Yo Gotti
Yo Gotti
by Whatdo on Aug.04, 2010, under Yo Gotti
Mario Mims, better known by his stage name Yo Gotti (previously Lil Yo), is an American hip hop singer-songwriter and rapper.
Born 19th May 1980 in Memphis, Tennessee, Yo Gotti took an interest in hip hop music from a young age, and took his name from the late New York mafioso John Gotti – just like several other rappers like Big Gotti, Juan Gotti, Bazooka Joe Gotti, Don Gotti and Irv Gotti. He signed to Inevitable Entertainment at the end of the 1990s and released his debut album From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game in 2000, which included songs like Rebellious Nigga, Snakes and Police in Thug Clothin’. This was followed by 2001’s Self-Explanatory and the songs Go Gotti Go (ft. Playa Fly), Street Talk and Hard to Believe (ft. D’Nero and Ms. V-Dawg).
The rapper’s third album Life, along with songs like Dirty South Soldiers (ft. Lil Jon), Entering the Game and Look at Old Girl (ft. Block Burnaz), was described by The New York Times as “an uncelebrated gem”, while his 2006 fourth album Back 2 da Basics was an even bigger critical hit, with reviewers favouring the tracks Shawty Violating (Wup That Hoe) (ft. La Chat) and Spend It Cuz U Got It (ft. All Star Cashville Prince). It produced a total of three singles: Full Time, Gangsta Party (ft. Bun B and 8 Ball) – which reached number eighty on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts – and I Got Dem (ft. Lil Wayne and Birdman)/That’s What They Made It Foe (ft. Pooh Bear).
Yo Gotti’s fifth studio album Live from the Kitchen is due to be released in late 2010. Produced by Cool & Dre and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Gotti claims to have recorded “probably a couple hundred songs” for the album, but will whittle that down to between fifteen and twenty for the final release. Two singles have been released to date – 5 Star and Women Lie, Men Lie (ft. Lil Wayne) – which have both reached the Top 20 in the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart.