Happy Birthday, G Herbo!

Today, Oct. 8, is the birthday of noteworthy Chicago upstart and 2016 XXL Freshman G Herbo, formally known as Lil Herb. He is now 23.

Herbo grew up in the crime-ridden streets of Chicago, and he cites Gucci Mane, Meek Mill and Nas as being his main sources of inspiration. Herbo started rapping in his early teens with neighborhood friend and 2014 XXL Freshman Lil Bibby and the two are affiliated with the N.L.M.B. crew. Going from local favorite to viral sensation with his 2014 mixtape Welcome To Fazoland, Herbo quickly gained a big reputation in the rap game, snatching up collabs with the likes of Nicki Minaj and Common. Herbo followed that up with his Pistol P Project mixtape, further popularizing his personal brand of soul-baring street records.

In 2015, the 23-year-old signed a deal with Cinematic Music Group, the same collective that houses Joey Bada$$ and Mick Jenkins, before changing his official rap name from Lil Herb to G Herbo and dropped his 2016 mixtape, Ballin Like I'm Kobe. Based on a successful run and an undeniable buzz, Herbo earned his spot in the 2016 XXL Freshman Class in June 2016. As 2017 came to a close, Herbo delivered his long-awaited debut album, Humble Beast. The rhymer earned an XL rating for his debut effort. Months later, in April 2018, he and his fiancée, Ariana Fletcher, welcomed a baby boy they named Yosohn. Since then, Herbo's made no secret of his love for his new son.

A few months after welcoming Yosohn into the world, Herbo made good on a promise. A couple years beforehand, he'd teased a joint project with Southside. Herbo dropped off their Swervo album in July 2018.

Happy Birthday, Herbo!

Go Behind the Scenes With G Herbo at 2016 XXL Freshman Class Cover Shoot