Joe Gifted

Joe Gifted, born Joseph McLester III, is an Atlanta rapper who initially pursued music under the name Joe Gutta before reinventing himself in 2015. He originally set his sights on football in high school, but after the passing of his father he turned to rap as an outlet, beginning to record in 2009 and connecting with Gary Smith, founder of Moodswing Productions, who signed him to the label.

His early style, often compared to a blend of T-Pain and Young Thug, came through on mixtapes like Who Hotter and Puttin on Shit, both hosted by DJ Scream. In 2015 he rebranded as Joe Gifted, releasing the Joe Gifted mixtape followed by Diamond in the Ruff and its sequel, Diamond in the Ruff 2.0, produced by DJ Swamp Izzo. His 2016 project Finally Free featured collaborations with Big Ben, Yung Ralph, Skooly and Strap.

His breakthrough single «Water», with a sound reminiscent of Migos, helped secure him a wider record deal and remains his best-known track, later reissued as «Water (Rehydrated)». Other notable songs, including «HD» and «Still On My Shit», continue his melodic, trap-rooted approach within Atlanta's hip hop scene.