Many artists found their stars quietly rising through the COVID-19 pandemic, including rapper and singer 6lack. The 29-year-old Atlanta native broke through to a new level of the mainstream in 2021, largely thanks to his collaboration with Lil Tjay titled “Calling My Phone.” For those catching up, here’s a quick intro to his career.
Ricardo Valdez Valentine Jr. was born in Baltimore, Maryland ,in 1992, but moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at a young age. He grew up and took on the stage name 6lack. Valentine’s father worked a recording studio, according to the House of Blues’ Music Forward Foundation, which exposed the rapper to a formal industry setting from a young age. He also grew up around other breakout Atlanta artists, including Young Thug. He began rapping in middle school, attended Stone Mountain High School, then studied briefly at Valdosta State University before dropping out in 2011 when he signed his first record deal.
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Even after signing to Flo Rida’s Strong Arm Records, however, Valentine struggled. In an interview with GQ, he revealed that he moved to Miami, Florida, to work with the label, but he had little financial stability. When he couldn’t sleep in the recording studio, he said, he was reduced to sleeping on the street. During this time, he continued to release most of his music on SoundCloud. Eventually, he left Strong Arm and signed with Love Renaissance and Interscope Records.
Unlike many other artists of his generation, Valentine’s climb to prominence was gradual in some ways. He had a few notable collaborations and guest spots, but most fans would agree that his breakout moment was the release of his single “Prblms,” which peaked at number 73 on the Billboard Hot 100. It promoted his debut studio album, Free 6lack, which reached number 34 on the Billboard 200.
From there, Valentine went on to collaborate with artists like Khalid and Ty Dolla Sign on songs like “OTW” and “Switch,” steadily gaining traction as he went. Heavy-hitters like Future, J. Cole and Offset were featured on his second album, East Atlanta Love Letter. In early 2020, Valentine reached even deeper into the mainstream when he featured on Selena Gomez’s song “Crowded Room.”
Today, the 28-year-old Valentine is still on the rise with the chart-topping “Calling My Phone.” He is considered by many the face of the more emotive, vulnerable side of hip-hop on the rise. 6lack’s music is available now on streaming services and at record stores.
