BlackMayo

Rapper-producer BlackMayo crafts tracks rugged enough to dominate car sound systems yet tuneful enough to climb mainstream charts. In his role behind the boards he supplied beats for 24kGoldn and Lil Mosey, while his own material also achieved wide attention, most notably the 2018 cut “Jus’Know,” which resurfaced as a viral phenomenon years later. His first full-length solo project, the 2021 album OMO (On My Own), arrived on Slaughter Gang Entertainment.

Born Kevin Essett in Bloomington, Indiana, he began shaping beats for fellow artists and recording original material while still a teenager. Among his earliest credits was the production of Lil Mosey’s 2017 song “Pull Up,” alongside several self-released tracks. Subsequent collaborations included work with Lil Tjay and Flipp Dinero; in 2019 he handled production on 24kGoldn’s Billboard-charting single “VALENTINO” and issued the mixtape MayoWorld 2. That same year he had already dropped the EP IAMNOTARAPPER. In 2022 he followed up with its sequel, the concise project IAMNOTARAPPER II.

A 2024 TikTok trend revived interest in “Jus’Know,” pushing its streaming totals past 100 million. Capitalizing on the renewed visibility, BlackMayo issued the new single “High Hopes” in December 2024.