Yo Gotti is an American rapper, songwriter, and record executive who built one of hip-hop’s most formidable independent empires from the streets of North Memphis. Born Mario Sentell Giden Mims on May 19, 1981, he is 45 years old as of 2026 — and Forbes has estimated his net worth at $100 million, placing him among the wealthiest figures in rap.
As the founder and CEO of Collective Music Group (CMG), Yo Gotti oversees a roster that includes superstars like Moneybagg Yo, GloRilla, and EST Gee. His own recording career spans more than two decades, with hits like “Down in the DM” and the triple-platinum “Rake It Up” featuring Nicki Minaj. Beyond music, he holds a minority ownership stake in MLS club D.C. United and has built a diversified portfolio spanning real estate and business.
This complete guide covers Yo Gotti’s age, biography, early life, music career, CMG empire, business ventures, personal life, and net worth in 2026.
Yo Gotti at a Glance
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Real name | Mario Sentell Giden Mims |
| Age | 45 (born May 19, 1981) |
| Birthplace | Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
| Height | 5’7″ (170 cm) |
| Profession | Rapper, songwriter, record executive |
| Label | Collective Music Group (CMG) — founder & CEO |
| CMG artists | Moneybagg Yo, GloRilla, EST Gee, 42 Dugg, Blac Youngsta |
| Biggest hit | “Rake It Up” ft. Nicki Minaj (2017) — #8 Billboard Hot 100, 3× platinum |
| Business | Minority owner of D.C. United (MLS); real estate investor |
| Children | At least 3 (confirmed in 2015 interview) |
| Net worth | ~$100 million (Forbes estimate, Feb 2024); other estimates $16–18M |
How Old Is Yo Gotti? Age and Birthday
Yo Gotti was born Mario Sentell Giden Mims on May 19, 1981, in Memphis, Tennessee, which makes him 45 years old as of 2026. His zodiac sign is Taurus. He has now been a professional recording artist for nearly 30 years — a longevity few rappers achieve, let alone while building a nine-figure business empire on the side.
His age is significant in hip-hop, a genre that often discards its veterans. Yo Gotti’s continued relevance — as both an artist and an executive — defies the industry’s youth obsession and reflects a career built on ownership rather than fleeting hits.
Early Life: Growing Up in North Memphis
Yo Gotti was born into poverty in North Memphis and raised in the Ridge Crest housing projects of the Frayser neighborhood — one of the city’s toughest areas. He was raised by a single mother alongside his brothers after his father died when he was just five years old. Crime and struggle were constant presences; as he has described it, his family was connected to street life because it was the only way to earn a living.
Music offered an escape. Influenced by his uncles, who were rappers themselves, Yo Gotti started rapping at 14 under the name Lil Yo. By 15, he was distributing his debut cassette from the trunk of his car — an early lesson in self-reliance and independent distribution that would shape his entire business philosophy.
That foundation of hustling his own product, with no label, no marketing budget, and no connections, became the blueprint for everything that followed. Yo Gotti did not just learn to rap in Memphis — he learned to be an entrepreneur.
Music Career: From Lil Yo to Memphis Legend
Yo Gotti’s recording career began in 1996 with the debut album Youngsta’s On a Come Up, released under the Lil Yo alias. Through the late 1990s and early 2000s, he built a formidable regional following with a string of independent releases: From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000), Self-Explanatory (2001), Life (2003), and Back 2 da Basics (2006).
These were not major-label productions — they were independent Memphis rap albums, distributed through regional networks and sold hand-to-hand. But they established Yo Gotti as the voice of Memphis street rap, with a gravelly delivery and unflinching lyrics about hustling, loyalty, and survival.
His major-label breakthrough came with Live from the Kitchen (2012), featuring the Lil Wayne-assisted single “Women Lie, Men Lie.” He followed with I Am (2013), and then his commercial peak: The Art of Hustle (2016), which debuted near the top of the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. I Still Am (2017), Untrapped (2020), and CM10: Free Game (2022) continued his run of consistent, high-quality releases.
Biggest Hits: “Down in the DM” and “Rake It Up”
Yo Gotti’s mainstream breakthrough as a singles artist came with “Down in the DM” (2015) — a track that became a cultural phenomenon, spawning countless memes and even inspiring Gotti’s real-life relationship with Angela Simmons, whom he had name-checked in the song years before they dated.
His biggest charting single remains “Rake It Up” (2017) featuring Nicki Minaj, which peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned triple-platinum certification from the RIAA. The song’s infectious bounce and the star power of the Minaj collaboration made it a defining hit of late-2010s hip-hop.
Other notable singles include “Put a Date on It” featuring Lil Baby and “Women Lie, Men Lie” featuring Lil Wayne. Across his catalog, Yo Gotti’s music is characterized by Memphis trap production, street-wise lyricism, and an underdog’s hunger — even after he became a mogul.
Collective Music Group: Building a Rap Empire
Yo Gotti’s most significant achievement may be Collective Music Group — CMG, formerly known as Cocaine Muzik Group — the record label he founded and runs as president and CEO, alongside his brother who serves in label leadership. What began as an imprint for his own music has become one of the most successful rap labels in America.
