F1lthy | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Richard Ortiz |
| Born | February 1, 1992 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer, songwriter |
| Years active | 2012–present |
Richard Ortiz (born February 1, 1992), known professionally as F1lthy (stylized F1LTHY), is an American record producer and songwriter from Philadelphia. He is a co-founder of the production and creative collective Working on Dying and a frequent collaborator of Playboi Carti, Lucki, and Lil Yachty. F1lthy helped shape the abrasive, punk-inflected “rage” sound that surged into the mainstream in the early 2020s, notably through Carti’s chart-topping album Whole Lotta Red (2020). [1] [2] [3]
Rolling Stone Australia described F1lthy as “largely responsible for rap’s recent push towards the mosh pit,” citing his distorted drums, blistering 808s, and close work with Carti and Lucki, while also placing him among the “Future of Music” innovators. [4] Pitchfork has highlighted his now-iconic producer tag — “Wake up, F1LTHY” — as part of his sonic identity. [5]
Ortiz was born and raised in Philadelphia. As teenagers, he and his younger brother Jordan (producer Oogie Mane) began making beats and building a scene around friends who would later form the nucleus of Working on Dying. [6] In interviews about the collective’s beginnings, the members describe an intensely DIY process and a sound guided by internet-age experimentation, with F1lthy gravitating toward harsher textures than most mainstream trap of the time. [7]
In 2012, Richard Ortiz (F1lthy) began producing in Philadelphia using FL Studio after being inspired by SpaceGhostPurrp’s underground sound; he has described teaching himself with YouTube tutorials and honing a darker, more abrasive trap palette. [8]
Across these early years, Ortiz co-founded the Working on Dying collective with his brother Oogie Mane and friends, distributing beats via SoundCloud, Twitter DMs, and email packs. The Fader’s early profile on the crew documents the DIY process, their small Philadelphia studio network, and how their internet-native approach seeded later industry connections. [9] [10]
By 2017, F1lthy’s beats were travelling beyond Philly. A loose single, Yea by Lil Yachty and Key!, showcased his pounding minimalism and raised his profile among Atlanta-leaning listeners. Coverage at the time framed the track as a link between the internet-underground and rising mainstream acts. [11] [12]
During this period, Working on Dying’s name spread through placements for very young artists, most visibly around Matt Ox’s breakout, with the collective’s members engineering, producing, and A&Ring in ad-hoc ways that reflected their internet-first workflow. [13]
F1lthy’s mainstream breakthrough arrived with heavy contributions to Playboi Carti’s Whole Lotta Red (released December 25, 2020). Reviews spotlighted the album’s jagged, punk-rap feel and cited the serrated drum programming and blown-out low end that had become associated with F1lthy’s approach. The album opened at No. 1 in the U.S., pushing his sound into the center of a new “rage” conversation. [14] [15] [16]
Public production-credit rundowns from the release window list F1lthy across multiple tracks (including opener “Rockstar Made”), underlining his role in the record’s opening aggression and overall template. [17]
In late 2021, F1lthy and Chicago rapper Lucki released the collaborative project WAKE UP LUCKI via EMPIRE. The tape leans into a glassy, insular atmosphere while preserving the low-end thump that defines F1lthy’s work; critics highlighted how his tag and skeletal synth phrases frame Lucki’s diaristic writing without overcrowding the vocals. [18] [19]
The project broadened perceptions of F1lthy beyond purely mosh-pit chaos, showing his restraint and sense for negative space. Rolling Stone Australia later cited him among producers “shaping rap’s future” for balancing abrasion with mood on both Carti and Lucki material. [20]
F1lthy co-produced Lil Yachty’s viral single Poland, which exploded from SoundCloud to DSPs and received an official Cole Bennett video. The track’s clipped, detuned synths and ultra-processed vocals mirrored the WOD tendency toward stark motifs and distorted textures. [21]
As rage aesthetics spread across the mainstream, F1lthy appeared among the wide producer cohort working with artists tied to or adjacent to Playboi Carti’s Opium ecosystem (including contributions in the broader Yeat/Opium orbit). Editorial coverage frequently groups his name with the scene’s darker, punk-leaning sound design, emphasizing his role in popularizing its crunchy textures. [22] [23]
Reports and studio sightings kept F1lthy’s link with Carti in view after Whole Lotta Red. In April 2023, coverage noted how leaks disrupted Carti’s release plans while sessions with core producers continued. [24] Carti returned with the single All Red in January 2024 amid mounting anticipation for a new album. [25]
In 2025, Carti released Music, which debuted at No. 1 in the U.S.; F1lthy was again cited in coverage as a recurring stylistic touchpoint for Carti’s sound. [26] Outside the studio, F1lthy scaled up his live profile with DJ/producer sets at major events including Rolling Loud California 2025 (Hollywood Park Grounds, Inglewood; March 15–17, 2025). Press published daily set times confirming his appearance, and fan-compiled setlists document his selections blending Carti/Opium staples with WOD-adjacent cuts. [27] [28]
The relationship was built in the late 2010s as Working on Dying’s internet-driven reach brought their sound into Carti’s orbit. Interviews describe Carti’s habit of building long-term rapport with producers who challenge his comfort zone; critics repeatedly identify F1lthy’s distorted drums, mangled 808s, and negative space as central to Carti’s vampire-punk turn on Whole Lotta Red, and as an anchor for the subsequent Music era. [29] [30] [31]
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Working on Dying 2 [32] (with The Loosie Man) |
|
| Wake Up Lucki [33] (with Lucki) |
|
| Year | Title | Artist | Chart positions | Certification | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [34] | US R&B /HH [35] | US RAP [36] | AUS | BEL | CAN | GER | NZ | SWE | UK | ||||
| 2017 | Working on Dying | Bladee | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2020 | Whole Lotta Red | Playboi Carti | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 18 | 2 | 45 | 7 | 37 | 17 |
|
| 2021 | Up 2 Me | Yeat | 58 | 31 | — | — | — | 81 | — | — | — | — | |
| Wake Up Lucki | Lucki | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022 | 2 Alive | Yeat | 6 | 3 | — | — | 89 | 19 | — | — | — | — |
|
| X | Ken Carson | 115 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Her Loss | Drake and 21 Savage | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2023 | Business is Business | Young Thug | 2 | 1 | — | 36 | 30 | 2 | 22 | 7 | — | 15 | |
| A Great Chaos | Ken Carson | 11 | 4 | — | 4 | 56 | 18 | 45 | 21 | — | 43 |
| |
| The First Time | Kid Laroi | 26 | — | — | 3 | — | 16 | — | 7 | — | 29 |
| |
| Heaven Knows | PinkPantheress | 61 | — | — | 98 | 102 | 59 | — | 30 | — | 28 |
| |
| 2024 | Cold Visions | Bladee | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2025 | Music | Playboi Carti | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
|
| More Chaos | Ken Carson | 1 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 67 | 17 | 45 | 26 | — | 54 | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||