Polo G
A Chicago rapper who turned the pain of his city's streets into platinum records, crafting anthems of survival with melodic, drill-infused honesty.
Born 1999 (age 27)·American rapper·Birthday: January 6·Generation Z
Biography
Taurus Bartlett, who performs as Polo G, emerged from the Old Town neighborhood of Chicago with a sound that fused the grim reality of drill with a piercing, melodic vulnerability. Born in 1999, his childhood was marked by the dual pressures of street life and artistic ambition; he began writing rhymes in elementary school. A stint in jail after high school became a catalytic moment, pushing him to pursue music with ferocious focus. His breakout hit 'Finer Things' showcased his talent, but 'Pop Out' with Lil Tjay was a seismic event, a defiant anthem that crashed into the Top 20. His debut album, 'Die a Legend,' was a raw chronicle of loss, ambition, and trauma that resonated far beyond his city, going double platinum. Polo G's impact lies in his detailed lyricism and melodic flow, offering a nuanced portrait of a generation's struggle that is both brutally specific and widely relatable.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Polo was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Polo Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Polo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His debut studio album 'Die a Legend' (2019) was certified double platinum by the RIAA.
- Achieved his first top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit with the single 'Rapstar' in 2021.
- All three of his major studio albums—'Die a Legend,' 'The Goat,' and 'Hall of Fame'—debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200.
- Founded his own record label, ODA (Only Dreamers Achieve).
Did You Know?
His stage name is derived from the Polo clothing brand and the word 'gangster.'
He is an avid chess player and has referenced the game in his lyrics.
Polo G taught himself to play piano by watching YouTube tutorials.
He has multiple tattoos dedicated to friends he lost to gun violence.
“I just speak my reality. Everything I been through, I put it in the music.”
