Calboy

Chicago rapper Calboy looked to his own struggles with mental health and substances when writing some of his hardest-hitting rhymes. Going so far as to name one of his mixtapes Anxiety, his songs loom heavy with moody melodies and huge trap beats. Several singles such as "Can't Tell" paved the way for new fans, but it was the 2018 single "Envy Me" that broke through to millions with a viral video. Calboy was born Calvin Wood in 1999. He was born and raised in the gritty South Chicago neighborhood of Calumet City, growing up amid crime and violence. His hostile environment would influence his music from early on, with lyrics reflecting both the tough conditions of street life and the anxiety and depression he felt from it. He formed a crew of artists and friends called the Paper Gang and set about working on music both solo and within this collective. His first mixtape, The Chosen One, was released in 2017 and was followed months later that same year with second mixtape Anxiety. While working on his next project, Calboy dropped the single "Envy Me" in September of 2018. The song caught on in a massive way, being streamed millions of times within its first few months of release.