Born in Mobile, Alabama, Big Yavo moved to Birmingham in the fourth grade, where he would eventually grow into the person and artist he is today. Growing up around older people played a major role in shaping his mindset. From an early age, he learned how to carry himself, become independent, and figure things out on his own.
Looking back, one of the biggest lessons he took from his upbringing was simple: don’t depend on anyone else. That mentality became part of his foundation and would later help him navigate both life and the music business.
During his middle school years, music began becoming a bigger part of his world. Chief Keef stood out as one of his biggest influences, giving Big Yavo an early connection to the raw and unfiltered side of hip-hop. At the time, he wasn’t necessarily thinking about becoming an artist, but music was already making an impact on him.
It wasn’t until around 2019-2020 that Big Yavo officially started taking rap seriously. His decision to pursue music came from wanting to create his own path and distance himself from the lifestyle surrounding the streets. Music gave him something to focus on and a different direction to chase.
Before the music took off, Big Yavo was working at Walmart. The transition from clocking in at a regular job to building a career as a recording artist was something he described as surreal. What started as a way to focus on himself eventually turned into a life of performing, recording, and building a name of his own.
His creative process is just as natural as his story. Big Yavo primarily freestyles his music instead of sitting down and writing his lyrics out. In fact, he says he has only written a handful of songs throughout his career. That freestyle-driven approach has become a major part of his sound, allowing him to capture his thoughts and energy in the moment.
As his career began gaining momentum, Big Yavo faced adversity that could have easily changed his direction. After being shot outside one of his early concerts in Birmingham, he had every reason to step back. Instead, the experience motivated him to keep moving forward. Rather than allowing the incident to discourage him, he used it as another reason to push harder and continue building.
Throughout his journey, Big Yavo has continued to create records that have helped shape his catalog, including “Hit List,” “Webbie Flow,” “Boy,” “Candy Lady,” “Flodging,” “Clover Girl,” “Him,” “Chose Us,” “Put That Shit On,” and “Tell It.” Each record represents another piece of the journey and the progression of an artist who continues to carve out his own lane.
Now, Big Yavo is continuing that momentum with his latest album, “Like Yay 2,” currently available on all streaming platforms. The 19-track project features Obow G5, HeadHuncho Amir, Fox BD, Luh Soldier, Yungn VJ, TopOppGen, Key Glock, FattMack, and ThereGoMarcus.
