YG
YG in 2015
Background information
Born	Keenon Dequan Ray Jackson (1990-03-09) March 9, 1990 (age 36) Compton, California, U.S.
Genres	West Coast hip-hop gangsta rap
Occupations	Rapper songwriter actor
Works	YG discography
Years active	2008–present
Labels	Epic 4Hunnid Def Jam CTE World Interscope BMG 10K Projects
Children	2
Website	4hunnid.com
Signature

Keenon Dequan Ray Jackson^[1] (born March 9, 1990),^[2] better known by his stage name YG (acronym for "Young Gangsta"), is an American rapper. He released his debut mixtape, 4Fingaz, in 2008, and its follow-up, The Real 4Fingaz, the following year. The latter spawned the hit song "Toot It and Boot It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 67 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[3] He signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings in October 2009, which entered joint-venture with Atlanta-based rapper Jeezy's record label, CTE World, in 2013.^[4]

His 2013 single, "My Nigga" (featuring Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan), peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song and its follow-ups, "Left, Right" (featuring DJ Mustard) and "Who Do You Love?" (featuring Drake), preceded the release of his debut studio album, My Krazy Life (2014), which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and saw positive critical reception. Also in 2014, he guest appeared on Jeremih's single "Don't Tell 'Em", which peaked at number six on the Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song. His second album, Still Brazy (2016), was met with critical acclaim despite less commercial orientation, as it explored political and social issues for its subject matter.^[5]

His next three studio albums — Stay Dangerous (2018), 4Real 4Real (2019), and My Life 4Hunnid (2020) — each debuted within the Billboard 200's top ten; the former spawned the single "Big Bank" (featuring 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Nicki Minaj), which peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song as a lead artist. His sixth album, I Got Issues (2022) moderately entered the chart and served as his final release on Def Jam; his seventh album, The Gentlemen's Club (2026), failed to enter the Billboard 200. His collaborative albums, Kommunity Service (2021) with Mozzy and Hit Me When U Leave the Klub: The Playlist (2023) with Tyga, were both self-released and met with critical praise.^[6]