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D'Anthony William Carlos (born May 17, 1993), better known by his stage name GoldLink, is an American rapper and singer. In 2014, he released his debut mixtape, ''The God Complex'', which received critical acclaim. In June 2015, GoldLink was chosen as part of the XXL Freshman Class. In October 2015, he released his second mixtape, ''
And After That, We Didn't Talk ''And After That, We Didn't Talk'' is the second mixtape from American rapper GoldLink. It was released in November 2015 on Soulection, following his critically acclaimed debut mixtape, ''The God Complex''. The mixtape features guest appearance ...
'', which was supported by the singles "Dance on Me" and "Spectrum". His debut album, ''
At What Cost AT or at may refer to: Geography Austria * Austria (ISO 2-letter country code) * .at, Internet country code top-level domain United States * Atchison County, Kansas (county code) * The Appalachian Trail (A.T.), a 2,180+ mile long mountaino ...
'', was released in March 2017 to positive reviews. The album's lead single, "
Crew A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard. The word has nautical resonances: the tasks involve ...
" (featuring
Brent Faiyaz Christopher Brent Wood (born September 19, 1995), known professionally as Brent Faiyaz, is an American R&B singer. He rose to prominence after he was featured on the GoldLink single "Crew" alongside Shy Glizzy in 2016, which was certified 6× ...
and
Shy Glizzy Marquis Amonte King (born December 12, 1992), better known by the stage names Jefe or Shy Glizzy (stylized as $hy Glizzy), is an American rapper from Southeast, Washington, D.C. Background Shy Glizzy was born Marquis Amonte King on December 1 ...
), peaked at number 45 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and earned GoldLink his first
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
nomination. His second studio album, ''
Diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...
'', was released in June 2019.


Early life

GoldLink's father was a parks and recreation worker and his mother a secretary at a law firm. After his parents separated, GoldLink moved to
Bowie, Maryland Bowie () is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 58,329. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous c ...
with his mother and eventually settled in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. He graduated from
Hayfield Secondary School Hayfield Secondary School is a secondary school (grades 7–12) in the Fairfax County Public Schools system of Virginia. It opened in 1968 and graduated its first senior class in 1971. History The land that Hayfield Secondary sits on was at one ...
in
Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...
.


Career


2013–16: Beginnings and breakthrough

GoldLink began his career performing under his birth name D'Anthony Carlos. He began making music as a hobby after graduating high school at Hayfield Secondary School, eventually recording tracks in a local studio in Falls Church, Virginia named Indie Media Lab. He released his first tracks on
Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...
under the name Gold Link James. It was in 2013 that he began performing as GoldLink, releasing several free tracks on
SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
. GoldLink released his first mixtape ''The God Complex'' in July 2014. ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' named it one of the best projects released during the first half of 2014, '' Spin'' placed it at number 19 on its The 40 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2014, '' Clash'' ranked it at number 7 on their Top 10 Mixtapes of 2014 and
Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
gave the mixtape a 7.9 rating. GoldLink began collaborating with producer
Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...
in 2015. In November 2015 he released the mixtape ''After That, We Didn't Talk'', much of which was considered a follow-up to questions left unanswered from ''The God Complex''. Pigeons & Planes placed it at number 19 on its Best Albums of 2015 list. GoldLink was also named a member of the XXL Freshman Class in 2015. In 2016, GoldLink signed a major deal with
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
and revealed he is working on his second album. He released the single "Fall In Love" featuring rapper Cisero and produced by Canadian band
BADBADNOTGOOD BadBadNotGood (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian instrumental band and production team from Toronto, Canada. The group was founded in 2010 by bassist Chester Hansen, keyboardist Matthew Tavares, and drummer Alexander Sowinski. In 2016, they w ...
and Canadian producer and DJ
Kaytranada Louis Kevin Celestin (born August 25, 1992), known professionally as Kaytranada (stylized as KAYTRANADA, shortened as KAYTRA), is a Haitian-Canadian record producer and DJ. Celestin rose to prominence after releasing a series of mixtapes, remixes, ...
. He later released the song "Untitled" with TDE rapper
Isaiah Rashad Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain (born May 16, 1991), is an American rapper. His first big break was performing on the 2012 Smoker's Club Tour with rappers Juicy J, Joey Badass and Smoke DZA among others. He is a founding member of the Chattanooga hip ...
.


2017–present: ''At What Cost'' and ''Diaspora''

