City Girls

City Girls is an American hip hop duo consisting of Yung Miami (pronounced "Young Miami," born Caresha Romeka Brownlee; February 11, 1994)[1] and JT (born Jatavia Shakara Johnson; December 3, 1992).[2][3] The duo originate from Miami, Florida, and garnered attention after making an uncredited guest appearance on "In My Feelings," the 2018 chart-topping single by Drake.[3] They are signed to Quality Control Music and have released one mixtape, Period (2018), and two studio albums: Girl Code (2018), which spawned the platinum-certified singles "Twerk" and "Act Up", and, City on Lock (2020).

City Girls
City Girls (Yung Miami, left; JT, right) in July 2018
Background information
OriginMiami, Florida, U.S.
Genres
Years active2017–present
Labels
Associated acts
Website305citygirls.com
MembersYung Miami
JT

Career

The group's name derives from the pair being from Opa-locka and Liberty City, described by Complex as "two of the roughest neighborhoods in Miami, Florida."[4]

2017: Early beginnings

The duo recorded their debut studio track, "Fuck Dat Nigga", which was a diss track towards their ex-boyfriends for not giving them money when they asked.[2] Yung Miami promoted it through social media and by paying DJs to play it in clubs. Soon the track, which features a prominent sample of fellow Florida rapper Khia's "My Neck, My Back (Lick It)", racked up hundreds of thousands of plays.[5] The official music video for the song came out in January 2018 and featured an appearance from rapper Trina. Later that year, the track was included in Quality Control's compilation album, Control the Streets, Volume 1.[2]

2018-19: Period, Girl Code, and breakthrough

Shortly after the release of "Fuck Dat Nigga", JT was arrested and charged with aggravated identity theft, and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison. The judge eventually agreed to push back her surrender date.[6] JT began her prison term in July 2018 and was set to be released on March 1, 2020.[7] While JT was incarcerated, Yung Miami continued to promote the group's music, saying: "When she was in jail, I was going to strip clubs and I would pay a DJ 20 dollars to play the song. It started taking off."[5]

After signing to Quality Control Music, the duo were ranked as the most popular developing artists of the week, according to the measuring activity across Billboard charts Hot 100, the Social 50, and Billboard 200.[8] In May 2018, the City Girls released their debut mixtape, Period, which reached No. 16 on Heatseekers Albums the same month.[8][9] Period also ranked 26th on Rolling Stone's 30 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2018.[10] In July 2018, the duo were launched into mainstream recognition after an uncredited feature on Drake's "In My Feelings," with Yung Miami appearing in the music video.[11][12] In August 2018, they released the documentary, Point Blank Period.[13]

In November 2018, City Girls released their debut studio album, Girl Code, which features vocals from Cardi B, Lil Baby and Jacquees.[14] The album debuted at no. 63 on the Billboard 200 chart issued December 1, 2018.[15] The two singles from the album, "Twerk", featuring fellow rapper Cardi B, and "Act Up," peaked at no. 29 and no. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.[16][17][18] JT was transferred to a halfway house on October 8, 2019, 5 months before her scheduled release.

2020: City on Lock

In September 2019, Yung Miami confirmed to Ebro Darden on Apple Music's Beats 1 that the duo planned on recording a new album, expecting to release it in the spring of 2020.[19] On June 19, 2020, City Girls’ second studio album titled, City on Lock, leaked in its entirety online.[20] JT announced hours later that the album would be released at midnight of the same day.[21] The album's first single, "Jobs", was released hours before the album alongside a music video.[22] The album includes guest appearances from Yo Gotti, Doja Cat, Lil Durk and Lil Baby.

Personal lives

Both JT and Yung Miami grew up in rough areas of Miami. At 17, they were performing in strip clubs, night clubs and block parties.[3] Yung Miami said that she loved trap music from a young age, and told Rolling Stone, "My little boyfriend used to take me to school every day, so I grew up listening to a lot of trap music."[3] Before rapping, Yung Miami was an Instagram influencer who promoted her own fashion line.[23] She revealed on June 11, 2019, that she was expecting her second child, and first with boyfriend and record producer, Southside.[24] Yung Miami gave birth on October 17, 2019, and took to Instagram the following day to share the news and report that she will be naming her daughter Summer Miami.[25]

