NLE Choppa
Quick Facts
Biography
Bryson Lashun Potts (born November 1, 2002), better known as NLE Choppa (formerly known as YNR Choppa), is an American rapper, songwriter, and entertainer based in Memphis, Tennessee. He is best known for his 2019 breakout single "Shotta Flow", which was certified platinum by the RIAA.
Early life
Potts was born to aJamaican mother and anAfrican-American father. He was raised in Memphis, Tennessee and attended the Cordova High School where he played basketball. He began freestyling with friends at the age of 14 and started taking music seriously at 15.
Musical career
NLE Choppa's manager is his mother, Angela Potts, who has been managing him since he started expressing an interest in rap music. He released his first song, "No Love Anthem", in February 2018 under the name YNR Choppa. On July 22, he released his debut mixtape, No Love the Takeover. In December, he appeared on "No Chorus Pt. 3", a cypher-style song by his Shotta Fam collective. His opening verse and his dance moves in the accompanying music video made him stand out from the group, earning him an online buzz.
After the surge of popularity, he released his breakout single "Shotta Flow" a week later. The video amassed 10 million views in a month. A few days after its release, Pitchfork highlighted the track as its Song of the Day, praising his energetic delivery and adding that "he hits a new dance move every time the camera cuts back to him". The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2019, debuting at number 96. It later peaked at number 36. The official remix, featuring Blueface, directed by Cole Bennett, was released in June, shortly after the original song was certified platinum by the RIAA.
In February, he released the song's sequel, "Shotta Flow 2". The video received 20 million views within two months, prompting Carl Lamarre from Billboard to say that his "recent dominance has silenced any detractors". It was around this time that it was reported that Choppa had sparked a bidding war between a handful of top record labels, with bids reaching a reported $3 million. He turned these offers down, however, to instead sign with the independent distribution company, UnitedMasters, while keeping his master recordings and publishing.
In March, he released a new single called "Capo", with the music video debuting on Worldstarhiphop. Also in March, he was featured on Birdman and Juvenile's song "Dreams".
In April 2019, NLE released another single called "Birdboy", produced by SGULL.
In May, Choppa released a new single, "Blocc Is Hot", produced by ATL Jacob. It was made as a tribute to his favorite childhood rapper, Lil Wayne. A few days later, he made his music festival debut by performing at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis. Bob Mehr of The Commercial Appeal praised his act, saying that he "did much to seize the opportunity on the big stage in his hometown" and that "his career is likely to see plenty more memorable Memphis moments."
On June 14, 2019, he released the single, "Free Youngboy", produced by CashMoneyAP. The music video has achieved over 19 million views on YouTube. The title of this song is a reference to rapper NBA YoungBoy, who was arrested for shooting and because he violated his parole. This song was the first release from his own label No Love Entertainment (NLE), which he launched in partnership with Warner Records. According to Billboard magazine, No Love Entertainment is slated to release new music from NLE Choppa. On September 13, 2019, NLE Choppa released a new single titled "Camelot". The song peaked at number 37 in the US, becoming his second Top 40 hit, following "Shotta Flow".
On December 20, 2019, NLE Choppa released his debut extended play titled Cottonwood. The EP, named after the area he grew up in, features the previously released singles "Side" and his breakthrough hit "Shotta Flow". To accompany the release of Cottonwood, a short film of the same name was released. NLE Choppa's debut album is set for release in the first quarter of 2020.
Personal life
During an unspecified time, NLE Choppa served time at a juvenile detention center. He has never revealed what he went in for, but the artist has said his time at the detention center motivated him to turn his life around. In an episode of his YouTube series The Rise of NLE Choppa, he said that being in juvenile helped him a lot and was an "eye-opener".
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Details |
---|---|
Top Shotta |
|
Extended plays
Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
---|---|---|
US | ||
Cottonwood |
| 57 |
! scope="row"| Cottonwood2
- Released:March 26, 2020
- Label: No Love Entertainment, 300 Entertainment
- Format: Digital download, streaming
Mixtapes
Title | Details |
---|---|
No Love the Takeover (as YNR Choppa) |
|
Singles
As lead artist
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | US R&B/HH | NZHot | ||||
"Shotta Flow" (solo or with Blueface) | 2019 | 36 | 14 | 40 |
| Cottonwood |
"Shotta Flow 2" | — | — | — |
| TBA | |
"Capo" | — | — | — |
| ||
"Birdboy" | — | — | — | |||
"Blocc Is Hot" | — | — | — | |||
"ChopBloc" (with BlocBoy JB) | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
"Stick by My Side" (with Clever) | — | — | — | |||
"Free Youngboy" | — | — | — | TBA | ||
"Shotta Flow 3" | — | — | — | |||
"Nolove Anthem" | — | — | — | No Love the Takeover | ||
"Camelot" (solo or featuring BlocBoy JB, Yo Gotti, & Moneybagg Yo) | 37 | — | 10 | TBA | ||
"ChopBloc 2" (with BlocBoy JB) | — | — | — | |||
"Forever" | — | — | — | |||
"Dekario" | — | — | — | |||
"Famous Hoes" | 83 | — | — | |||
"Side" | — | — | — | Cottonwood |
As featured artist
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Hit the Scene" (White Sosa featuring NLE Choppa) | 2019 | Narco Choppa |
"Beef" (9lokkNine featuring Murda Beatz & NLE Choppa) | Non-album singles | |
"Get Like Me" (Bhad Bhabie featuring NLE Choppa) | ||
"Zombie" (Kodak Black featuring NLE Choppa and DB Omerta) | ||
"Hit Yo Dance" (Rubi Rose featuring NLE Choppa and Yella Beezy) |
Other charted songs
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
---|---|---|---|
NZHot | |||
"Matrix" | 2019 | 35 | Cottonwood |
Guest appearances
Title | Year | Other performer(s) | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Dreams" | 2019 | Birdman, Juvenile | Just Another Gangsta |
"Double" | Smokepurpp | Lost Planet | |
"Dance" | HoodRich Pablo Juan, Key Glock | BLO: The Movie | |
"100 or Better" | Stunna 4 Vegas | BIG 4X | |
"Time to Shine" | 2019 | Young E.Z. | Time to Shine |
"Hittas" | Yella Beezy | Baccend Beezy | |
"Poles" | Quin NFN | 4NUN |