Evolution of Playboi Carti
“Each individual can enjoy their life as they choose because, at the end of the day, it is their life that they are living”
- Joselyn Cruz
Playboi Carti, also known as Jordan Terrell Carter, is well known in this generation, not only for his insane musical talents but also for his influence on the fashion industry. Carti started rapping around 2011 on smaller platforms like SoundCloud under the name “Sir Cartier (Awoods, 2020).” It wasn’t until 2013 that he changed his name to highlight his luxurious lifestyle.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
In 2017, Carti would reach the top 100 charts with his song “Magnolia (Suarez, 2017).” You may have heard this song at parties, clubs, or bumping in any car. His catchy and ethereal style of rapping caught the attention of many because of its inability to fit into one specific genre. It has been a whole new wave of music that no one has dared to take a chance with. In 2019, Carti decided to create a record label of his own, titled “Opium.” This label includes many new wave artists, including Destroy Lonely, Ken Carson, and Homixide Gang. These young artists fall under Carti’s umbrella of non-conventional rap and fast lifestyle. It is because of Carti’s label that these artists have been able to continue the legacy that he has created.
Many artists that fall under the Opium label also fall under this new-age punk aesthetic. The style consists of an avant-garde look with no rules for what can be worn. It promotes the idea of experimental fashion, breaking the bounds of what fashion can be. Carti’s style of music directly aligns with this idea of falling out of the conventions of rap. He incorporates other styles of music in his work, including rock, punk, and pop. He continues to shock the world as he morphs his music into a form of art.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Carti has had many personas throughout his career. In the earlier parts of his fame, one of his most famous personalities was known as “Cash Carti.” This consisted of elegance, money, fast cars, and expensive fashion. For each album, he alters his style based on the contents of his music. His most recent persona is known as “Vamp Carti,” (My personal favorite). This personality has caused much controversy in the media today for its supernatural aesthetic and music that has a more rocker-esque sound, rather than just rap. “Vamp Carti” is a complete 180 to the start of his career. Living in the moment and enjoying the material things in life is ultimately what Carti strives to teach young people.
Here is a hot take– while many people may want to live their life by enjoying the beauty of nature or the smaller things, it is valid for others to enjoy the material aspects of life, such as money, night-life, and an expensive fashion taste. Each individual can enjoy their life as they choose because, at the end of the day, it is their life that they are living. Carti’s music has always been so attractive to me because he is the perfect representation that someone can evolve into anything their mind imagines themselves to be. He relishes in his fame and uses it to heighten the aesthetic of his music. Outside the influence of others, He has remained true to himself while also evolving in his way. Be sure to stream Carti’s music on all platforms and see for yourself the beauty and the evolution of his music.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Strike Out,
Joselyn Cruz
Saint Augustine
Editors: Maya Kayyal, Jessica Giraldo, Emily Brutnell
Joselyn Cruz is a Writer and Hair Stylist for Strike Magazine, Saint Augustine. They’re a caffeine addict, manga obsessive, and love to spend their time grounding on a patch of grass somewhere. You can probably find them watching Jersey Shore or drinking a slushy somewhere. You can reach them at cruz828@flagler.edu or on instagram @jozzy.lyn.