In February 2017, Goldlink took part in "Red Bull Sound Selects" reputable 3 Days Miami among artists
Kelela Kelela Mizanekristos ( am, ከለላ ሚዛነክርስቶስ; born June 3, 1983) is an American singer. She made her debut in the music industry with the release of her 2013 mixtape ''Cut 4 Me.'' In 2015, she released ''Hallucinogen'', an EP ...
,
Angel Olsen Angel Olsen (born Angelina Maria Carroll; January 22, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter and musician from St. Louis, Missouri who lives in Asheville, North Carolina. To date, Olsen has released six studio albums: ''Half Way Home'' (2012), ...
,
Brika Briana Alexa (born November 22), commonly known by her stage name Brika, is an American singer and songwriter.
, and others. On March 24, 2017, he released his debut album, ''
At What Cost AT or at may refer to: Geography Austria * Austria (ISO 2-letter country code) * .at, Internet country code top-level domain United States * Atchison County, Kansas (county code) * The Appalachian Trail (A.T.), a 2,180+ mile long mountaino ...
'', featuring
guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...
s from Wale,
Shy Glizzy Marquis Amonte King (born December 12, 1992), better known by the stage names Jefe or Shy Glizzy (stylized as $hy Glizzy), is an American rapper from Southeast, Washington, D.C. Background Shy Glizzy was born Marquis Amonte King on December 1 ...
, Steve Lacy,
Jazmine Sullivan Jazmine Marie Sullivan (born April 9, 1987) is an American R&B and soul singer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, her debut album, ''Fearless'' was released in 2008. The record topped ''Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was certifie ...
,
Kaytranada Louis Kevin Celestin (born August 25, 1992), known professionally as Kaytranada (stylized as KAYTRANADA, shortened as KAYTRA), is a Haitian-Canadian record producer and DJ. Celestin rose to prominence after releasing a series of mixtapes, remixes, ...
,
Mýa Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), (stylized as Mýa), is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born into a musical family, she studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Initially, Mýa began her career as a VJ ...
, Ciscero, Kokayi,
Hare Squead Hare Squead are an Irish rap duo from Dublin. Career Hare Squead's music has been described as a combination of trap, rap, R&B, pop, jazz and electronic music. They formed in 2013 as a trio, singer Jessy Rose and rappers Tony Konstone and Lilo B ...
, Radiant Children, April George and Lil Dude. The project debuted at number 128 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart. It was preceded by the singles "
Crew A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard. The word has nautical resonances: the tasks involve ...
" and "Meditation". "Crew" has peaked at number 45 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming his highest charting single in the country. It was also nominated for
Best Rap/Sung Performance The Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance (awarded as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration until 2017, and Best Rap/Sung Performance from 2018 to 2020) is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and original ...
at the
60th Annual Grammy Awards The 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 28, 2018. The CBS network broadcast the show live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show was moved to January to avoid coinciding with the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeong ...
. On June 7, 2018, GoldLink was featured on the song " Like I Do" by American singer
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
from her eighth studio album, ''
Liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...
'', which was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Performance at the
61st Annual Grammy Awards The 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 10, 2019, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys hosted. During her opening monologue, Keys brought out Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and fo ...
. On June 12, 2019, GoldLink released his second studio album ''Diaspora''. In an interview with Wonderland Magazine, he said that he considered "At What Cost" to be his breakout mixtape due to a label agreement and "Diaspora" as his debut album. On June 18, 2021, GoldLink released his third studio album ''Haram!''. In the run up to the album release, GoldLink began
trolling In slang, a troll is a person who posts or makes inflammatory, insincere, digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages online (such as in social media, a newsgroup, a forum, a chat room, a online video game), or in real life, with the i ...
some of his fellow rappers, tweeting insults and threats at Sheck Wes and sporting a fake facial jewel on his forehead in a July 13, 2021 ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'' appearance, in apparent mockery of the facial jewelry trend popularized by
Lil Uzi Vert Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. They are characterized by their face tattoo, facial tattoos, facial piercings, eccentric hairstyles and androgynous ...
and Sauce Walka. In the album's first single, "White Walls," GoldLink continued his disses of Sheck Wes. The feud with Wes dates back to 2019 when GoldLink's then-girlfriend
Justine Skye Justine Indira Skyers (born August 24, 1995), known professionally as Justine Skye, is an American singer. Skye, whose initial fame was from Tumblr, found a career in the music industry and signed with Atlantic Records at the age of 19. Early l ...
accused Wes of abuse, stalking, and harassment.


Controversy


Mac Miller comments

On November 26, 2019, GoldLink wrote a post on
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
that outlined both his appreciation for
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
rapper Mac Miller, who died of an accidental overdose in 2018, and his belief the late star intentionally cribbed the sound of ''
And After That, We Didn't Talk ''And After That, We Didn't Talk'' is the second mixtape from American rapper GoldLink. It was released in November 2015 on Soulection, following his critically acclaimed debut mixtape, ''The God Complex''. The mixtape features guest appearance ...
'' for Miller's album ''
The Divine Feminine ''The Divine Feminine'' is the fourth studio album by American rapper Mac Miller. It was released on September 16, 2016, by REMember Music and Warner Bros. Records. The album features guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Ty Dol ...
''. GoldLink claimed he showed Miller his album while they were on tour together for Miller's previous album '' GO:OD AM'' and wrote the rapper loved it and had him play it for the whole touring crew. GoldLink pointed to similarities in the albums' structure and use of singer
Anderson Paak Brandon Paak Anderson (born February 8, 1986), better known by his stage name Anderson .Paak (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and drummer. He released his debut mixtape, ''O.B.E. Vol. 1,'' in 2012 and went on to rel ...
for a lead single. Paak responded in an Instagram post of his own, slamming GoldLink for having a "God Complex" and being disrespectful in the wake of their friend's death. On November 28, 2019, GoldLink spoke on the war of words at a concert in Hamburg, Germany, focusing on the love he expressed in the post for Miller and emphasizing he never accused the deceased rapper of stealing or copying.


Discography


Studio albums


Mixtapes


Singles


As lead artist


As featured artist


Other certified songs


Guest appearances


Awards and nominations


References


External links

goldlink
* {{Authority control 1993 births 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American rappers African-American male rappers American hip hop singers Living people Rappers from Washington, D.C. RCA Records artists