Lil Uzi Vert

Lil Uzi Vert was born Symere Bysil Woods in Philadelphia and grew up in the Francisville neighborhood of North Philadelphia. He listened to rap artists including Mike Jones, Wiz Khalifa, and Meek Mill, while also developing an interest in Marilyn Manson, Paramore, My Chemical Romance, and other alternative rock acts.

He began rapping in tenth grade after hearing his classmate William Aston freestyle over a remade Chris Brown instrumental. Woods and Aston later formed the rap group Steaktown with another friend. After dropping out of school, he worked at a Bottom Dollar store for four days before leaving the job and being kicked out of his home. The experience prompted his first face tattoo, the word “Faith,” and led him to take his music career more seriously.

Woods initially performed under the name Vert, which he associated with the word “vertical.” He later adopted Lil Uzi Vert after someone compared his rapid vocal delivery to a machine gun. His first EP, Purple Thoughtz Vol. 1, arrived in 2014 with psychedelic, cloud rap-influenced production and the song “White Shit.”

Local radio play from DJ Diamond Kuts brought Woods to the attention of producer and A&R executive Don Cannon. Cannon signed him to The Academy imprint and produced his first mixtape, The Real Uzi, released in 2014. Woods subsequently signed with Atlantic Records through DJ Drama, Don Cannon, and Leighton Morrison’s Generation Now imprint. His second mixtape, Luv Is Rage, followed in 2015 and featured Wiz Khalifa and Young Thug.

Lil Uzi Vert’s mainstream breakthrough began with “Money Longer,” released in 2016. The song became his first Billboard Hot 100 entry, while Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World became his first project to enter the Billboard 200. The mixtape included “You Was Right,” which became his first Billboard Hot 100 top-40 single, and eventually received double-platinum certification.

He also appeared in XXL’s 2016 Freshman Class and toured with Kodak Black. His feature on Migos’ “Bad and Boujee” became his first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2017, “XO Tour Llif3” became his highest-charting song at the time, reaching number seven and winning the MTV Video Music Award for Song of Summer.

Luv Is Rage 2 was released in August 2017 after a series of delays. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and included “XO Tour Llif3,” “The Way Life Goes,” and “Sauce It Up.” Woods also worked with Playboi Carti on “Wokeuplikethis” and performed the song with him at Coachella.

Woods announced Eternal Atake in 2018, beginning a lengthy period of anticipation around the album. He signed with Roc Nation Management in 2019 after disputes involving Generation Now. The album was released in March 2020 and became his second project to debut at number one on the Billboard 200.

The deluxe edition of Eternal Atake also served as Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World 2, with appearances from artists including Future, Young Thug, 21 Savage, Lil Durk, Gunna, and Nav. Later in 2020, Woods and Future released the collaborative album Pluto × Baby Pluto, which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. The project was followed by a deluxe edition containing additional tracks.

Woods released the EP Red & White in 2022 after previewing several songs on SoundCloud. That year, “Just Wanna Rock” became a viral hit and introduced Jersey club-inspired elements into his sound. The song reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his highest-charting single since Eternal Atake.

His third solo studio album, Pink Tape, arrived in 2023 with guest appearances from Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Bring Me the Horizon, Don Toliver, and Babymetal. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, giving Woods three consecutive solo studio albums that reached the top of the chart. He released Eternal Atake 2 in 2024.

Lil Uzi Vert’s music combines melodic trap with elements associated with emo rap, punk rap, psychedelic rap, and rock music. Critics have characterized his work as avant-garde, emphasizing his rapid delivery, unconventional song structures, and willingness to move beyond established trap conventions.

His artistic presentation is closely connected to his facial tattoos, piercings, eccentric hairstyles, and androgynous fashion. Woods has cited Marilyn Manson as his greatest inspiration and has also named Hayley Williams, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Simple Plan, Young Thug, Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, and the Ying Yang Twins as influences.

Woods was in a relationship with fashion designer Brittany Byrd from 2014 to 2017. Byrd appeared in the music video for “Money Longer,” and Woods referenced her in songs including “Nuyork Nights at 21.” Their breakup was announced through the song “Stole Your Luv.” Woods has been in a relationship with JT of the hip-hop duo City Girls since 2019.

In 2022, Woods announced that he uses they/them pronouns, and in 2023 he identified as gender-nonconforming. He has also been known for highly distinctive body art and jewelry. In 2021, he had a pink diamond implanted in his forehead, later removed and reimplanted before fans pulled it out during a Rolling Loud performance. He subsequently replaced it with a barbell piercing.

Lil Uzi Vert faced accusations of Satanism after using satanic imagery and references to “666” on social media and during performances. The controversy was also linked to his interest in Marilyn Manson. In 2023, Woods said his references to Satan were figurative and that he did not believe Satan existed.

In 2016, Woods was arrested in Atlanta after riding a dirt bike without lights or helmets and attempting to flee from police. The charge was resolved in 2017 with a community service sentence. He was also arrested in Philadelphia in 2020 after a paintball gun fight. In 2022, Woods pleaded no contest to felony assault with a firearm and misdemeanor injury charges and accepted a sentence that included probation, treatment, domestic violence counseling, restitution, and a criminal protective order.