Polo G

Polo G was raised in the Marshall Field Garden Apartments in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. He developed an interest in rapping at an early age and initially viewed it as a hobby. The deaths of childhood friends and other people he knew influenced his decision to use music to tell stories about his community.

After high school, Bartlett was accepted to Lincoln University to study broadcasting, with plans to become a sports broadcaster. He chose not to attend on his first day and instead pursued music full time. His mother, Stacia Mac, became his manager, while his younger brother Taurean Bartlett performs as Trench Baby.

Bartlett's first recorded song was "ODA," which he uploaded to YouTube. After creating a SoundCloud account in 2018, he built an audience with "Gang with Me," "Welcome Back," and "Neva Cared." He wrote "Finer Things" while incarcerated, and the song drew millions of views after its release.

In early 2019, Polo G released "Pop Out" featuring Lil Tjay. The single reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its music video surpassed 200 million YouTube views. The song's success led to a record deal with Columbia Records.

His debut album, Die a Legend, was released on June 7, 2019, and peaked at number six on the Billboard 200. It included songs such as "Deep Wounds," "Through da Storm," "Effortless," and "Dyin' Breed."

Polo G's second album, The Goat, arrived on May 15, 2020, and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. Ten songs from the album charted on the Billboard Hot 100, including "Flex" featuring Juice Wrld and "Be Something" featuring Lil Baby. His appearance on Juice Wrld's posthumous album Legends Never Die, on "Hate the Other Side," became his first top-ten Hot 100 single.

In September 2020, Polo G launched Only Dreamers Achieve Records, also known as ODA, in partnership with Columbia Records. Syracuse artist Scorey was the label's first signee. The label's name reflects Polo G's stated goal of encouraging people from underrepresented communities to pursue their ambitions.

His 2021 single "Rapstar" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, giving him his first chart-topping single. His third studio album, Hall of Fame, followed on June 11, 2021, and became his first number-one album on the Billboard 200. The deluxe edition, Hall of Fame 2.0, was released later that year.

Polo G continued releasing singles and collaborations after Hall of Fame, including "Distraction," "Bag Talk," "My All," and "No Time Wasted" featuring Future. He also appeared on songs with Marshmello and Southside, NLE Choppa and G Herbo, Lil Tjay, Diplo and Jessie Murph, and the late King Von.

He announced Hood Poet, styled as H.O.O.D P.O.E.T., in 2023. The title is an acronym for "He Overcame Obstacles During Pain or Emotional Trauma." The album's planned release was delayed after Polo G and his brother were arrested on kidnapping, armed robbery, and assault charges. Hood Poet was released in August 2024, and Polo G released the single "Sorrys & Ferraris" in 2024.

Polo G emerged from Chicago's drill scene but became particularly associated with a melodic approach to the style. He frequently uses piano-driven beats and has described piano production as a central part of his sound. His writing is marked by vivid, explicit storytelling about difficult subjects including racism, violence, addiction, and mental health.

He has identified Lil Wayne and Tupac Shakur as major influences and has also cited Gucci Mane, Lil Durk, and G Herbo among the artists he listened to while growing up. His connection to Tupac is especially prominent in "Wishing for a Hero," which samples Tupac's "Changes," and in the "Rapstar" video, where Polo G presents himself as a successor to Tupac's socially conscious image.

Polo G has one son, Tremani, who was born on July 6, 2019. Tremani appeared briefly with his father in the music video for "Rapstar."

In August 2019, Polo G was hospitalized after a near-fatal drug overdose at a party. He later discussed a three-year addiction to prescription drugs and said he stopped using Ecstasy and Xanax after the hospitalization. The death of his friend Juice Wrld also influenced his reflections on drug use and recovery.

On June 11, 2021, Polo G and his younger brother were arrested in Miami after leaving Polo G's album-release party. Polo G faced felony charges of battery of an officer and threatening a public servant, along with misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief, resisting arrest, and resisting an officer without violence. The two felony charges and the criminal-mischief charge were dropped in November 2021. The remaining charges were dropped after he completed an anger-management program, and he did not plead guilty to wrongdoing.

In August 2023, Polo G was arrested in Los Angeles in connection with a robbery investigation. A police search of his home and car resulted in an additional illegal-firearm-possession charge, and he and his brother were later booked on kidnapping, robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon charges connected to a separate incident. They were released after posting bail.

Polo G was arrested on a weapons charge in Los Angeles in October 2024 and on charges of criminal possession of a weapon and possession of a loaded firearm at a Manhattan hotel in April 2024. He posted bail in both cases.