Rob49

Rob49 is the stage name of American rapper Robert Thomas, who released multiple mixtapes as a solo artist before earning a global hit with his appearance on Travis Scott's "Topia Twins." Thomas was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 6, 1999, and grew up in several of the city's low-income housing districts. After studying nursing at Southern University in Baton Rouge, he adopted the "Rob49" moniker (named after his childhood homes in New Orleans' fourth and ninth districts) and began pursuing a music career instead. His first mixtape, 4our the World, was released in 2020, with the follow-up projects Vulture and Krazy Man both appearing before the year was up. The three mixtapes attracted attention from Geffen Records, and the label co-released Rob49's next record, 4God, in 2021. Rob49 also appeared on Curren$y's song "Hit a Lick" that same year and began working on his follow-up mixtape, Welcome to Vulture Island, which was released in 2022. Featuring guest appearances from rappers like Lil Baby, Birdman, Babyface Ray, and Lil Double O, Welcome to Vulture Island featured the singles "Counterfeit" and "I'm In Her." Although neither of those singles charted, Rob49 did find commercial success in 2023 with "Topia Twins." Released by rapper Travis Scott, the trap song featured Rob49 and 21 Savage as guests, resulting in a high-profile collaboration that cracked the Top 40 in more than a dozen countries. In America, the song hit number 10 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number 17 on the all-genre Hot 100. "Topia Twins" became a springboard for Rob49's career, and he returned to the charts later that year with his own single, "Mama," which debuted at number 40 on the Top 40 Radio Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop chart.