On August 6, 2019, Yung Miami was the victim of a drive-by shooting after leaving Circle House Studios in Miami. An unknown assailant with no lights on attempted to fire shots into her vehicle, striking her red Mercedes-Benz G-Class in the spare tire. She and her unborn child with Southside were not injured in the incident.[26]

2018-20 JT incarceration

Shortly after the release of their 2017 debut single, "Fuck Dat Nigga", JT was arrested and convicted of aggravated identity theft on fraudulent credit card charges, and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison. Following a pushback of her surrender date, JT turned herself in to the authorities on June 29, 2018, and began serving her sentence while being held at FCI Tallahassee in July 2018.[7] She was slated to be released March 21, 2020.[7] As she awaited her release, JT was transferred from FCI Tallahassee to a halfway house in Atlanta on October 8.[27] During her stay in the halfway house, she was able to leave the house during the day to work and visit family and friends.[27] To celebrate her release, JT released a track titled "JT First Day Out".[19] On the song, she shouts out Yung Miami, rapping,

"I been a real bitch way before the fed case / Yung Miami held me down, that's a bitch ace / And if a bitch try her, it's a cold case".[19]

A few celebrities showed to be displeased with the incarceration of the artist: Trina wore a T-shirt that had "Free JT" written on it, and Drake posted on Instagram "Free my shorty".[7] JT was officially released from federal custody on March 7, 2020.[28]

Yung Miami homophobic remarks

In 2013, Yung Miami stated that she would not want one of her sons to be gay and would beat him if she found out that he was.[29] In August 2018, Yung Miami was among several rappers who faced criticism after the circulation of tweets she had written in the past that contained homophobic remarks.[30] Her comments were found offensive, especially considering the fact that much of the commercial support for City Girls is drawn from the LGBTQ community.[31] Following the resurfacing of her statements, Yung Miami publicly issued a formal apology through an Instagram post.[29]

Though she apologized, Yung Miami found herself embroiled in controversy once more on November 13 when she doubled down on her homophobic statements in an appearance on Power 105.1's radio show The Breakfast Club.[29] During the interview, she was questioned by radio host Charlamagne tha God in regard to her controversial tweet that claimed what she would do if she found out that her son was gay. Yung Miami replied that her previous tweet had nothing to do with the LGBTQ community and was specifically about her son. She said, "I was just talking about my son. I just said that if I saw anything gay in my son, that I would beat him".[29] The rapper attempted to provide clarity for what she had actually meant. She elaborated, "But that's just like when your mama be like, 'If you break my table I'm gonna beat the shit out of you.' That don't mean she's gonna beat the shit out of you, she's just saying it."[32] While she stood by her comment that as a mother she does not want a gay son, Yung Miami insisted that she does not harbor any resentment towards gay people. She explained that she spends much time around many gay people, including her cousin and hairstylist.[32]

Commentators throughout social media immediately decried the rapper, saying that her very line of reasoning was homophobic and the comments she made on The Breakfast Club were hateful and anti-LGBTQ.[29] It was also emphasized that such corporal punishment is still in practice among some parents who condemn their children's sexual orientation.[31]

Discography
Main article: City Girls discography

Awards and nominations
Award Year[upper-alpha 1] Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Category Result Ref.
BET Awards 2019 Themselves Best New Artist Nominated [33]
Best Group Nominated
2020 Nominated [34]
BET Hip Hop Awards 2019 "Twerk" (featuring Cardi B) Best Hip-Hop Video Nominated [35]
"Act Up" Single of the Year Nominated
2020 Themselves Best Duo/Group Nominated [36]
BET Social Awards 2019 Themselves Issa Wave Won [37]
Billboard Music Awards 2019 Themselves Top Rap Female Artist Nominated [38]
2020 Nominated [39]
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2020 Themselves Favorite Breakout Artist Nominated [40]

