The Jacksonville, Florida-born artist GMK purveys a provocative, rebellious brand of trap-tinged, Southern rap, telling tales inspired by his experience in jail and on the streets of Houston, Texas, his adopted home city. 2019's "Gang Thang," rudimentarily recorded in a small, $20-per-hour studio, got him a lot of early attention. He released several singles in 2020, including "Pray for War" with Backstreet TK and "Gang Party" with 9lokknine. Yungeen Ace soon provided further artistic encouragement and ultimately persuaded him to move to Houston, where they collaborated on 2021's "Who Gone Slide." Not only did 2022 prove to be GMK's most productive year to date, but it also saw him sign to Joie Manda's Encore Recordings. His debut album, Born to Be Free, was released later that year before he returned in 2023 with the singles "Power" and "Belly of the Beast."