Lil Uzi Vert Bio
Symere Bysil Woods (born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they are recognized for an androgynous fashion style, an eclectic mix of emo, punk, and trap influences, and a melodic approach to rap. Lil Uzi Vert first broke through with the 2015 commercial mixtape Luv Is Rage and the 2016 single “Money Longer,” later scoring a number-one feature on Migos’ “Bad and Boujee” and a top-ten hit with “XO Tour Llif3.” They have publicly identified as gender-nonconforming and use they/them pronouns, and they are widely regarded as an influential voice in contemporary hip-hop.
Early Life and Background
Symere Bysil Woods was born on July 31, 1995, in the Francisville neighborhood of North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They grew up listening to Mike Jones and Ying Yang Twins, with Jones’ 2005 debut album being the first record they ever bought. As a teenager, Woods expanded their musical tastes to include Wiz Khalifa, Meek Mill, Marilyn Manson, Paramore, Smash Mouth, the Rocket Summer, My Chemical Romance, and the All-American Rejects.
Woods dropped out of school and briefly worked at a Bottom Dollar store, quitting after four days before being kicked out of their home by their mother. The experience pushed them to take their rap career seriously, and they marked the moment with their first face tattoo, the word “Faith” inscribed under their hairline. They have repeatedly cited Marilyn Manson as their greatest inspiration and consider the band’s 1998 album Mechanical Animals a personal favorite.
Path to Music
Woods began rapping in tenth grade after hearing classmate William Aston freestyle over a remade Chris Brown instrumental. Alongside Aston and a friend, they formed the group Steaktown under the early name “Sealab Vertical” before adopting the stage name Lil Uzi Vert, inspired by a description of their rapid rap delivery as “fast, like a machine gun.” In January 2014, they released their first project, the EP Purple Thoughtz Vol. 1, which included the single “White Shit,” produced by SpaceGhostPurrp.
The project caught the attention of Def Jam A&R Don Cannon after DJ Diamond Kuts played one of Woods’ songs on a local radio station, leading to a recording deal with Atlantic Records through DJ Drama, Don Cannon, and Leighton Morrison’s Generation Now imprint. Their 2014 mixtape The Real Uzi followed, along with high-profile features on tracks such as Carnage’s “WDYW,” helping to position them as a rising voice in the underground scene. By the time they released their second mixtape, Luv Is Rage, in October 2015, they had been named a “breakout artist of 2015” by HotNewHipHop and featured on outlets including The Fader, XXL, and Vibe.
Lil Uzi Vert Career
Early Career (2010-2015)
Lil Uzi Vert started releasing music in 2010, but their earliest widely recognized work arrived with the 2014 EP Purple Thoughtz Vol. 1 and the 2014 mixtape The Real Uzi, both released on Don Cannon’s The Academy imprint. Their signing to Atlantic Records through Generation Now opened the door to larger features and tours, including an appearance on Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa’s “Boys of Zummer” tour in August 2015. Songs like “No Wait,” “Pressure” with Lil Durk, and “Dej Loaf” circulated on SoundCloud, building anticipation for a full commercial project.
The turning point came on October 30, 2015, with the release of Luv Is Rage, their second mixtape and first commercial release. Featuring production from Sonny Digital, TM88, and Maaly Raw, and guest appearances from Wiz Khalifa and Young Thug, the project was praised for its melodic, energetic style and helped Lil Uzi Vert become one of the most talked-about new rappers heading into 2016.
Breakthrough (2016-2017)
In February 2016, Lil Uzi Vert released “Money Longer” on SoundCloud following a radio debut on Shade 45. The song led their third mixtape, Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World (April 2016), which debuted at number 37 on the Billboard 200, spent 55 weeks on the chart, and was eventually certified double platinum. That same year, they were named to XXL’s 2016 Freshman Class, joined Kodak Black on the “Parental Advisory” tour, released The Perfect LUV Tape on their 22nd birthday, and contributed to a collaborative mixtape with Gucci Mane titled 1017 vs. the World.
