Young Thug’s longtime girlfriend, Jerrika Karlae, stepped on the music scene in 2018 in pursuit of a new endeavor after making a name for herself on social media with her unparalleled style and makeup skills. The daughter of well-respected artist manager, Nekia Hauser, Karlae was already versed in the inner-workings of the music industry, even before deciding to set foot in it. The 27-year-old rapper made her artistic debut on Thug’s 2017 track, “U Ain’t Slime Enough,” quickly establishing a musical fanbase of Thug transplants. Karlae began releasing songs of her own in 2019, putting out “Everything,” featuring Thug himself, “RIXH,” featuring Rich The Kid, and “Shut Up And Listen,” with Lil Duke.
Dubbed “YSL’s First Lady,” Karlae has no shortage of fellow artists eager to collaborate with her. Seeking to be a role model for young girls in rap, Karlae injects her lyrics with the empowering, confidence-boosting messages that she feels were scarce when she was growing up. Karlae’s signature sound lies somewhere between singing, rapping, and conversing, with each bar rolling smoothly and effortlessly off the rapper’s tongue. Having moved to Georgia during her adolescence, Karlae is heavily influenced by Atlanta’s rap scene, which also happens to be where The Queen of Slime began recording music and met her fiancé, Young Thug.