CMG’s roster reads like a who’s who of modern Southern hip-hop: Moneybagg Yo, one of the biggest rap stars in the world; GloRilla, the Memphis firebrand Gotti signed in 2022 who became a global phenomenon; EST Gee, the Louisville lyricist; 42 Dugg, the Detroit melodic trap star; and Blac Youngsta, Gotti’s longtime Memphis affiliate.
The label’s success reflects Gotti’s artist-development philosophy: sign authentic street talent, give them resources without stripping their identity, and let them grow. His Interscope partnership, announced in June 2021, gave CMG major-label distribution muscle while preserving its independence — the same independence-first model Gotti has championed since his trunk-selling days.
CMG’s dominance has made Yo Gotti one of the most powerful executives in hip-hop — a rapper who signs rappers, in the tradition of Jay-Z, Birdman, and Master P, but with a distinctly Memphis flavor. The label generates recurring revenue independent of Gotti’s own recording activity, which is the foundation of his nine-figure net worth.
Business Ventures Beyond Music
Yo Gotti’s business portfolio extends well beyond the recording studio. In September 2021, he joined the ownership group of D.C. United, the Major League Soccer club — becoming one of the few hip-hop artists with equity in a professional sports franchise. The move reflected both his wealth and his ambition to operate in rooms where hip-hop moguls have rarely been invited.
He is also a significant real estate investor, with holdings that Forbes highlighted in its 2024 profile of his $100 million empire. His business education — self-taught through decades of independent hustling — emphasizes ownership of masters, equity over fees, and reinvestment over consumption.
Forbes’ February 2024 feature, “Inside Yo Gotti’s $100 Million Music Empire,” documented the full scope: music royalties, CMG’s valuation, real estate, the D.C. United stake, and brand partnerships. It was a coronation of sorts — official recognition that the kid from Ridge Crest had built a genuine empire.
Yo Gotti Net Worth in 2026
Yo Gotti’s net worth is the subject of widely varying estimates. Forbes estimated it at $100 million in February 2024, a figure echoed by Celebrity Net Worth (updated July 2026). Other outlets publish far lower figures — $16 million to $18 million — typically counting only music income and missing the CMG equity that drives the Forbes number.
The truth likely lies in understanding what is being measured. The $100 million figure attempts to value CMG as a business, including its artist roster, catalog, and the Interscope partnership — assets that are real but privately held and difficult to price precisely. The lower figures generally count only personal music earnings. Neither is “wrong”; they are measuring different things.
What is undisputed is the trajectory: from selling cassettes out of a car to a Forbes-certified nine-figure empire, Yo Gotti’s wealth-building is among the most impressive in hip-hop history. His story is studied as a case study in independent ownership — the artist who never sold his leverage cheaply.
Personal Life: Family and Relationships
Yo Gotti is a father of at least three children, as he confirmed in a 2015 interview — though he keeps his family life largely private, and higher reported counts are not reliably confirmed. He has spoken about fatherhood as a grounding force, and about wanting his children to have opportunities he never had.
His most public relationship has been with Angela Simmons, the daughter of Rev Run of Run-DMC. Gotti famously foreshadowed the romance in “Down in the DM” back in 2015, and the couple confirmed their relationship via social media in January 2023. However, Simmons said in June 2025 that she was single and no longer with Gotti — so his current relationship status is not reliably confirmed.
He was previously married to Lakeisha Mims. As with many aspects of his personal life, Gotti keeps the details close — a contrast to the oversharing era of social media celebrity, and a discipline that has served him well.
Yo Gotti’s Influence on Memphis and Hip-Hop
Yo Gotti’s impact extends beyond his own balance sheet. He is the godfather of modern Memphis rap — the bridge between the city’s 1990s underground (Three 6 Mafia, 8Ball & MJG) and its current global dominance. By signing and developing GloRilla, he helped launch one of the biggest breakout stars of the 2020s, cementing Memphis as hip-hop’s most important regional scene.
His career also represents a distinct model of Southern rap success. Where Atlanta artists often chased major-label deals, Gotti built independence into his DNA — a philosophy now embraced by a new generation of Southern rappers, from fellow Southern rap stars like BigXthaPlug to the entire CMG roster. The independent Memphis model he pioneered is now industry standard.
In the broader hip-hop business, he stands alongside the great artist-executives — but with a difference. Jay-Z had corporate partners; Diddy had Bad Boy’s major-label machinery. Gotti built CMG from Memphis concrete, with Memphis artists, on Memphis terms. That authenticity is the brand, and it is priceless.
What’s Next for Yo Gotti
At 45, Yo Gotti operates at a level where music is almost optional — CMG, real estate, and his sports investments generate wealth regardless of his release schedule. But he continues to record, understanding that his credibility as an active artist is part of what makes CMG authentic to the streets.
The label’s future is the real story. With Moneybagg Yo, GloRilla, and EST Gee all in their primes, CMG is positioned to dominate Southern hip-hop for years. Gotti’s role is increasingly that of a mogul-mentor: the veteran who has seen everything, signing the next generation and teaching them the ownership lessons he learned the hard way.
