Circus Folk Arts Blog

When it comes to one of the hottest rappers with some of the hottest mixtapes in the biz, look no further than Yo Gotti. Yo Gotti has stood the test of time, constantly pushing himself to create new material and release new mixtapes. His newest mixtape, “CMT,” is due out April 7th. For those that don’t know him, or haven’t heard his mixtape, the story of Yo Gotti begins on May 19th, 1982. Growing up in the notoriously dangerous Ridge Crest housing projects in northern Memphis Tennessee, inspired him lyrically. Many of his songs focus on gangster life in the dangerous neighborhoods of Memphis. Coming out of the Dirty South in the 90’s, Yo Gotti gathered many influences that helped him develop his signature style; from Master P and his No Limit Posse, to N.W.A., to rap giants like Dr. Dre and Tupac. By the late 90’s Yo Gotti was becoming known as the best hardcore rapper in Memphis. He was also developing a signature style with his sexually explicit lyrics, which weren’t made popular until rapper, Too Short from Oakland. Yo Gotti was off and running. Originally born Mario Mims, he left his birth name behind and became Yo Gotti, after famed New York mobster, John Gotti. His name, his style, and his emergence from the Dirty South, gave Yo Gotti the edge he needed to catch people’s attention. In 2000, he signed with record label, Inevitable and recorded the first of many mixtapes in the Yo Gotti mixtaps portfolio. His first album “From da Dope 2 da Rap Game,” was met with positive reviews. The demand for Yo Gotti mixtapes grew and he recorded his 2nd album in 2001, “Self Explanatory,” which was soon followed by the release of “Block Burnin’ Vol. 1,” in 2002. The release of his 2nd and 3rd albums sparked interest with big labels and in 2003 he signed with TVT and released, “Life.” This was a more personal Yo Gotti mixtape because it focused on his life, growing up in the hood and his rap career. After “Life” Yo Gotti went on tour and took a much needed break. It would be 3 years before he released another album, but when he came back, he came back with a fury, releasing 3 more albums in 1 year’s time. 2006 saw the releases of “Back 2 da Basics,” “Full Time Hustlin’,” and “I Told You So.” He spent much of 2007 touring the new Yo Gotti mixtapes. In 2008, he proved, yet again, his versatility and drive, releasing 3 more albums. “Cocaine Musik,” “Feed the Streets: Special Delivery,” and “B.O.A.T. Story (Based on a True),” were all released in 2008. At 26 years old, Yo Gotti has an impressive body of work. He lives the life he believes in and continues to push forward. His newest album, “CMT,” will drop April 7th, 2009. The sky is the limit for Yo Gotti.