Victor Kwesi Mensah, known professionally as Vic Mensa, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, he was a member of the regional hip hop groups Kids These Days and Savemoney prior to releasing his debut solo mixtape, Innanetape (2013). As a solo artist, Mensa has been signed to Virgin EMI Records, Def Jam Recordings, Capitol Records, and Roc Nation.
Makonnen Kamali Sheran, better known by his stage name iLoveMakonnen, is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his 2014 single "Tuesday", which initially gained recognition following its remix with Canadian rapper Drake. After its release in August of that year, he signed with Drake's record label OVO Sound, an imprint of Warner Records that same month; the song was re-released by the label shortly after and subsequently peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Tuesday" also received a nomination Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, and served as the lead single for his likewise re-issued self-titled debut extended play (2014), which moderately entered the Billboard 200. He parted ways with OVO in 2016, and his following releases have failed to chart.
Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gained a cult following among his young fan base during his short career with his depression- and alienation-themed music. Critics and fans often credit him for his musical versatility, with his music exploring emo, trap, trap metal, nu metal, indie rock, lo-fi, hip hop, R&B, and punk rock. He was considered to be a leading figure in the establishment of the emo rap and SoundCloud rap genres, which garnered mainstream attention during the mid-to-late 2010s.
"Look at Me" is the debut commercial single by American rapper XXXTentacion. The song premiered on December 30, 2015, on the SoundCloud account of Rojas, the song's co-producer, before initially being released for digital download as a single on January 29, 2016, becoming a sleeper hit in January 2017, in which the single was later re-released for digital download again with a remastered and clean version of the single on February 20, 2017, by Empire Distribution. The song serves as the lead single from his debut commercial mixtape Revenge. The track was produced by Rojas and Jimmy Duval, and heavily samples the 2007 song "Changes" by British dubstep DJ and record producer Mala.
17 is the debut studio album by American rapper XXXTentacion. It was released through Bad Vibes Forever and Empire Distribution on August 25, 2017. With a runtime of just under 22 minutes, 17 is a brief album and does not feature a song longer than three minutes. The album was supported by the lead single "Revenge", and is XXXTentacion's second commercial record, following the compilation mixtape of the same name (2017). 17 includes a sole guest appearance from Trippie Redd and samples by Shiloh Dynasty. Production was handled by XXXTentacion, among others.
XXXTentacion was an American rapper who released four studio albums, one compilation album, two mixtapes, four collaborative mixtapes, ten extended plays and 29 singles. As of June 2018, he sold more than 25 million album-equivalent units in the United States. XXXTentacion was awarded for sales of over 20 million records by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As of October 2020, he has sold more than 75 million records in the United States.
Michael Lamar White IV, known professionally as Trippie Redd, is an American rapper and singer. His debut mixtape, A Love Letter to You (2017) was released by Elliot Grainge's 10K Projects and entered the Billboard 200, while its lead single, "Love Scars" received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The following year, he released his debut studio album Life's a Trip (2018) and the mixtape's sequel; their singles, "Dark Knight Dummo", "Taking a Walk", and "Topanga" each entered the Billboard Hot 100. The album and its follow-up, ! (2019) both reached the top five of the Billboard 200, while his fourth mixtape, A Love Letter to You 4 (2019) topped the chart. His third and fourth albums Pegasus (2020) and Trip at Knight (2021) both peaked at number two on the chart. Trip at Knight’s first single, "Miss the Rage" with Playboi Carti, debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the highest-charting single of his career. White’s fifth studio album, Mansion Musik (2023) peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200, whilst his sixth mixtape, A Love Letter to You 5, peaked at number 13.
Omar Jeffery Pineiro, known professionally as Smokepurpp, is an American rapper. He first became known in the SoundCloud rap scene for his 2017 single "Audi", which received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In March of that year, he signed with Alamo and Interscope Records to release the song and his debut mixtape for which it served as lead single, Deadstar (2017), the following September. It peaked at number 42 on the Billboard 200, while his debut studio album and the mixtape's sequel, Deadstar 2 (2019) narrowly entered the chart. His second album, Florida Jit (2020) failed to chart in any known territory and served as his final album on the label.
Bad Vibes Forever is the fourth and final studio album by American rapper and singer-songwriter XXXTentacion. It was released through Bad Vibes Forever and Empire Distribution on December 6, 2019. The production was handled by XXXTentacion himself, alongside DJ Carnage, John Cunningham, JonFX, Ronny J, XXYYXX, and among others. The album features a wide range of guest appearances from artists including PnB Rock, Trippie Redd, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Killstation, Noah Cyrus, Tom G, Tory Lanez, Mavado, Craig Xen, Kemba, Joey Badass, Sauce Walka, Carnage, Ky-Mani Marley, Stefflon Don, Vybz Kartel, Jimmy Levy, Joyner Lucas, Ikabod Veins, and Blink-182. The album serves as a follow-up to his first posthumous album and third studio album, Skins (2018).
