Editing Lil Uzi Vert (section)

== Philadelphia Upbringing ==

Symere Bysil Woods was born on July 31, 1995, in Philadelphia, growing up in the Francisville section of North Philadelphia. His childhood involved the challenges common to neighborhoods marked by poverty and limited opportunity, experiences that shaped his perspective without defining his music's content. Unlike some Philadelphia rappers whose work directly addresses street life, Uzi's music draws on broader influences that include rock, anime, and fashion alongside hip-hop.<ref name="dyson">{{cite book |last=Dyson |first=Michael Eric |title=Know What I Mean?: Reflections on Hip-Hop |year=2007 |publisher=Basic Civitas |location=New York}}</ref>

His musical education came through eclectic consumption that included Marilyn Manson and other rock artists alongside hip-hop influences. This unusual combination of influences would eventually distinguish his sound from peers whose references remained within hip-hop's traditional boundaries. The adoption of his stage name—inspired by his rapid rapping style, which a friend compared to a machine gun—signaled the distinctive identity he would develop.<ref name="bradley"/>

Philadelphia's hip-hop scene in the 2010s provided context for Uzi's emergence, though his style departed from the city's established traditions. Artists including Meek Mill represented continuity with earlier Philadelphia hip-hop, while Uzi's approach suggested new directions that incorporated influences his predecessors had not emphasized. His rise demonstrated that Philadelphia could produce diverse hip-hop voices rather than a single regional style.<ref name="dyson"/>