Florida rapper 9lokknine broke out in 2019, both with his collaboration with YNW Melly, "223's," and with several tracks from his Bloodshells Revenge mixtape. Lyrics about violence, crime, and confrontational situations proved to be at least part of the rapper's lived experience, with multiple arrests and legal troubles in tandem with the 2020 release of his AFNF mixtape.

9lokknine was born Jacquavius Smith in Orlando, Florida in 2000. He was rapping by the time he was 17 and released his first mixtape, Kold Face Kold Case, in the beginning of 2018. It would be a huge year for the young rapper, as he would release three more mixtapes and sign a major-label deal before 2018 closed. His Bloodshells Revenge mixtape (released in April of 2018) garnered major attention for viral tracks like "Crayola" and "Ten Percent," and he followed up with Loyalty Kill Love before signing with Cash Money/Republic Records in August of that year. Over the next several months, 9lokknine would have multiple run-ins with the law that resulted in various weapons- and drug-related charges. In the meantime, he managed to score his biggest hit to date with the YNW Melly collaboration "223's," a slithery track that would eventually be streamed hundreds of millions of times and crack the Billboard Top 50. He released Mind of Destruction, his first mixtape for Cash Money/Republic, in October of 2019. The project featured multiple guests, including Rich the Kid, Asian Doll, and Lil Durk. While dealing with more charges involving firearms and attempted murder in mid-2020, he released new mixtape AFNF in August of that year, this time presenting seven tracks completely absent of guest features. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi