Moneybagg Yo

Moneybagg Yo was born in Memphis and raised in the West Junction-Walker Homes neighborhood of South Memphis. He grew up in a financially difficult household, where his mother raised three children and sometimes struggled to provide basic necessities. He has described running away from home during his childhood and staying with friends or on the streets.

He attended Mitchell High School but dropped out in the 12th grade. Seeing his mother struggle to support the family influenced his decision to pursue music as a way to earn a living. His early musical influences included Boosie, Yo Gotti, Juvenile, and Future.

Moneybagg Yo began his recording career in 2011 with the single "F U Pay Me." He followed it with mixtapes including From Da Block 2 Da Booth in 2012, building a local reputation through consistent releases and Memphis's mixtape circuit.

His early work established the direct, street-focused perspective that became central to his music. In 2015, he released Federal, and the project helped expand his profile across Memphis and surrounding areas. The same period also brought ELO (Everybody Lives On), a tribute to his late best friend ELO.

In 2016, Moneybagg Yo signed with Yo Gotti's Collective Music Group, also known as CMG, in a label arrangement connected with Interscope Records. He and Yo Gotti released the collaborative mixtape 2 Federal in October 2016. His projects Federal Reloaded and ELO (Everybody Lives On) also featured artists including Young Dolph, OG Boo Dirty, Yo Gotti, and Quavo.

The mixtape Heartless reached number 177 on the Billboard 200 in 2017. Later that year, Federal 3X became his Interscope debut and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200, marking his mainstream breakthrough. He also released Fed Baby's with YoungBoy Never Broke Again in 2017. In 2018, 2 Heartless and Bet On Me preceded his debut studio album, Reset, which reached number 13 on the Billboard 200.

Moneybagg Yo released 43va Heartless in 2019 and Time Served in January 2020. Time Served reached number three on the Billboard 200 and included "All Dat" and "U Played," his first singles to appear on the Billboard Hot 100. He later issued a deluxe edition and released "Said Sum," which became his highest-charting song as a lead artist at that point.

He joined Blac Youngsta for the collaborative mixtape Code Red in 2020. His fourth studio album, A Gangsta's Pain, followed in April 2021 and became his first number-one project on the Billboard 200. The album produced "Wockesha," a top-20 Billboard Hot 100 single, and featured artists including Future, Polo G, Lil Durk, Jhené Aiko, and Pharrell Williams. In 2021, T.I. presented him with the "Trapper of the Year" award.

In July 2022, Moneybagg Yo performed at London's Wireless Festival, his first international show. He released the mixtape Hard to Love in June 2023, and it reached number 10 on the Billboard 200.

His fifth studio album, Speak Now, arrived in June 2024, with guest appearances from Chris Brown, Rob49, Lil Durk, YTB Fatt, and Morgan Wallen. A deluxe edition released in September 2024 added appearances from GloRilla, Big Boogie, and BossMan Dlow.

Moneybagg Yo has eight children. He has spoken about missing birthdays, holidays, football games, and other family moments during the early years of his career while working to provide for his children. He later described relocating to Atlanta as a way to maintain peace and focus on his family.

He has been linked to Ari Fletcher since 2019. He also confirmed that he had a relationship with Megan Thee Stallion, which ended after a period of dating. Moneybagg Yo has remained connected to South Memphis through local investments, including the alkaline water brand Vior, and plans for land dedicated to his late Bread Gang associate Big Nuskie.

Moneybagg Yo converted to Islam in 2018 after taking his Shahada with the involvement of rapper Kevin Gates. He has said that he prays five times a day and fasts during Ramadan.

He has credited Islam with helping him stop drinking lean and has described discipline as an important part of his faith. His relationship with Kevin Gates also included musical collaboration on "Federal Pressure."