Emerging from Mobile, Alabama, rapper
Rylo Rodriguez first gained attention for his inventive sample flipping, incorporating elements from mellow R&B tracks, guitar loops, and even a
Mariah Carey song for the instrumentals of his earliest material. Affiliations with rappers like
NoCap and
Lil Baby took
Rodriguez's music to an expanded audience, and he signed on with
Lil Baby's Four Pockets Full label for the release of his 2020 debut studio album,
G.I.H.F.Rodriguez was born Ryan Adams in 1993 and grew up in a housing project in Mobile, being cared for by his grandfather. The environment of the projects would have an impact on his music early on, with lyrics centering around the struggles and hustles of his surroundings. Along with intense lyrics about personal struggles,
Rodriguez's earliest tracks got attention for their smart beat flipping. 2019's "Project Baby" used the instrumental from
Mariah Carey's tender ballad "Always Be My Baby" as the backdrop for stories about life in the hood, and its video was viewed over ten million times in its first year. Some of
Rodriguez's other early songs used samples from
Tamia and
Leon Bridges.
In 2019, he released Rogerville, a collaborative mixtape made with fellow Alabama rapper
NoCap, and also had several songs featuring appearances by
Lil Baby, who was enjoying massive mainstream success at the time. These connections brought
Rodriguez to more listeners, and in November 2020 he released his debut album,
G.I.H.F. (short for "Goat in Human Form"). The set featured cameos from
Lil Baby,
Yo Gotti,
Jackboy, and others and climbed into the Top 50 of the Billboard charts. ~ Fred Thomas