Keyanta Tyrone Bullard (born February 12, 1998), also known by his stage name Yungeen Ace, is an American rapper.[4][5] He is best known for his 2019 single "Opps" (with JayDaYoungan), which received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) along with his 2018 song "Pain" and his 2021 single, "Who I Smoke" (with Spinabenz and FastMoney Goon featuring Whoppa Wit Da Choppa). He signed a recording contract with Cinematic Music Group in 2018, which entered a joint venture with Geffen Records four years later.[6][7] He entered the Billboard 200 twice with his third mixtape Step Harder (2019) and debut studio album, Life of Betrayal 2x (2021).[8]
Yungeen Ace | |
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![]() Ace in 2019 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Keyanta Tyrone Bullard |
Born | East Chicago, Indiana, U.S. | February 12, 1998
Origin | Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
|
Years active | 2016–present |
Labels | |
Children | 2 |
Website | lifeofatk.com |
Early life
editKeyanta Bullard was born in East Chicago, Indiana, on February 12, 1998.[9] He grew up in a small home in Jacksonville, alongside his mother and 11 brothers, relocating from Indiana to Florida at a young age.[5]
Career
edit2017–2018: early success and debut mixtape
editBullard started his rapping career in 2017, releasing the song "Go To War" on January 18, 2017, as part of the local hip-hop group Yungeen Gang. On December 25, 2017, Bullard released his debut single, "No Witness". The song gained mainstream attention, with Bullard following up with multiple releases on WorldStarHipHop during the first half of 2018, such as "Find Myself", "All In" and "Fuck That". Bullard released his debut mixtape, Life of Betrayal, during the same year with record label Cinematic Music Group, gaining him further success in the rap industry.[10] It had guest appearances with YoungBoy Never Broke Again and JayDaYoungan. It was later followed by Life I'm Livin in December.[11]
2019–2020: Step Harder and Don Doda
editAce started off 2019 by releasing the singles "So Long" and "Message" which currently have 2.9 and 5.4 million streams, respectively, on SoundCloud as of May 16, 2023. On July 1, 2019, he collaborated with JayDaYoungan to release the mixtape Can't Speak On It, which features the single "Opps", which currently has 61 million streams on Spotify.[12] In August 2019, he released his debut EP, Chloe.[13] He released his third mixtape, Step Harder, in November of that year. The mixtape was supported by singles such as "Freestyle" and "Bando" and features guest appearances from Blac Youngsta, Lil Durk, Dej Loaf, Boosie Badazz, Stunna 4 Vegas, and NoCap.[14] It charted at number 81 on the Billboard 200.[15]
In 2020, Ace was featured on the song "Trust Issues" from King Von's mixtape, Levon James.[16] Ace also released his fourth mixtape, Don Dada, in June.[17] It was supported by the singles "400 Shots", "I'm the One", and "Heartbroken" and has a single guest appearance with King Von on the track titled "Promote Violence".
2021–present: debut studio album
editIn March 2021, Yungeen Ace, along with Spinabenz, FastMoney Goon, and Whoppa Wit Da Choppa, released a single titled "Who I Smoke". The song is a diss track targeted at Jacksonville rapper Foolio that samples "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton. It has gained popularity on social media as well as controversy for its acts of violence and murder. The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in July 2022.[18] He released his debut studio album, Life of Betrayal 2x, later that year.[19] It has guest appearances with King Von, G Herbo, and YFN Lucci, among others. Yungeen Ace has also collaborated with Nuski2Squad on the mixtape 2 Broken 2 Heal.
In 2022, he collaborated with fellow rapper Kodak Black on the song "B.A.M.", which was a single for his second studio album, All On Me.[20] It had guest appearances from Kodak Black, Boosie Badazz, Baby 23, Toosii, Spinabenz, and YBeezy.[21] In August, Ace released a single titled "Rekindle 23", which is a tribute to past rapper JayDaYoungan, who died in July.[22] He released his third studio album, Survivor of the Trenches, which had guest appearances from SleazyWorld Go, EST Gee, Real Boston Richey, GMK, FastMoney Goon, and Rob49.[23]
Legal issues
editIn October 2017, Bullard was sentenced to 31 months of probation for an accessory charge.[24]
2018 shooting
editOn June 5, 2018, Bullard was involved in a mass shooting on the Town Center Parkway in Jacksonville, Florida.[25] He suffered from eight gunshot wounds and was hospitalized in critical condition. It was reported that Bullard had been celebrating his close friend's 18th birthday at the Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse, as evident from social media posts by Bullard himself. He was traveling in a silver Chevrolet Malibu with three other occupants, including his brother, Trevon Bullard, all of whom died in the shooting. After being discharged from the hospital for lack of medical insurance, Bullard was arrested for violating his probation.[26]
2019 shooting
editOn March 10, 2019, Bullard was involved in another shooting incident at the Hampton Inn in Waycross, Georgia.[27] His attorney, David Haas, told Action News Jax that Bullard and several others were chased through a parking lot at 3:30 that morning. Jeremy Brookins, also known as Ralo, a friend of Bullard, was killed in the shooting, with one other person being hospitalized after suffering from several gunshot wounds.[27]
Personal life
editBullard has stated in various interviews that he suffers from PTSD after the 2018 shooting.[28][29]
On February 5, 2023, Bullard announced on Instagram that he is expecting his first child with his girlfriend, Chloe Glass. She gave birth to a son in July of that year.[30][31]
Discography
editStudio albums
editTitle | Details | Peak chart positions |
---|---|---|
US [32] | ||
Life of Betrayal 2x[19] |
|
119 |
All on Me[21] |
|
- |
Survivor of the Trenches |
|
- |
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Mixtapes
