Hailing from Carson, California, the rapper known as REASON commands attention with his raw, throaty delivery. He first surfaced in the later 2010s through a pair of mixtapes that failed to gain traction because of insufficient backing. The West Coast artist’s trajectory shifted once he connected with key behind-the-scenes figures, specifically Moosa and Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, which secured him a spot on the number-one soundtrack Black Panther: The Album, a recording contract with Top Dawg Entertainment, and a 2018 updated edition of There You Have It. His first proper studio album, New Beginnings, surfaced in 2020 and reached the higher tiers of the Billboard 200. After joint tracks with the Game and Jay Rock, he issued his follow-up LP, Porches, in 2023. Additional singles came afterward, among them the 2025 Bas pairing “Not What You Think.”
Born Robert Gill in Carson, California, he issued his first solo mixtape under the name REASON, In the Meantime, during January 2015. The next year brought two further projects, The Free Album and The Proof. In May 2017 he dropped his fourth mixtape, There You Have It, yet a publicist abandoned the campaign after receiving nearly five figures for promotion. REASON recovered several months later upon securing steady guidance from manager Moosa Tiffith, a relationship that produced a commercial leap the following February. That month saw the release of the Kendrick Lamar-driven Black Panther: The Album, which included “Seasons,” featuring REASON alongside fellow Californian Mozzy and South African artist Sjava. The project reached the summit of the Billboard 200. Half a year later, Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith—the manager’s father—added him to the TDE roster, situating him alongside Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, and SZA, among others.
A refreshed edition of There You Have It, now carrying the new single “The Soul,” appeared on TDE in September 2018. Two years passed before his studio debut arrived; during the interval he put out several singles and contributed guest verses to the Dreamville compilation Revenge of the Dreamers III. When New Beginnings finally landed in October 2020, it entered the Billboard 200 at number 167 and showcased appearances by Vince Staples, JID, ScHoolboy Q, and additional artists. REASON’s 2021 activity included the short demo EP No More, No Less and a feature on Ben Beal and Elijah Who’s “Coraline.” The following year he released both “Is What It Is,” a collaboration with Jay Rock, and “Impalas & Hydraulics,” a collaboration with the Game. His second studio album, Porches, arrived in August 2023 and included guest spots from Flozigg, London Monet, Baby Tate, and others.
Once his TDE contract concluded, he issued several independent singles in 2024, among them “I Thought You Loved Me” (with Cozz and Buddy) and the two-song set I’ll Get Over It. “Not What You Think,” a collaboration with Bas, appeared in 2025.
