Blac Youngsta

Ruthless antagonism, brooding menace, and exuberant hedonism are natural modes for the imposing and charismatic rapper known as Blac Youngsta. The Memphis native released several independent mixtapes before he went nationwide during the late 2010s. Allied with <a href="spotify:artist:6Ha4aES39QiVjR0L2lwuwq">Yo Gotti</a> and major-label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Epic%22">Epic</a>, he broke through with the <a href="spotify:artist:6icQOAFXDZKsumw3YXyusw">Lil Yachty</a> collaboration "Hip Hopper" (2017), a gold single featured on his Illuminati mixtape and subsequent debut album 223 (2018). Led by another gold hit, "Booty," Church on Sunday (2019) became Youngsta's second Billboard-charting album before he and <a href="spotify:artist:3tJoFztHeIJkJWMrx0td2f">Moneybagg Yo</a> hit the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 with the collaborative Code Red (2020). Independent third album 4LIFE (2022) highlights Youngsta's slew of recordings since then, which also includes the charting singles "Steppers" and "Gangsta Art," and mixtapes such as Thuggin Dolo and Respectful and Respected (both 2025).

Before his breakthrough, the rapper born Samuel Marquez Benson was known in his native South Memphis as an emergent artist and as the organizer of the popular McMillan Street block party. Youngsta began hosting the parties in 2011 to honor murdered neighborhood youth King Craddy. As a recording artist, he got his start with mixtapes, including the Fast Brick series, started in 2012. <a href="spotify:artist:6Ha4aES39QiVjR0L2lwuwq">Yo Gotti</a> signed Youngsta in 2015 to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Collective+Music+Group%22">Collective Music Group</a>, the outlet for mixtapes such as I Swear to God, Young & Reckless, and F*ck Everybody, all issued by the end of 2016. Youngsta also launched <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Heavy+Camp%22">Heavy Camp</a>, his own imprint under <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22CMG%22">CMG</a>, and in 2017 teamed with <a href="spotify:artist:6icQOAFXDZKsumw3YXyusw">Lil Yachty</a> for "Hip Hopper," his first RIAA-certified gold single.

With distribution from major-label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Epic%22">Epic</a>, Youngsta next released the full-length 223 and mixtape F*ck Everybody 2, both of which registered in the upper half of the Billboard 200 in 2018. "Booty," a single taken from the former, peaked at number 35 on the R&B/hip-hop chart and crossed into the Hot 100. Its remix featured <a href="spotify:artist:7bXgB6jMjp9ATFy66eO08Z">Chris Brown</a>, Jeezy, and <a href="spotify:artist:2iojnBLj0qIMiKPvVhLnsH">Trey Songz</a>. Youngsta returned in 2019 with the three-song Cut Up EP. Church on Sunday, his second full-length, appeared later in the year and put him back on the Billboard 200. In September 2020, months after Youngsta was featured on <a href="spotify:artist:3tJoFztHeIJkJWMrx0td2f">Moneybagg Yo</a>'s gold single "1 2 3," the two rappers partnered to release Code Red, a mixtape of trap anthems and other high-energy tracks that also included appearances from <a href="spotify:artist:6Ha4aES39QiVjR0L2lwuwq">Yo Gotti</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:45gHcnDnMC15sgx3VL7ROG">42 Dugg</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4r63FhuTkUYltbVAg5TQnk">DaBaby</a>. After a charting third volume in the F*ck Everybody series, Youngsta returned in May 2022 with his third proper album, 4LIFE. A sprawling 23-track set, the independently-issued full-length featured guests like <a href="spotify:artist:5F1aAS1duwlzExnPs3l2Xe">Pooh Shiesty</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1URnnhqYAYcrqrcwql10ft">21 Savage</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:24CgJHK6T7C5OmUbiLLMjJ">Luh Kel</a>. He also appeared that year on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22CMG%22">CMG</a> label compilation Gangsta Art, which narrowly missed the Top Ten of the Billboard 200.

In 2023, Youngsta delivered a host of mixtapes that included Bank Appointment, Blac Sheep, and Blac Sheep 2, and he was also featured on Gangsta Art 2. He presented the Heavy Camp, Checkmate compilation in 2024. He was remarkably prolific in 2025 with the tapes Thuggin Dolo, Nooshaade, Fireworks Bbittyy, and Respectful and Respected. The first three of those projects contained no guest verses, while the fourth featured appearances from <a href="spotify:artist:45gHcnDnMC15sgx3VL7ROG">42 Dugg</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:24CgJHK6T7C5OmUbiLLMjJ">Luh Kel</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6LXRvV2OAtXF7685fzh3mj">Rowdy Rebel</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2MqvNhgPzUzBXERkh00GDY">Lil Jairmy</a>. ~ David Jeffries & Andy Kellman, Rovi