editTitle | Details | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
US [33] |
US R&B/HH [34] | ||
Life of Betrayal[10] |
|
- | - |
Life I'm Livin |
|
- | - |
Step Harder[14] |
|
81 | 45 |
Don Dada[17] |
|
- | - |
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Collaborative mixtapes
editTitle | Details |
---|---|
Can't Speak on It (with JayDaYoungan) |
|
2 Broken 2 Heal (with Nuski2Squad) |
|
Extended plays
editTitle | Details |
---|---|
Chloe |
|
Singles
editAs lead artist
editTitle | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album |
---|---|---|---|---|
US R&B/HH [35] | ||||
"Opps" (with JayDaYoungan)[12] |
2019 | — | Can't Speak on It | |
"Gun Em Down"[36] | 2021 | — | Life of Betrayal 2x | |
"Who I Smoke" (with Spinabenz and FastMoney Goon featuring Whoppa wit da Choppa) |
— |
| ||
"Giving Up"[37] | — | |||
"Life of Sin"[38] | 2022 | — | All on Me | |
"B.A.M."[20] (with Kodak Black) | — | |||
"Game Over" | 2024 | 40 | Non-album single |
Other certified songs
editTitle | Year | Certifications | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Pain" | 2018 | * RIAA: Gold[18] | Life of Betrayal |
References
edit- ^ "Yungeen Ace Reveals The Truth About 'Who I Smoke' While Addressing Julio Foolio Beef". hiphopdx. July 7, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "The Drill Songs to Know A mini subgenre primer". Vulture. August 17, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Yungeen Ace says music is his therapy: "When I'm in the studio, I let everything out"". Revolt Tv. September 15, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ Zidel, Alex (2021-07-07). "Yungeen Ace Details Police Situation In Florida: "They Hate Rappers"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ a b "Yungeen Ace Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ "Yungeen Ace Premieres His New Mixtape 'Life of Betrayal,' Talks Life After Losing His Brother & Best Friends". Billboard. 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ Jahmal, Karlton (2018-12-14). "Yungeen Ace Comes Though With "Life I'm Livin"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ Blanchet, Brenton. "Yungeen Ace Unleashes Debut Album 'Life of Betrayal 2x' f/ King Von, G Herbo, YFN Lucci, and More". Complex. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ "Yungeen Ace Interview: Step Harder". Audiomack World. 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ a b "Yungeen Ace 'Life of Betrayal' Mixtape: YoungBoy Never Broke Again Joins In". XXL Magazine. August 3, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ "Project: Yungeen Ace – Life I'm Livin". Audible Treats. December 14, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "Opps - song and lyrics by JayDaYoungan". Spotify. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ "Yungeen Ace Holds It Down For His Girlfriend On "Chloe"". HotNewHipHop. August 5, 2019.
- ^ a b Ivey, Justin (Nov 7, 2019). "Yungeen Ace Drops "Step Harder" Mixtape". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ "Billboard 200 - Week of November 23, 2019". Billboard. November 23, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ Ivey, Justin (Mar 6, 2020). "King Von Shares 'Levon James' LP". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ a b "Yungeen Ace Shares New Mixtape 'Don Dada'". Yahoo. June 26, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Gold & Platinum: Yungeen Ace". RIAA. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Zidel, Alex (July 2, 2021). "Yungeen Ace Releases His Debut Album "Life Of Betrayal 2x" Featuring King Von, G Herbo, & More". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Zidel, Alex (March 25, 2022). "Yungeen Ace Recruits Kodak Black For New Single, "B.A.M."". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ a b Mahadevan, Tara (April 15, 2022). "Yungeen Ace Shares New Album 'All On Me' f/ Boosie Badazz, Kodak Black, Toosii, and More". Complex Networks. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- ^ Cho, Regina (August 31, 2022). "Yungeen Ace releases heartfelt video for "Rekindle 23"". Revolt TV. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- ^ Cho, Regina (December 6, 2022). "Yungeen Ace unleashes new 'Survivor of the Trenches' album". Revolt TV. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- ^ Powers, Frank (2018-11-28). "Quadruple shooting survivor pleads guilty to probation violation". WJXT. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ "Yungeen Ace released from hospital, arrested on probation violation". Cox Media Group. June 9, 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ Zidel, Alex (2018-07-02). "Yungeen Ace Celebrates Prison Release By Dropping New Track "Jungle"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ a b Centeno, Tony M. CentenoTony M. (2019-03-11). "Report: Yungeen Ace Ambushed in Deadly Shooting - XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ DJ Akademiks (2024-07-29). Yungeen Ace Clears the Air. Speaks on Passing of Foolio, Feeling Cursed, Revenge & Paranoia w/ Beef. Retrieved 2024-07-31 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Yungeen Ace survived being shot 8 times but suffers from survivor's guilt". Revolt TV. April 28, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ "LABOR AND DELIVERY VLOG! – YouTube". YouTube. 18 July 2023.
- ^ "Billboard 200™: Week of July 17, 2021". Billboard. July 17, 2021. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ "Billboard 200 - Week of November 23, 2019". Billboard. November 23, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums - Week of November 23, 2019". Billboard. November 23, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: Week of July 13, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Yungeen Ace Shares New Single and Video "Gun Em Down"". Complex Networks. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ Zidel, Alex (June 11, 2021). "Yungeen Ace Shares New Single "Giving Up" Ahead Of His Debut Album". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ A., Aron (March 4, 2022). "Yungeen Ace Opens Up On "Life Of Sin"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 20, 2023.