Young Scooter

Kenneth Edward Rashaad Bailey was born on March 28, 1986 in Walterboro, South Carolina.^[9] When he was nine, his family moved Atlanta, Georgia, settling in Kirkwood (also known as "Lil Mexico"). Scooter was a childhood friend with fellow Atlanta rapper Future, and decided to pursue a career in music after being charged with drug trafficking in 2008^[10][11]

While his first mixtape Plug Talkin did not receive much attention, with his second release Finessin and Flexin' he made a name for himself, already collaborating with Future.^[6]

Scooter's real breakthrough came in January 2013, when he released his mixtape Street Lottery. SPIN named it "Rap release of the week"^[12] and XXL featured it on its "Best mixtapes of January" list.^[13] 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".^[13] The tape was also a viral success gaining over 100,000 downloads on DatPiff.^[7]

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.^[4] Brandon Soderberg of SPIN classified it as a mix of Rick Ross' "Hustlin'" and Future's "Tony Montana".^[12] By the end of the month, an official remix with rappers Rick Ross, Birdman and Gucci Mane was released.^[14] Lil Wayne also covered the song for his mixtape Dedication 5.^[15] The rapper's recent success prompted OnSmash to state "the buzz for Scooter is at an all-time high."^[16]

Scooter was known for his freestyle type of rapping, without writing down his lyrics, similarly to Gucci Mane. He 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."^[6]

Scooter's lyrical themes were 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.^[6]

Scooter listed his influences as Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Sean Combs.^[10]

On April 8, 2013, Bailey was arrested for probation violation during a traffic stop in DeKalb County, Georgia.^[17] According to HipHopDX, Bailey shared a jail cell with frequent collaborator Gucci Mane, who was arrested for probation violation on April 12, 2013.^[18] Bailey spent six months in custody before being released in mid-October 2013.^[19] On March 2, 2015, he was released off probation.^[20]

Bailey died on March 28, 2025, his 39th birthday, in Atlanta, Georgia, while attempting to flee from the Atlanta Police Department. Authorities responded to a 911 call reporting a dispute involving gunfire and a woman whom Bailey had forcibly brought back into a house. Once officers arrived, Bailey and another man fled. While trying to escape, Bailey accidentally penetrated his thigh after jumping over two fences. He was later taken to the hospital, where he died of exsanguination as a result of the injury.^[21][22]