Los Angeles-based producer and songwriter Blxst seamlessly blends rap and R&B, switching between harder rhyming and more melodic singing over smooth, intricate backing tracks. He became known for his emotive, relationship-themed songs such as 2019's "Hurt," as well as collaborations with artists like Bino Rideaux and Mozzy. A deal with Red Bull Records in 2020 first yielded No Love Lost, the deluxe edition of which featured "Chosen," a Billboard Hot 100 entry with Ty Dolla $ign and Tyga. Sixtape 2, his Def Jam-supported second release with Rideaux, landed on the Billboard 200 just after he was named to XXL magazine's 2021 Freshman Class. Blxst quickly returned to the charts in 2022 with Before You Go, his first solo full-length.

Matthew Burdette began rapping and producing shortly after he finished high school, heavily influenced by Ryan Leslie as well as Pharrell Williams and Kanye West. His first song as Blxst, "Who Would've Thought," appeared in 2016, and he became more productive in 2018, with six singles appearing on his own Evgle label that year, including "Can I," a collaboration with Eric Bellinger. In 2019, he released the single "Hurt," which became his breakout solo hit, racking up millions of streams. He also produced Kalan.FrFr's "Right Wit It," which caught the attention of Bino Rideaux. The two got in touch, and Blxst sent Rideaux several beats, which he used on his mixtape Sorry for tha Wait. The duo then collaborated on the EP Sixtape and performed several sold-out shows throughout the West Coast.

After signing with Red Bull Records, Blxst released the EP No Love Lost in 2020, as well as singles such as "My Emotions" and "Slip & Slide" (featuring 1TakeJay). A deluxe edition of No Love Lost contained his biggest song yet, "Chosen," which peaked at number 51 on the Hot 100. The next year brought the two-track single Just for Clarity, which featured collaborations with Drakeo the Ruler and Russ, and another album with Bino Rideaux, Sixtape 2, which was distributed by Def Jam and reached number 117 on the Billboard 200, mere weeks after he was selected for XXL's annual Freshman Class feature. Later in 2021, Blxst appeared on the song "Go to War" on Snoop Dogg Presents Algorithm.

Seizing the momentum, Blxst completed a full-length project with featured roles for Rick Ross, Zacari, and Arin Ray. He also delegated most of the production, working with ThaRealCStylez and ThaRealJFKBeatz (co-producers of "About You") and Jahaan Sweet and Sevn Thomas (on "Sometimes," another highlight), among others. Before You Go arrived in 2022 and entered the Billboard 200 at number 90. Around the same time, Blxst was featured on Kehlani's "Any Given Sunday" and Kendrick Lamar's "Die Hard." Later that year, he teamed up with fellow California rapper Larry June on the stand-alone single "Keep Calling." ~ Paul Simpson & Andy Kellman, Rovi