Tay-K's debut mixtape,
#SantanaWorld, originally surfaced in July of 2017, soon after the rapper (who had just turned 17 the previous month) had been captured by the police after escaping house arrest for capital murder charges and fleeing from Texas to New Jersey. While in New Jersey, he recorded "The Race," which details his legal troubles and his run from the law. The single made a major impact, eventually hitting over 100 million views on YouTube and spawning numerous remixes. However, the rapper's official Twitter account stated that the mixtape was an unofficial leak, and that something big was in the works. RCA Records imprint 88 Classic gave
#SantanaWorld a proper release in December of 2017, including a remix of "The Race" featuring
21 Savage and
Young Nudy as well as a remix of "I <3 My Choppa" featuring
Maxo Kream. Both
#SantanaWorld and "The Race" reached the Billboard charts.