Sexyy Red

St. Louis-born rapper Sexyy Red delivers her brazenly sexual lyrics in a humorous, carefree manner. Active since the 2010s, she broke through when her 2023 single "Pound Town" went viral, prompting a remix featuring Nicki Minaj and pushing her mixtape Hood Hottest Princess into the Billboard 200.

Heavily influenced by Southern rap from the 2000s, particularly Gucci Mane and Three 6 Mafia, Janae Wherry started rapping in order to write a diss song against an ex-boyfriend who cheated on her. She began releasing songs as Sexyy Red in 2018, and her first mixtape, Ghetto Superstar, appeared in 2021. "Born by the River," a 2022 single featuring Sukihana that references Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," received a degree of attention. Sexyy Red's true breakthrough came with the release of "Pound Town," a Tay Keith-produced track that originated as a studio freestyle. The song was released in January of 2023 and immediately became a TikTok favorite, receiving co-signs from several rappers and celebrities. Sexyy Red released a song titled "Female Gucci Mane" and was featured on tracks by NLE Choppa, Gloss Up, and Kaliii. "Pound Town 2," an official remix featuring Nicki Minaj, appeared in May and was included on Hood Hottest Princess, Sexyy Red's second mixtape. The release was met with positive press as well as controversy when it arrived in June, and it reached the Billboard 200 in July. ~ TiVo Staff, Rovi