Moneybagg Yo is an American songwriter and rapper who is known for his melodic blending of drill, trap, and Southern hip hop genres. Since he started music, he has released a number of mixed tapes and albums, including “Federal 3X,” “2 Heartless,” “Time Served,” and “A Gangsta’s Pain.”
Born DeMario DeWayne White Jr., Moneybagg Yo started music in 2011 with the release of his first official single, “F U Pay Me.” Since then, he has not looked back, releasing back-to-back hit songs and collaborations with artists like Yo Gotti, Quavo, Young Dolph, and Lil Durk.
Recalling his journey on the show “360 With Speedy Morman”, the rapper said he went to the extreme to reach his goals, adding that he even slept on a floor mattress for six months.
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“We were sleeping on the floor in the Mill Creek apartments,” Moneybagg Yo said. “We were doing what we had to do to get $40, $100 here and there. It was like in the streets. It was up and down, and we was just taking the money and going to One Sound Studios and recording with the engineer Sky. He’s the same engineer that’s with me today. I just took everything I had and made that happen and got us off the floor.”
His sacrifices paid off. Today, he is counted among some of the best rappers in hip-hop. Also, Moneybagg Yo’s value has gone up, in terms of how much he charges to appear at a concert. According to him, he started with $500, then it went to $2,500, and went up again to $25,000.
“It started with $500 first, probably like one or two shows and then immediately after the $500, it went to $2,500 and that’s how my stuff was jumping,” Moneybagg Yo explained. “It was going from $2,500 to $10,000 to $25,000. It was doing real big jumps. So, I knew we was on to something.”
Today, he charges between $150,000 to $200,000 per show. According to him, his value keeps going up because he has set a standard.
“I’m still a hustler. I’m a street n–ga at the end of the day, so I understand business too. So it’s like everybody ain’t got the $200,000,” he said, adding that, “I ain’t going no less than $150,000 though. We gon’ make it happen with $175,000, $150,000. ‘What you got?’ I’m gonna work with you.”
He continued, “I’m gonna see what you got. ‘How long you need me on the stage?,’ but I’mma have to water you down from the $200,000. At the $200,000 you gonna get all this, you gon’ get your money’s worth… but the $150,000 you might water it down a little bit, but I’m still give you me. I’mma give fans the best show of their life.”
Moneybagg Yo was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was raised by a single mother alongside his two younger siblings. However, he was often not home and was always found among street gangs because of his mother’s financial challenges.
He attended Mitchell High School but dropped out in 12th grade in order to pursue a career to support his family. When his career path did not materialize, he took to drug dealing to survive. He ultimately found his way out and began working on his skills as a rapper.
