Polo G is a popular American rapper and songwriter. Many people know him thanks to the tracks Pop Out and Go Stupid. The artist is often compared to Western rapper G Herbo, citing similar musical style and performance.
The artist became popular after releasing a number of successful video clips on YouTube. At the beginning of his career, the performer wrote music under the pseudonyms Mr. Capalot or Polo Capalot.
Today, the artist has two successful albums, which immediately after the releases entered the top 10 hit parade in America. Also, the artist can be heard in the tracks of Murda Beatz, Calboy, Lil durk, Lil Gotit, Quando Rondo and others. Despite the fact that Polo G began its activities in 2017, its tracks can often be heard on the world charts. According to estimates by the streaming service Spotify, more than 14 million people listen to the artist every month.
What is known about the childhood and youth of Polo G?
The rap artist was born on January 6, 1999 in Chicago. His real name is Taurus Tremany Bartlett. The artist prefers not to talk in detail about the family. It is known that, in addition to Polo G, there were three more children (brothers and sisters). His mother is a realtor by profession, and his father is a factory worker.
Taurus spent his childhood and youth in the most dangerous area of Chicago - Cabrini Green. In addition to the high crime rate, there were also poor social and housing conditions.
Of course, the artist's environment greatly influenced him creatively. Polo G wrote emotionally filled tracks in the drill genre and touched on crime issues. According to the artist, at an early age he wanted to leave the city. In one of the interviews, he said the following:
“I wanted to leave Chicago. Of course, I love and will never stop loving this place, but you can often get into trouble here, especially with a character like mine.
As a teenager, the guy had to endure the loss of many members of his family and friends. When he was 15 years old, there was a shootout on the streets of Chicago. As a result, Taurus lost his friend Devonshay Lofton (Gucci). There is a version that, in memory of a friend, the performer added the letter “G” to his pseudonym, and Polo is his favorite clothing brand.
As a teenager, Taurus was arrested five times. The reason for this was drug possession, car theft and driving without a license in high-speed cars. What's more, the Polo G has been in Chicago correctional facilities several times. He joined the street gang Almighty Vice Lord Nation, which has over 35 members.
The work of the rising artist was greatly influenced by Gucci Mane and Lil Wayne. When rap began to develop the direction of drill, Polo G began to be interested in Chicago performers. The artist began to listen to the music of already famous Chief keef, Lil Durk and G Herbo. Due to the fact that he often sang tracks of popular rappers, family members jokingly called him Rapper Dude.
The first musical successes of Polo G
Taurus' musical career begins in 2016 when he released his first ODA song. In an interview with Rollingout.com, the artist recalled how exciting and interesting it was for him.
He began releasing tracks in 2017 on YouTube, which gradually interested listeners. From the early works of the artist, you can hear Never Cared and The Come Up.
In 2018, Polo G created an account on SoundCloud, where he published the song Gang With Me. In a few weeks, she scored 1 million plays, thanks to which the performer gained her first popularity. After that, he also interested the users of the site with the tracks Welcome Back and Neva Cared.
Finer Things Polo G wrote the next hit in prison. Thanks to the inspiring and melodic song that was released in 2018, he became even more famous. Taurus has proven himself to be one of the most promising rappers in the music industry. A video clip for the successful track was released on the artist's YouTube channel on August 25, 2018. Today it has gained more than 119 million views.
Cooperation with popular companies
Due to the popularity of the Finer Things song, record companies began to send a significant number of offers to the artist. Although Taurus wanted to remain independent from labels, he signed with Columbia Records in 2018. On February 1, 2019, together with rapper Lil Tjay, the artist released the track Pop Out.
Mom pushed him to sign a contract with one of the main labels of the artist. She is now part-time manager. Stasha Mac said:
“In Chicago, we lived very modestly, and many companies took advantage of our position by making unprofitable offers. I have always realized the value of my son. As an independent performer, he himself has achieved high results. That is why when I was offered conditional deals for $500, I was confident that I could find an offer for $600.”
Polo G listeners immediately liked the composition Pop Out and took 95th position in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Later, the song took 22nd position. The music video for this track, previously posted on his YouTube channel on January 13, 2019, became a sensational hit and received over 12 million views within a month.
Release of Polo G music albums
The artist released his first album Die A Legend on June 7, 2019, being one of the most promising artists in the rap genre. The record took the 6th position in the US Billboard 200. Over 38 copies were sold in the first week. The artist explained the loud title of the album as follows:
“You don't have to be a great person to die a legend. You can be a legend in your neighborhood or for your loved ones.”
On the cover, Taurus depicted eight people who died because of the violence in Chicago. Among them are his grandmother, several friends and close relatives.
Upon release, the work received critical acclaim. Sheldon Pierce of Pitchfork Media Inc. rated the album 8,3 out of 10 and gave it the "Best New Music" award. In the review, he noted that the artist "blends pop and drill with ease and represents Chicago's preeminent debut street rap that is carefully crafted and honestly told." In turn, Riley Wallace of HipHopDX said, "The album has a well-crafted mix of honesty and tragedy."
The second studio album Polo G The Goat was released in May 2020. The performer explains the name "Goat" by the fact that according to the sign of the zodiac he is Capricorn. In songs, Taurus very often touched on the problem of sudden success and collapsed popularity. There are also feats with Mustard, Lil baby, BJ the Chicago Kid and the deceased Juice Wrld. In a few weeks, the work was able to take 2nd position on the Billboard 200 chart.
The album received generally positive reviews from critics. Paul A. Thompson of Pitchfork Media Inc. said the following:
“The Chicago rapper's new album has revealed him as an adaptable talent that shouldn't be overlooked. However, the likelihood of him becoming a superstar in the major label system is very low.”
Polo G problems with the law
Due to his involvement in street gangs and his troubled nature, the performer had occasional legal troubles. Chicago Police Department records showed that the rapper was first arrested on October 25, 2017. The protocol mentions that the reason for the arrest was possession of about 10-30 g of cannabis and criminal penetration.
The second time Polo G was arrested was at 3942 W. Roosevelt Road. The incident took place on December 14, 2017. He was released the next day on $1500 bail. On both occasions, he had to spend time in the Cook County Department of Corrections. The rapper spoke about another arrest in an interview with VLAD. This happened in March 2018, just 5 months before signing with Columbia Records. However, this arrest was not registered.
Polo G personal life
Taurus is currently in a romantic relationship with Crystal Blease. According to rumors, the couple is already engaged and planning a wedding. Crystal can often be seen on Polo G posts on Instagram and Twitter. In February 2019, the artist released the song Mrs. Calpalot, which was listened to on music platforms by millions of fans. The couple also already have a son, Tremany, who was born on July 6, 2019.
It is known that in August 2019, Polo G was taken to one of the hospitals in Chicago. According to him, he used illegal substances and almost died after an overdose at a party.
Polo G in 2021
At the beginning of June 2021, the premiere of the third studio album of the rap artist Polo G took place. The disc was called Hall Of Fame. The compilation was topped by 20 tracks. The track Rapstar also got into the longplay. Recall that the composition has become one of the loudest hits of this year. In a couple of months, the video for the song gained more than 80 million views.
