6lack

6lack
6lack
	6lack in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Ricardo Valdez Valentine Jr.
Born	June 24, 1992 (age 31); Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Alternative R&B; R&B;
Occupations	Singer; rapper; songwriter;
Discography	6lack discography
Years active	2011–present
Labels	Love Renaissance; Interscope;
Member of	Spillage Village
Children	1
Website	6lack.com

Ricardo Valdez Valentine Jr. (born June 24, 1992), known professionally as 6lack (stylized as 6LACK, pronounced "black"),^[4] is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. Born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he gained recognition following the release of his 2016 single "Prblms", which marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. He signed with Love Renaissance, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, Free 6lack (2016), which was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[5]

Two years later, he released his second studio album East Atlanta Love Letter (2018), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. That same year, he released the single "OTW" (with Khalid and Ty Dolla Sign) and guest featured on Normani's single "Waves"—which earned an MTV Video Music Award. In June 2020, he released his debut extended play (EP) 6pc Hot, which included the single "Know My Rights" (featuring Lil Baby). Later that year, he guest performed alongside Elton John on Gorillaz's single "The Pink Phantom". His 2021 single, "Calling My Phone" (featuring Lil Tjay) peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked atop the Canadian Hot 100; it remains his highest-charting song on the former chart.^[6]^[7]^[8] His third album, Since I Have a Lover (2023) was met with moderate critical and commercial reception.

6lack joined the Atlanta-Baltimore musical collective Spillage Village—founded by EarthGang and JID—in 2014. He has received three Grammy Award nominations.

^ "BMI | Repertoire Search". Repertoire.bmi.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
^ "5 Alternative R&B Artists to Look Out for in 2017". Forbes.
^ "6LACK Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
^ Cite error: The named reference rs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Daily Discovery: 6LACK". Pigeons and Planes. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
^ "Meet 6LACK". Fader. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
^ "LoveRenaissance's New R&B Star In The Making". Djbooth. DJ Booth. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
^ "6LACK - Biography". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2016.