Lil Yachty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lil Yachty
Lil Yachty in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Miles Parks McCollum
Also known as	Lil Boat FaZe Boat Darnell Boat C.V. Thomas
Born	(1997-08-23) August 23, 1997 (age 27) Mableton, Georgia, U.S.
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Southern hip-hop trap pop rap mumble rap
Occupation(s)	Rapper singer songwriter record producer
Years active	2015–present
Labels	Quality Control Capitol Motown
Children	1
Signature

Miles Parks McCollum (born August 23, 1997), known as Lil Yachty, is an American rapper. He became famous in August 2015 with his popular song "One Night". This song was the first single from his first music collection, Summer Songs.

In March 2016, he released his first mixtape, Lil Boat. Later that year, he signed a record deal with Motown, Capitol Records, and Quality Control Music.

His first studio album, Teenage Emotions (2017), reached number five on the Billboard 200 music chart. His second album, Lil Boat 2 (2018), reached number two. His third album, Nuthin' 2 Prove (2018), peaked at number 12.

His fourth album, Lil Boat 3 (2020), reached number 14. His fifth album, Let's Start Here (2023), was different. It moved away from hip hop and explored psychedelic rock music. This album received good reviews. In 2024, he released Bad Cameo, a collaborative album with English singer James Blake. This album continued his rock experiments and was also praised.

Lil Yachty is also known for appearing on other artists' songs. These include "Broccoli" by DRAM and "ISpy" by Kyle in 2016. He is also recognized for his bright cherry-red hair and his positive, fun style. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for his work on "Broccoli".

Early Life and Beginnings

Miles McCollum was born in Mableton, Georgia. He went to Alabama State University in 2015. However, he soon left college to focus on his music career. He chose the name "Yachty" and moved from Atlanta to New York City.

In New York, he lived with a friend. He connected with people in online street fashion and grew his own Instagram following. Early in his career, he worked at McDonald's to earn money.

Music Career Highlights

Early Success: 2015–2017

Yachty first became well-known in December 2015. This happened when the SoundCloud version of his song "One Night" was used in a funny viral video.

In February 2016, Yachty started modeling. He appeared in Kanye West's Yeezy Season 3 fashion show. This show took place at Madison Square Garden. Yachty's first mixtape, Lil Boat, came out in March 2016.

Lil Yachty in 2016

In April 2016, Yachty worked with DRAM on the popular song "Broccoli". This song reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He also appeared on Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book mixtape in May 2016. On June 10, 2016, he announced his record deal. He signed with Quality Control Music, Capitol Records, and Motown Records. Yachty released his second mixtape, Summer Songs 2, in July 2016. It featured artists like G Herbo, Offset, and his group, the "Sailing Team".

In June 2016, Lil Yachty was featured in XXL magazine. He was part of their 2016 Freshman Class. For this, Yachty performed a 'freshman cypher' with Denzel Curry, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, and Kodak Black. This performance has received over 180 million YouTube views.

In December 2016, he was on the hip hop song "iSpy" by Kyle. He also appeared on Tee Grizzley's song "From the D to the A" in March 2017.

On May 26, 2017, Lil Yachty released his first studio album, Teenage Emotions. It included guest artists like Migos, Diplo, and YG. Three songs were released before the album. "Harley" came out on April 14, 2017. "Bring It Back" was released on May 4, 2017. "X Men" came out on May 18, 2017, featuring rapper Evander Griiim. He also appeared on a remix of "With My Team" by Creek Boyz in December 2017.

In 2017, Yachty was part of several big advertisements. He appeared with LeBron James in a Sprite commercial. He was also the face of the new Nautica and Urban Outfitters clothing collection. Yachty also appeared in the "It Takes Two" video with Carly Rae Jepsen for Target.

Albums and Collaborations: 2018–Present

Lil Yachty performing in 2018

In January 2018, news came out that Lil Yachty and Takeoff were working on music together. Yachty's second studio album, Lil Boat 2, was released on March 9, 2018. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album featured artists like 2 Chainz, Quavo, Offset, and Ugly God. On October 19, 2018, Yachty released his third album, Nuthin' 2 Prove. This project debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200.

Also in 2018, Yachty appeared on Bhad Bhabie's song "Gucci Flip Flops" and Social House's song "Magic in the Hamptons". He also worked with Donny Osmond to create a theme song for Chef Boyardee. In December 2018, the E-sports group FaZe Clan announced that Yachty had joined them. Yachty took on the name "FaZe Boat".

Lil Yachty in June 2019

After a quieter 2019, Lil Yachty worked with other Atlanta artists. He teamed up with Lil Keed, Lil Gotit, and producer Zaytoven in February 2020 for a mixtape called A-Team. Yachty released the first song for his next album, Lil Boat 3, on March 9, 2020. The song, "Oprah's Bank Account", featured Drake and DaBaby. A 9-minute music video came with the song. Lil Boat 3 was released on May 29, 2020. It debuted at number 14 on the US Billboard 200. A deluxe version, Lil Boat 3.5, was released on November 27. On October 19, 2020, Lil Yachty said he would release another mixtape. Michigan Boy Boat came out on April 23, 2021. This project was inspired by the Detroit rap scene.

In 2020, Yachty became very popular on TikTok. Yachty performed the theme song for the 2020 revival of Saved by the Bell. In early 2021, it was reported that Yachty would produce and star in a live-action movie based on the UNO card game. Yachty was also featured in the Pokémon 25th anniversary music album.

On October 11, 2022, Yachty released the song "Poland". It quickly became very popular online.

Lil Yachty performing in 2025

In December 2022, Yachty's fifth studio album was leaked online. This album was a big change from his usual trap sound. It was heavily influenced by psychedelic rock. On January 27, 2023, the album, called Let's Start Here, was officially released. It received good reviews. Yachty's music group, Concrete Boys, released their first song, "Mo Jams", in December 2023. Bad Cameo, a collaborative album with English producer James Blake, was released on June 28, 2024. In October 2024, it was announced that Yachty would open for Tyler, the Creator on his "Chromakopia: The World Tour".

Musical Style

Lil Yachty describes his music style as "bubblegum trap." His songs have used sounds from Mario Bros., Charlie Brown, the theme from Rugrats, and the startup sound of a GameCube console. He has also sampled music from J-pop singer Daoko. Other themes in his music include clouds, cotton candy, the Super Nintendo, and scenes from Pixar films. His friend TheGoodPerry helps a lot with producing his songs. Yachty's style is also sometimes called mumble rap.

Rolling Stone magazine said his music is "catchy, intentionally dinky-sounding tunes packed with off-color boasts delivered in a proudly amateurish singsong." The Guardian newspaper called his music "fun, hook-first pop rap oblivious to songcraft and structure that doesn't take itself too seriously, with very little interest in legacy and even less in rap canon."

Personal Life

Yachty supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential election. He praised Sanders for his work during the civil rights movement.

On October 20, 2021, Yachty announced that his first child, a girl, was born.

On December 20, 2018, Yachty joined FaZe Clan, an E-sports group. He has also played in competitive Fortnite tournaments.

Film and TV Appearances

Music Albums

Studio albums

• Teenage Emotions (2017)
• Lil Boat 2 (2018)
• Nuthin' 2 Prove (2018)
• Lil Boat 3 (2020)
• Let's Start Here (2023)

Collaborative albums

• Bad Cameo (with James Blake) (2024)

Awards and Nominations

Billboard Music Awards

MTV Video Music Awards

Other Awards

See also

In Spanish: Lil Yachty para niños