Who is Tate Kobang, the Hot 100-placing Baltimore rapper featured on ‘Pink Friday 2’?

More than eight years ago, before he was featured on Nicki Minaj’s “Pink Friday 2,” Northeast Baltimore native Tate Kobang rapped about his “uncle Jimmy ’round the corner on the avenue” and exploded into local and national prominence.

Kobang, who placed on Billboard’s Hot 100 for his first time as a billed recording artist Tuesday, released his version of “Bank Rolls” at a pivotal point in Baltimore’s history — the original video for his freestyle remake of the 2000 Tim Trees track came out on the same day Freddie Gray died in 2015 from injuries suffered while in police custody. Kobang later reflected that the timing was “perfect,” as the rap “gave people something to move to and restored some feeling back into the city.”

The 31-year-old has erupted into the mainstream again after being taken under the wing of Minaj, who rapped along with Kobang and her own mentor, Lil Wayne, on “RNB,” which placed No. 80 on the Hot 100 this week. He is credited on several other tracks, including “Everybody” (No. 26), “Barbie Dangerous” (No. 58) and “Bahm Bahm” (No. 95), as well as “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” which peaked at No. 13 earlier this year after being released as a promotional single in March.

From Baltimore roots

Kobang, born Joshua Dai’Quan Goods, grew up along The Alameda with his mother, learning about hip-hop from his uncles. He told The Baltimore Sun that he became obsessed with Method Man’s “Tical” album and started battle rapping. His mother, concerned about bad influences, moved the family to her sister’s house in York, Pennsylvania, while Kobang was in high school, though he returned in 2009 and has split time between the cities since then.

Amid the success of “Bank Rolls,” Kobang was signed to 300 Entertainment, the record label co-founded by Baltimore native and music executive Kevin Liles, and expanded the 92Q hit with another verse. The deal led to struggles commercially releasing music on streaming platforms, so Kobang released several free mixtapes. As a solo artist, he’s mostly been releasing singles, as well as a seven-track EP, “Wrote on My Body,” on his birthday in 2020. He also launched a production team, 28, and signed a publishing deal with Sony in 2019.

Kobang’s cousin David Leroy King Jr. was a fellow Baltimore rapper as well, described by Kobang as a “hardworking man” and a “role model” with a flavor of positive and uplifting music about the city. King, known by the stage name Dee Dave, was fatally shot in Essex in 2020. Kobang said the tragedy “put a fire” under him to take advantage of every opportunity he had.

Kobang said in 2020 that he’s grown a lot since the successful “Bank Rolls,” calling that period of his life “a horrible time” that he hopes he doesn’t have to think about again.

The pink road to riches

When “Red Ruby” was released earlier this year, Minaj said on an episode of her show, “Queen Radio,” that Kobang was responsible for the single’s hook, calling him “one of the very best hook writers of the new generation” — although his 2015 breakthrough hit was hook-less.

“I almost didn’t want to tell people that I was affiliated with him, because I don’t want that to affect his business,” she said in March.

She praised the Baltimore native as “so talented, so versatile,” noting that she was introduced to Kobang through a “pop crossover” but later heard his rapping skills. Minaj also confirmed that day that she had anointed Kobang as a founding artist on her new record label, which was later named Heavy On It.

But Kobang hasn’t been quiet over the past eight years, and he’s had plenty of success outside Minaj’s world, too. In 2020, Kobang co-wrote the 21 Savage and Metro Boomin single “Mr. Right Now” featuring Drake. He’s produced several tracks for Georgia rapper Kaliii, including her viral hit “Area Codes,” and has collaborated with artists such as Denzel Curry, Pusha T and the eclectic Los Angeles singer Saint Bodhi.

Kobang is also credited on Beyoncé’s 2022 album “Renaissance,” as a demo he created with Memphis, Tennessee, songwriter Jocelyn “Jozzy” Donald eventually evolved into the disco hit “Virgo’s Groove,” Donald said in interviews with Billboard and BET.com.

He’s had regular performances in the city, such as headlining 2017’s AFRAM at Druid Hill Park along with fellow Baltimore rapper YBS Skola. It’s not yet confirmed if he’ll be performing with Minaj on her upcoming tour. He responded “I hope so” when asked on X, formerly Twitter, if he’d make an appearance during Minaj’s April 2 show in Baltimore.