Whether the next chapter brings new music, new signees, or new business ventures, Yo Gotti has already secured his legacy: the kid from Ridge Crest who became a hundred-million-dollar mogul without ever leaving Memphis behind. Like other hip-hop entrepreneurs such as Ray J, who built business ventures beyond music, Gotti understood early that the real money in entertainment is in ownership — and he never forgot it.
Discography Deep Dive: Three Decades of Memphis Rap
Yo Gotti’s album catalog is a chronicle of Memphis hip-hop’s evolution. The early independent run — Youngsta’s On a Come Up (1996), From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000), Self-Explanatory (2001), Life (2003), Back 2 da Basics (2006) — captured the raw, unpolished sound of Memphis street rap, distributed through regional channels and built on local legend.
The major-label era brought wider audiences without diluting the formula. Live from the Kitchen (2012) announced his national arrival; I Am (2013) consolidated it; The Art of Hustle (2016) was the commercial peak, debuting near the top of the Billboard 200 and earning RIAA gold certification. I Still Am (2017) rode the momentum of “Rake It Up,” while Untrapped (2020) and CM10: Free Game (2022) showed an artist comfortable in his veteran status — reflective, assured, and still hungry.
Across all of it, the constants are unmistakable: that gravelly voice, the Memphis trap production, the hustler’s philosophy. Yo Gotti never chased trends; he refined his lane until the industry came to him. In an era of disposable rap careers, a catalog this deep and this consistent is itself an achievement.
The Memphis Sound: Gotti’s Musical DNA
To understand Yo Gotti’s music, you have to understand Memphis. The city’s rap tradition — from the dark, hypnotic sounds of Three 6 Mafia to the soulful storytelling of 8Ball & MJG — shaped Gotti’s approach: heavy 808s, minor-key menace, and lyrics rooted in the specific realities of Memphis street life.
Gotti’s innovation was making that sound aspirational without softening it. His music has always been about the hustle as a path — from the dope game to the rap game to the boardroom. The subject matter evolved from survival to success, but the voice never changed. That authenticity is why Memphis embraced him as its king long before the rest of the world caught on.
His influence on the current Memphis wave cannot be overstated. Every young Memphis rapper — from Moneybagg Yo to GloRilla — works in a landscape Gotti helped create: a city whose sound is now globally dominant, whose artists command the industry’s attention, and whose independent spirit remains intact. He did not just represent Memphis; he built its modern infrastructure.
Awards and Recognition
While Yo Gotti’s trophy case may not match his bank account, his industry recognition is substantial. “Rake It Up” earned triple-platinum RIAA certification, The Art of Hustle went gold, and his albums have consistently charted on the Billboard 200. He has received BET Hip Hop Award nominations and recognition across the Southern hip-hop community.
But his most meaningful honors are arguably the business ones: the Forbes $100 million profile, the D.C. United ownership stake, and his status as the architect of CMG — achievements that transcend award shows. In hip-hop, respect is the real currency, and Yo Gotti is rich in it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Yo Gotti?
Yo Gotti is 45 years old as of 2026. He was born Mario Sentell Giden Mims on May 19, 1981, in Memphis, Tennessee.
What is Yo Gotti’s net worth in 2026?
Forbes estimated Yo Gotti’s net worth at $100 million in February 2024, a figure echoed by Celebrity Net Worth. Other outlets estimate $16–18 million, generally counting only music income rather than his CMG equity. The higher figure attempts to value his label, real estate, and business holdings.
What does CMG stand for?
CMG stands for Collective Music Group, the record label founded by Yo Gotti (formerly known as Cocaine Muzik Group). Its roster includes Moneybagg Yo, GloRilla, EST Gee, 42 Dugg, and Blac Youngsta.
What is Yo Gotti’s biggest song?
Yo Gotti’s biggest charting single is “Rake It Up” (2017) featuring Nicki Minaj, which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned triple-platinum RIAA certification. “Down in the DM” (2015) was his mainstream breakthrough.
Is Yo Gotti married?
Yo Gotti was previously married to Lakeisha Mims. He publicly dated Angela Simmons (daughter of Rev Run) from January 2023, but she said in June 2025 that she was single. His current relationship status is not reliably confirmed. He has at least three children.
Yo Gotti’s story is the American dream in its rawest form — not the sanitized version, but the real one: a kid from the Ridge Crest projects who started rapping at 14, sold his own music from a car at 15, and spent three decades turning street credibility into a $100 million empire without ever surrendering ownership of his work. Every independent artist working today, in hip-hop and beyond, walks a road that Yo Gotti helped pave.
At 45, as both a respected veteran artist and one of hip-hop’s most powerful executives, Yo Gotti has achieved something vanishingly rare: he won the music game and the business game simultaneously. Memphis made him; he is now making Memphis — signing its stars, building its institutions, and proving that independence is the ultimate luxury. From Lil Yo selling cassettes from a car to a Forbes-certified mogul, his journey remains the definitive blueprint for turning street dreams into generational wealth — and the Memphis empire he built is still expanding.
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