The breakthrough deepened in 2017. They were featured on Migos’ “Bad and Boujee,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2017, marking their first number-one placement as a lead or featured artist. In February, they released the EP Luv Is Rage 1.5, and the stand-out track “XO Tour Llif3” gained traction on SoundCloud before being issued as an official single. “XO Tour Llif3” peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been certified fourteen-times platinum as of December 2024. On August 25, 2017, they surprise-released their debut studio album Luv Is Rage 2, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 with 135,000 album-equivalent units, generated ten Billboard Hot 100 entries, and was later certified platinum.
Continued Success (2018-2020)
Following Luv Is Rage 2, Lil Uzi Vert headlined Power 105.1’s Powerhouse at the Barclays Center alongside the Weeknd, Migos, and Cardi B, and appeared on songs including Travis Scott’s “Watch” with Kanye West, Nav’s “Wanted You,” and Juice Wrld’s “Wasted.” After years of delay, their second studio album Eternal Atake was released on March 6, 2020, debuting atop the Billboard 200. A deluxe edition followed, sustaining the album’s number-one position with 400 million streams in early 2020, the largest streaming count for any album since Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter V in 2018. On November 13, 2020, they released the collaborative album Pluto x Baby Pluto with Future, which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200.
Recent Work (2021-2023)
In July 2021, Lil Uzi Vert announced the upcoming album The Pink Tape, later shortened to Pink Tape. They released the EP Red & White in July 2022 and, in October 2022, dropped “Just Wanna Rock,” a Jersey club-inspired track that went viral on TikTok and peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. On June 30, 2023, they released Pink Tape, their third solo studio album, featuring appearances from Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Bring Me the Horizon, Don Toliver, and Babymetal. Pink Tape debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making Lil Uzi Vert only the third hip-hop artist of the 21st century, alongside Drake and J. Cole, to have their first three studio albums reach the top spot.
Notable Works and Milestones
Signature releases include the mixtapes Luv Is Rage and Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World, the studio albums Luv Is Rage 2, Eternal Atake, and Pink Tape, and singles such as “Money Longer,” “XO Tour Llif3,” “The Way Life Goes,” and “Just Wanna Rock.” Notable milestones include three consecutive number-one solo albums on the Billboard 200, a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist at the 2018 ceremony, and a feature on the chart-topping single “Bad and Boujee.”
Lil Uzi Vert Award Nominations
Lil Uzi Vert received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist at the 2018 Grammy Awards, recognizing their breakthrough year with Luv Is Rage 2 and “XO Tour Llif3.” The nomination underscored the critical and commercial impact they had achieved within just a few years of releasing their first commercial mixtape.
Lil Uzi Vert Awards Won
“XO Tour Llif3” earned Lil Uzi Vert the MTV Video Music Award for Song of the Summer in 2017, one of the highest-profile honors of their early career. The award celebrated the song’s widespread popularity on streaming platforms and radio, helping to cement their standing as a mainstream artist.
Lil Uzi Vert Family
Public details about Lil Uzi Vert’s immediate family are limited. They have mentioned being raised by their mother in North Philadelphia, and the experience of being kicked out of their home as a teenager became a formative moment that pushed them toward music. They have also spoken about their admiration for close collaborators and the hip-hop community they consider an extended family, including their long-running ties with members of the ASAP Mob and their partner, JT of the hip-hop duo City Girls.
Personal Life
Lil Uzi Vert was in a relationship with fashion designer Brittany Byrd from 2014 to 2017. They later dated fitness personality Brittany Renner from 2017 to 2019. Since 2019, they have been in a relationship with JT of the hip-hop duo City Girls. In July 2022, they announced on Instagram that they use they/them pronouns, and in 2023 they confirmed that they identify as gender-nonconforming. They are also known for their eclectic style, including facial tattoos, piercings, and a brief, widely reported decision to implant a 10-carat pink diamond in their forehead in 2021, which was later removed and replaced with a barbell piercing.