FXXXXY

FXXXXY, a Texas-based rapper, songwriter, and producer, acquired the fundamentals of beatmaking and production through self-directed effort during his teenage years before gradually developing original material. His work fused melodic, bouncy rap with hazy R&B vocals, first taking form on the hypnotic 2016 EP Cartel Shawty and then expanding through partnerships with Lil Durk and Gunna.

Born in Texas, FXXXXY relocated across the West Coast until his family returned to Dallas in his early teens. His mother’s passion for soul music and his father’s preference for golden-era hip-hop prompted him to experiment with music using instruments from his father’s collection. Within several years he was crafting beats and writing rhymes that drew on sultry old-school R&B alongside updated rap drum programming. His earliest tracks appeared online in 2015, and the following year he issued his first project, the Cartel Shawty EP. The 2017 release Flawed Up Shawty followed, generating growing critical notice for FXXXXY’s versatile rapping and production approaches. Wider attention arrived in 2018 when he joined Gunna on the mellow piano-driven “Need U” and released the trap-lite single “Follow Me” featuring Lil Durk. Further singles appeared throughout 2019, among them “Self Care,” “Staying Single,” and “Home.” FXXXXY died on September 17, 2020, at age 25 from complications after a routine medical procedure.