"The same principle and rules of the street are everywhere," Gotti said. or Omaha, Neb., Gotti says his rap will continue to appeal to hustlers. This tour will hit major markets but also smaller cities other rappers typically skip over. The "Road to Riches Tour" seems aptly titled for Gotti: his riches won't come from a hot mainstream single but rather through his continued connection to the streets. "It wasn't no Yo Gotti CDs in Memphis, where you could have sold 10,000 in days." Rather than grow bitter at "Kitchen's" disappointing sales, Gotti did what came naturally - he hustled by hitting the road for a 40-date tour. "You can't sell what's not on the shelf," he said. The 30-year-old rapper blames his label's low expectations - he says RCA anticipated a flop and only shipped 17,000 CDs in the first week. "Kitchen" only sold 16,000 copies in its first week. When "Kitchen" finally came out, its Nicki Minaj-featuring lead single from May 2009, "5 Star Remix," had long fizzled. The release date was pushed back several times. His first proper album, "Live From the Kitchen," was supposed to be Gotti's crowning moment, but it lost momentum after its songs leaked early. Major labels came calling, and Gotti eventually landed at RCA. After releasing a handful of independent albums on now-defunct TVT Records, Gotti saw his word-of-mouth buzz reach new heights through free mixtapes. "I'm pretty sure it's like the streets of Baltimore, with your hoods and traps." Rather than go down a similar path, Gotti focused on a rap career. "Memphis is just like any other city," he said.
In third grade, Gotti (born Mario Mims) watched federal agents raid his house, which resulted in his mother and aunts serving 10-15 years for refusing to cooperate with police. "I'm not saying that's how I want society to be, but people are still going to take that chance regardless." While growing up, Gotti saw family members taking those chances. "No matter how strict they get on laws, no matter how many police they hire, you're never going to stop from being in the street," Gotti said. Gotti says it's his job to make music that connects with the communities similar to North Memphis' Ridge Crest Apartments, the notoriously rough area where he grew up. His trademark mixtape series is called "Cocaine Muzik," a thinly veiled metaphor for his addictive brand of rap.
His first major-label album, January's "Live From the Kitchen," is a reference to manufacturing crack cocaine. Often compared to Young Jeezy, Gotti has built a career on street cred. For any rap fan that has followed Yo Gotti's career - which began in 2000 with the independent rap album "From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game" - his blue collar attitude should come as no surprise. "I like what the city stands for," said Gotti, who performs at Baltimore Soundstage on Sunday. The 30-year-old rapper from Memphis, Tenn., says Charm City reminds him of his gritty hometown. When Yo Gotti comes to Baltimore, he feels at home.
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