City Girls, the dynamic American hip-hop duo, comprises Yung Miami (Caresha Romeka Brownlee; born February 11, 1994) and JT (Jatavia Shakara Johnson; born December 3, 1992). Hailing from Miami, Florida, the duo gained prominence when they made an uncredited guest appearance on Drake’s chart-topping single “In My Feelings” in 2018.
City Girls signed with Quality Control Music and subsequently launched their debut mixtape, “Period,” in 2018. Their musical journey continued with the release of two studio albums: “Girl Code” in 2018, which produced RIAA Platinum-certified US Top 40 singles “Twerk” (featuring Cardi B) and “Act Up,” and “City on Lock” in 2020.
Their name, City Girls, is inspired by their roots in Opa-locka and Liberty City, two renowned neighborhoods in Miami, Florida, known for their grit.
Early Beginnings (2017):
The duo made their debut in the music industry with the track “Fuck Dat Nigga.” This powerful diss track targeted their ex-boyfriends for failing to provide financial support when requested. Yung Miami promoted it extensively on social media and even paid DJs to play it in clubs. The track quickly gained traction, amassing hundreds of thousands of plays. Its official music video, featuring rapper Trina, was released in January 2018. Later that year, the track was included in Quality Control’s compilation album, “Control the Streets, Volume 1.”
Period, Girl Code, and Breakthrough (2018–2019):
Shortly after the release of “Fuck Dat Nigga,” JT encountered legal troubles and was arrested and charged with aggravated identity theft. She received a 24-month federal prison sentence, but the judge agreed to postpone her surrender date. JT began serving her sentence in July 2018 and was slated for release on March 1, 2020. During JT’s incarceration, Yung Miami took the reins in promoting the group’s music, even paying DJs to play their songs in strip clubs, which contributed to their rising popularity.
City Girls’ signing with Quality Control Music catapulted them to the top of the charts. They were recognized as the most popular developing artists of the week, based on their presence on Billboard charts Hot 100, the Social 50, and Billboard 200. In May 2018, they released their debut mixtape, “Period,” which reached No. 16 on Heatseekers Albums chart the same month. “Period” also secured the 26th spot on Rolling Stone’s list of the “30 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2018.” In July 2018, their uncredited feature on Drake’s “In My Feelings” music video, featuring Yung Miami, propelled them into mainstream recognition. The duo further solidified their presence with the release of the documentary “Point Blank Period” in August 2018.