Ronald Oneil Spence, Jr., professionally known as Ronny J, is an American record producer, singer, rapper, and songwriter. Since the mid-2010s, he has been credited with production work for several mainstream hip hop artists including Kanye West, Eminem, Denzel Curry, XXXTentacion, Token, Lil Pump, Bhad Bhabie, Juice Wrld, Sfera Ebbasta, 6ix9ine, Ski Mask the Slump God, Machine Gun Kelly, and Iggy Azalea.
? is the second studio album by American rapper XXXTentacion and his last studio album to be released before his death. It was released through Bad Vibes Forever, Caroline Distribution, and Capitol Music Group on March 16, 2018, and primarily produced by frequent collaborator John Cunningham, it includes a wide range of guest appearances from PnB Rock, Travis Barker of Blink-182, Joey Badass, Matt Ox, Rio Santana, Judah, and Carlos Andrez, and also succeeds the release of his debut studio album 17 (2017) and the extended play A Ghetto Christmas Carol (2017).
"Sad!" is a song by American rapper XXXTentacion from his second studio album, ? (2018). It was released as the lead single from the album on March 2, 2018. The track was written alongside producer John Cunningham. The song is XXXTentacion's highest charting in the United States, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 following his death on June 18, 2018. It has also amassed more than 2 billion streams on Spotify, being one of the most streamed songs on the platform. The song remains X's biggest and arguably most popular hit song to date. It discusses X's experiences with depression, thoughts of suicide, and romantic turmoil, as well as his personal regrets about his past.
Skins is the third studio album by American rapper XXXTentacion. It was released on December 7, 2018 through Bad Vibes Forever and Empire Distribution. It is one of the projects, that XXXTentacion worked on before his death, and was released posthumously. The album features guest appearances from Travis Barker of Blink-182 and Kanye West. The album's theme sees XXXTentacion discuss heartbreak and mental turmoil. Genres on the album draw influence from lo-fi, nu metal, screamo, emo, punk rock, ambient, trap and acoustic. Skins was leaked to the internet three days before its official release date.
Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne, known professionally as Ski Mask the Slump God, is an American rapper. He is best known for his association with XXXTentacion, with whom he formed the hip hop collective Members Only in 2014. He is notable for his nostalgic-themed musical production and public image, often clad with multi-colored durags. He signed with Victor Victor Worldwide, an imprint of Republic Records to release his debut commercial mixtape You Will Regret (2017), which entered the Billboard 200 and spawned the platinum-certified singles "BabyWipe", "Take a Step Back", and "Catch Me Outside".
Gazzy Fabio Garcia, known professionally as Lil Pump, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as part of the SoundCloud rap scene in the late 2010s, gaining distinction for his minimalist music and rambunctious public persona. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, he gained mainstream attention following the release of his 2017 single "Gucci Gang", which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded his self-titled debut studio album in October of that year.
"Middle Child" is a song by American rappers PnB Rock and XXXTentacion, released from the former's second studio album TrapStar Turnt PopStar on May 3, 2019. It was produced by DatKidChris.
"Hearteater" is a song by American rapper and singer XXXTentacion, released as the second single from his fourth studio album Bad Vibes Forever.
"True Love" is a song by American rappers Kanye West and XXXTentacion. The song, which is a posthumous release for the latter, was originally included on West's demo album, Donda 2 (2022). For its single version, it was trimmed down by a minute and released by Columbia Records on May 23, 2022 in promotion for XXXTentacion's posthumous compilation album, Look at Me: The Album—serving as its second single. A slow track that features synths, it finds West discussing his estrangement from his children, while XXXTentacion croons the hook. The song was written by its performers, while production was handled by West alongside Ojivolta, Mike Dean, and John Cunningham, each of whom are also credited as co-writers.
The Revenge Tour was the first and only concert tour by American rapper XXXTentacion in support of his second mixtape, Revenge (2017), and partially in support of his then-upcoming debut studio album, 17 (2017). It traveled across the United States in fourteen different states. The tour started on May 31, 2017, in Houston, Texas and ended on July 2, 2017, in Pompano Beach, Florida. The tour was supported by XXXTentacion's hip hop collective, Members Only, which included fellow rappers such as Ski Mask the Slump God, Craig Xen, and Wifisfuneral. While he made multiple concert appearances following the Revenge Tour, it was his only ever solo concert tour as he was murdered in June 2018. The tour was subjected to multiple controversies.
"Let's Pretend We're Numb" is a song by American rapper XXXTentacion. It was originally released on SoundCloud on December 29, 2015, before being re-released posthumously for streaming services on May 26, 2023. The song was produced by Khaed. Prior to its re-release, it was described as one of X's "best deep cuts". It heavily samples the song "Someone Out Of Town" by Yuna.
