[13] After graduating high school, Bartlett was accepted to Lincoln University with a broadcasting major, but decided not to go on his first day, opting to pursue a music career full-time.

Bartlett went on to release "Finer Things", a song he wrote while incarcerated, in the latter half of 2018 and quickly gained millions of views.

On February 14, 2020, Bartlett released the track "Go Stupid", with rappers Stunna 4 Vegas and NLE Choppa with featured production from Mike Will Made It and co-production from Tay Keith.

In July, Bartlett was featured on Juice Wrld's posthumous album Legends Never Die on the song "Hate the Other Side".

[21] Later that month, he released the music video for his single "Martin & Gina", which peaked at number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In September, Bartlett announced his own record label, Only Dreamers Achieve (ODA), with Syracuse-based artist Scorey being his first signee.

[26] On March 5, Bartlett was also featured on the soundtrack for the 2021 film Boogie on the song "Fashion" by late rapper Pop Smoke.

[27] On June 11, Bartlett released Hall of Fame, which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and became his first number-one album, selling 143,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.

[35] On March 31, he was featured on the single "Grown Man" by American DJ Marshmello alongside Atlanta-based producer Southside.

[37] On May 5, he was featured on SleazyWorld Go's single "Off The Court," where in the accompanying music video he can be seen recreating basketball star Ja Morant's Instagram Live gun-flashing incident in a strip club.

[43] On August 15, 2023, Bartlett officially announced his next album, Hood Poet (stylized as H.O.O.D P.O.E.T., an acronym for "He Overcame Obstacles During Pain or Emotional Trauma)".

[44] However, the album was delayed after Bartlett and his brother, who raps under the name "Trench Baby," were arrested on kidnapping, armed robbery, and assault charges.

[49] He has been noted for his "vivid and explicit storytelling"; his lyrics often involve tough subjects, including racism and mental health.

Due to his aforementioned hospitalization and the death of fellow rapper and friend Juice Wrld, he has since quit Ecstasy and Xanax.

[59] In July 2022, TMZ obtained police body cam footage of an irate Bartlett in custody berating the arresting officers.

[62] In a cell phone video that has since been released to the public, upon his mother's arrival, officers refused to give her any information and she stated that she was told that "in Miami, that we would be arrested if I asked what was going on with my minor son or any of my children."

She went on to state that she felt "powerless" and later clarify that Bartlett and his brother were passengers in licensed car service driven by hired professional driver and had security personnel with them.

It was reported on April 9, 2022, that Bartlett did not plead guilty to any wrongdoing but did complete the program and the remaining charges were dropped.

[65][67] An illegal short-barreled rifle would be among the items found during the police search,[65][67] which led to an additional charge against Bartlett.