Yo Gotti Has Added A New Artist To His Roster: ‘Lil Poppa’

Lil Poppa Is Officially A Part Of Yo Gotti's CMG Roster

The Jacksonville MC “Lil Poppa” recently inked a deal with the label, which already includes artists like Moneybagg Yo, 42 Dugg, EST Gee, Blocboy JB, and more talented artists.

In addition to signing Poppa to CMG, the label made a strong debut earlier this week with 42 Dugg and EST Gee's collaborative album, Last Ones Left, debuting at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The signing comes on the heels of rapid growth for CMG and it demonstrates Gotti's ability to spot talent and help emerging artists take their careers to the next level.

Yo Gotti took to Twitter on Wednesday to announce that he has signed Lil Poppa.

Yo Gotti tweeted: “It's official Lil Poppa. Welcome to The Team. We continuing to Build & Invest Back into Da Culture..P.s #CMGRecords”

Yo Gotti's record label, CMG, has made some major moves lately: Gotti signed the legendary Sacramento artist Mozzy on February 10 of this year, and Lil Poppa on April 20.

It seems Gotti is using his clout in the industry wisely; these two talented members are making big moves in their own right.

Mozzy has been putting out hit after hit and Lil Poppa is no stranger to success either. He's a rising star in the industry, and he's only getting better from here.

Who is Lil Poppa?

While Jacksonville, Florida native Lil Poppa was only born in 1994, he's not new to the rap game.

Born Janarious Wheeler, Lil Poppa didn't start out with that moniker, but the name was inspired by his childhood nickname. His mother gave him the moniker “Poppa,” and he added the “Lil” because he was often hanging around among older kids.

Poppa began by spreading his music through Soundcloud and MyMixtapez, but he eventually expanded his reach to social media.

Janarious Wheeler spent his childhood years moving between his mother's home on Jacksonville's Eastside and his grandmother and aunt's home on the west.

Growing up alongside his older brother Chi Chi who shared his love for music, the two wrote songs and performed together original songs at their neighborhood church.

The MC was putting pen to paper at a young age, drawing on real-life experiences. He is frequently recognized for his compositions and story-telling abilities.

The young artist survived a drive-by shooting in 2018, in which one of his close friends was killed. He wrote a song called “Purple Hearts” about the incident and its horrific aftermath, which became his breakout hit and helped him land the Interscope contract.

Poppa evolved his style and gained attention in his hometown's music industry while struggling with a chronic blood illness that kept him hospitalized on occasion.

The Florida native's early efforts got the notice of well-known DJ Bigga Rankin, who supported some of his early mixtapes and helped him establish himself as a rising star.

Poppa's debut studio album, “Blessed, I Guess”, was released on May 7, 2021, after a succession of strong mixtapes under Interscope.

The album “Blessed, I Guess”, like all of Poppa's other works, values nuance overbroad assertions and focuses on Poppa's thoroughly considered, occasionally conflicting emotions.

Lil Poppa writes with a cynical viewpoint, continually protecting himself from life's unfulfilled promises and oncoming disasters. His reality, however, never descends into negativity, and he finds meaning in a strong dedication to his loved ones and his career.

During an interview with Audiomack, the young rapper said: “I just don't care for all the extra attention. I like to be able to move around normally, to get up and go whenever I feel like it. I don't care too much for the spotlight. It's just not me. So I try to stay as far away from it as I can and continue to do what I do. That's it.”

Lil Durk, Polo G, Stunna 4 Vegas, Mozzy, and Quando Rondo are just a few of the well-known artists with whom Poppa has collaborated. Evergreen Wildchild 2 (2020), Almsot Normal (2019), and Under Investigation (2018) are some of his projects.