We’re less than a week away from the arrival of Yo Gotti’s ninth studio album, I Still Am, the aptly-titled follow-up to 2013’s I Am effort.
As the track list previously revealed, the effort will come in a relatively concise package of 13 tracks total, outfitted with appearances from Chris Brown, YFN Lucci, Meek Mill, French Montana, 21 Savage, and Nicki Minaj on the anthem of the hour “Rake It Up.” As far as production is concerned, listeners can be prepared to welcome credits from the likes of Southside, London on da Track, Zaytoven, Ben Billions, Drumma Boy, and M-M-M-Murda Beatz to name a few.
More recently, Yo Gotti unveiled the trailer to a documentary of the same name set for release on October 27th in tandem with the album exclusively on TIDAL. Taking on a seemingly inspirational nature, the clip is accompanied by a voiceover from Gotti, born Mario Mims, as he waxes poetic about dedication to the rap game and the streets.
“I applied my whole life of the streets to this game—everything,” The Memphis-bred emcee’s signature drawl begins. “It's like why would you wake up and go to the trap everyday but don't have no dope? You just in the way. To me that's like being a rapper but never going to the studio. You always everywhere else It's popping at. You on all the red carpets, you're posting all the pictures. You at all the shows but, you never in the studio. You ain’t got no work. What you selling?”
When I Am dropped in 2013, it was Gotti’s most successful release at the time, producing such singles such as “Act Right,” featuring Jeezy and YG and “King Shit,” featuring T.I. It would go on to peak at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and earn Gotti a BET Hip Hop Award Nomination for Album of the year.
While I Still Am is the follow-up, it also arrives on the heels of the self-proclaimed King of Memphis’ 2016 The Art of Hustle album, a project that would top I Am on the charts by peaking at No. 2 and usher in something of a comeback season for Gotti at the time as he was granted dominating singles in the forms of “Law,” and the viral “Down in the DM” cut with the latter going on to earn double platinum status.
Now as he awaits the arrival I Still Am, he’s equipped with a similar formula: optimum buzz and one of the hottest tracks out at the moment. “Rake It Up” has already gone platinum and Yo Gotti’s name just can’t seem to stay away from headlines especially amid this Young Dolph beef that seems to take a more violent and twisting turn every day.
If beef does, in fact, sell records, this may prove to be his most successful outing to date, and it’ll surely be interesting to see what message he’s pushing with the new documentary when it’s all said and done.