Notes
  1. Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

References
  1. "Yung Miami Bio, Age, Birthday, Real Name, Son, Baby Daddy, Net Worth". Celebs Close Up. February 6, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  2. Kellman, Andy. "City Girls Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  3. Spanos, Brittany (July 26, 2018). "City Girls, Separated by Prison, Want to be Icons". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  4. Roland, Dria (July 23, 2019). "Yung Miami of City Girls Says JT's Incarceration Is 'A Minor Setback for a Major Comeback'". Complex. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  5. Darville, Jordan (August 1, 2018). "Yung Miami gets in her feelings about City Girls". The Fader. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  6. Zeichner, Naomi (September 2, 2018). "City Girls Are More Like You Than You Think". The Cut. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  7. Saponara, Michael (July 2, 2018). "City Girls Member JT Begins Serving Jail Sentence for Fraud Charges". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  8. Zellner, Xander (November 28, 2018). "City Girls Debut on Emerging Artist Chart, Billie Eilish Spends Fifth Week at No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  9. Espinoza, Joshua (May 11, 2018). "Quality Control's City Girls Release Debut Project 'Period'". Complex. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  10. Weingarten, Christopher R.; Klinkenberg, Brendan; Holmes, Charles; Reeves, Mosi (December 26, 2018). "30 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2018". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  11. DrakeVEVO (August 2, 2018), Drake – In My Feelings, retrieved April 22, 2019
  12. Spanos, Brittany (November 1, 2018). "City Girls Announce Sophomore Album 'Girl Code'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  13. Gracie, Bianca (August 30, 2018). "Watch City Girls Reflect on the Male-Dominated Rap World in 'Point Blank Period' Documentary Clip: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  14. Lamarre, Carl (November 16, 2018). "Stream City Girls' Debut Album 'Girl Code' With Cardi B, Lil Baby and Jacquees". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  15. "Billboard 200: December 1, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  16. Trust, Gary [@gthot20] (January 28, 2019). ""Girls Like You" No. 9 / "Money" No. 13 / "Taki Taki" No. 18 / "Twerk" No. 29 / "I Like It" No. 37 / "Backin' It Up" No. 40 – becoming @lifeofthePARDI's first top 40 #Hot100 hit as an artist (& 4th as a writer)! twitter.com/CardiOnCharts/status/1089987753855668226 …" (Tweet). Retrieved September 17, 2019 – via Twitter.
  17. "Cardi B: Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  18. "Top 100 Songs: June 22, 2019". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  19. "JT of City Girls Celebrates Her 'First Day Out' on New Song". Rap-Up. October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  20. "City Girls "City On Lock" Album Reportedly Leaks In Full". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  21. https://twitter.com/thegirljt/status/1274132889794424834. Retrieved June 20, 2020 – via Twitter. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. "City Girls Drop "Jobs" Single & Visual Following Album Leak". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  23. Lockett, Dee (November 29, 2018). "City Girls Are Our Greatest Scammers". Vulture. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  24. thedingydiamond (June 1, 2019). "Congratulations, Caresha! Yung Miami Announces She's Expecting A City Girls Seed". The DINGY💎 DIAMOND. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  25. Saponara, Michael (October 18, 2019). "City Girls' Yung Miami Gives Birth to Baby Girl". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  26. "Pregnant City Girls Rapper Yung Miami Shot At In Miami". TMZ. August 6, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  27. "City Girls' JT Released to Halfway House". Rap-Up. October 9, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  28. Centeno, Tony M. (March 9, 2020). "City Girls' JT released from federal custody, no longer in halfway house". XXL. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  29. Daw, Stephen (November 13, 2018). "City Girls Rapper Yung Miami Doubles Down on Homophobic Comment". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  30. Darville, Jordan (August 29, 2018). "Yung Miami of City Girls, Doja Cat, and More Apologize in Homophobic Tweet Uproar". The Fader. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  31. Williams, Aaron (November 13, 2018). "City Girls' Yung Miami Is Under Fire For Making Homophobic Comments On 'The Breakfast Club'". Uproxx. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  32. Orcutt, KC (November 14, 2018). "Yung Miami Faces Backlash for Saying Doesn't Want Son to Be Gay". XXL. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  33. Billboard Staff (June 28, 2019). "Here Are All the Winners From the 2020 BET Awards". Billboard. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  34. Warner, Denose (June 23, 2019). "Here Are All the Winners From the 2019 BET Awards". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  35. "Cardi B Leads 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards With 10 Nominations: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  36. "Here Are All the Winners From the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards". Billboard. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  37. "The Full List of Social Awards 2019 Winners". BET. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  38. Lynch, Joe (May 1, 2019). "2019 Billboard Music Awards Winners: The Complete List". Billboard. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  39. Atkinson, Katie (October 14, 2020). "2020 Billboard Music Awards Winners: The Complete List". Billboard. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  40. Boyle, Kelli (February 13, 2020). "Chance the Rapper to Host 2020 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards: See the Complete List of Nominations". E! News. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
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