Rome Fortune

Atlanta emcee Rome Fortune cultivated a devoted audience primarily on his own, drawing listeners in with an otherworldly persona and a run of standout self-released mixtapes. From 2011 onward he issued multiple projects in both mixtape and EP formats, among them the 2013 release Beautiful Pimp, which earned notable critical attention for its singular stylistic range. He maintained a consistent pace of work, inking a deal with Fool’s Gold that yielded his first proper studio album, the 2016 set Jerome Raheem Fortune, while also linking with an eclectic array of collaborators including chilled-out indie artist Toro y Moi and electronic producer What So Not.

Born Jerome Raheem Fortune in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the rapper grew up around uncommon sounds thanks to his grandfather Richard Adderley, a musician and sibling to jazz legends Nat and Cannonball Adderley. After relocating to Atlanta as an adult, Fortune recorded early demos using his own beats and made his introduction in 2011 via the EP The Air Mattress. The following year brought the Childish Major–produced EP V O Y E U R. Major contributed again to the 2013 mixtape Beautiful Pimp, which also carried beats from DunDeal. In 2014 Small VVorld arrived, featuring guest appearances from OG Maco and iLoveMakonnen alongside production by Bassnectar. Kaytranada handled the boards for the 2016 album Jerome Raheem Fortune, issued on Fool’s Gold. Subsequent years brought a steady stream of standalone tracks alongside two 2018 projects: the collaborative EP Toro y Rome, Vol. 1 with Toro y Moi and the mixtape Beautiful Pimp 3. The latter stood as some of Fortune’s most expansive work yet, boasting an extensive roster of featured artists that included Young Thug, 03 Greedo, Cig Droopy, and others.