Within Atlanta’s complex, ever-changing rap hierarchy, YFN Lucci has held firm as an independent force. His ascendence began when his debut mixtape, Wish Me Well, was released in late 2014. It was the beginning of a new golden era in ATL, with Migos riding high off “Versace,” Young Thug emerging as an alien life force blessed with the power of melody, and Future entering his famed mixtape run. Atlanta held a lot of star power, and it seemed like anyone affiliated with the city could score a quick hit. But the rapper born Rayshawn Lamar Bennett turned himself into a career artist, using high-charting singles like the Migos- and Trouble-assisted “Key to the Streets” and “Everyday We Lit” with PnB Rock to bolster mixtapes rich with street tales and stories of triumph. YFN Lucci has found mainstream crossover success, but it’s the fear of once again having nothing that keeps pushing him. His debut album, Ray Ray from Summerhill, is both celebratory and fearful, often balancing conflicting emotions in a single verse. In an interview with Apple Music from 2018, he explained this drive in succinct terms: “We come from nothing, and we know that.” For YFN Lucci, fame is a bonus for having survived. “We ain’t have it all growing up. I escaped.”