Young Scooter

Kenneth Edward Bailey (born March 28, 1986), better known by his stage name Young Scooter, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He was among the first artists to sign with fellow Atlanta rapper Future's record label, Freebandz in 2012, having known its founder since childhood. The following year, he jointly signed with Waka Flocka Flame's Brick Squad Monopoly, an imprint of Gucci Mane's 1017 Records. He first gained regional recognition for his collaborations with the rappers, as well as his mixtape Street Lottery (2012) and its lead single, "Colombia". His guest appearance on Future and Juice Wrld's 2018 song, "Jet Lag" marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.

Life and career
Scooter was born in Walterboro, South Carolina. When he was nine, his family moved to the Kirkwood Community (a.k.a. Lil Mexico) of Atlanta, Georgia. In 2008, after he was charged with drug trafficking, he decided to start pursuing a career in music. Scooter is a childhood friend with fellow Atlanta rapper Future.

While his first mixtape Plug Talkin didn't receive much attention, with his second release Finessin and Flexin' he made a name for himself, already collaborating with Future. Scooter put out 2 more mixtapes in 2012 – Married to the Streets and Voice of the Streetz, featuring production from Zaytoven, DJ Spinz, Nard & B, Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E. and guest verses by Gucci Mane and Alley Boy.

Scooter's real breakthrough came in January 2013, when he released his mixtape Street Lottery. SPIN named it "Rap release of the week" and XXL featured it on its "Best mixtapes of January" list. Eric Diep of XXL called Scooter "one of the hottest street rappers coming out of Atlanta" and wrote that tracks like the single "Colombia" and "Street Lottery" (featuring Bun B) are "proof of his undeniable talent". The tape was also a viral success gaining over 100,000 downloads on DatPiff. The official video for "Colombia", directed by Decatur Dan, premiered on MTV on January 31. The song became a hit in the south, especially in Scooter's hometown Atlanta. Brandon Soderberg of SPIN classified it as a mix of Rick Ross' "Hustlin'" and Future's "Tony Montana". By the end of the month, an official remix with rappers Rick Ross, Birdman and Gucci Mane was released. Lil Wayne also covered the song for his mixtape Dedication 5. The rapper's recent success prompted OnSmash to state "the buzz for Scooter is at an all-time high." On April 8, Scooter was arrested for violation of parole.

Scooter's collaboration mixtape with Gucci Mane Free Bricks 2 was released on February 28, 2013. On August 29, 2013, Young Scooter released his mixtape From The Cell Block To Your Block, featuring guest appearances from Future, Gucci Mane, Wale, YG, Lil Boosie, Webbie and Lil Phat, among others.

Musical style
Scooter is known for his freestyle type of rapping, without writing down his lyrics, similarly to Gucci Mane. He has defined his style as "count music," and explained it in an interview with Complex: "I don't really care what I say on a beat as long as it's about some money. When you try to think hard and write it out, that's when it's gonna be fucked up."

Scooter's lyrical themes are largely about money and drugs. David Drake of Complex compared his "populist, kingpin rapping" to that of Young Jeezy, although he noted that Scooter doesn't have the "all-encompassing grandiosity" of his fellow Atlanta rapper.

Scooter list his influences as Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Sean Combs.

Legal issues
Bailey was arrested for probation violation during a traffic stop in DeKalb County, Georgia, on April 8, 2013. According to HipHopDX, Bailey shared a jail cell with frequent collaborator Gucci Mane, who was arrested for probation violation on April 12, 2013. Bailey spent six months in custody before being released in mid-October 2013. On March 2, 2015, Bailey was released off probation.