cago, Bennett released his debut mixtape 10 Day in 2012. He began to gain mainstream recognition in 2013 after releasing his second mixtape, Acid Rap.
His interest in music began with Michael Jackson, who he exclusively listened to on cassettes until the fifth grade.
Growing up, Bennett’s parents were constantly playing music, including Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke, and other artists in the jazz and gospel genres.
Bennett began listening to hip-hop after hearing “Through the Wire” by Kanye West on the radio while walking through Hyde Park, Chicago. After finding out the song was on West’s debut album The College Dropout, Bennett purchased the album, making it the first hip-hop album that Bennett listened to.
In February 2020, Nickelodeon announced Bennett would be the host of the 2020 Kids’ Choice Awards on March 22. The entire show was later scrapped and replaced with a virtual ceremony hosted by Victoria Justice from her home, delayed to May 2 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and with a lack of live musical performances overall due to the circumstances.
On October 11, 2022, it was announced that Bennett would be a coach on the twenty-third season of The Voice in spring 2023.