 Da Booth in 2012. In a 2022 interview with the New York Times, Moneybagg spoke about how during the early stages of his career he had to sacrifice important moments in his life and his children's lives such as birthdays, holidays, football games and even simple things like doughnuts with his dad, as he was focused on providing for his children and making a name for himself in the industry.[23]
2016–2018: Release of several mixtapes and Moneybagg's debut studio album, Reset
