Nettspend

Nettspend
Nettspend in 2024
Nettspend in 2024
Background information
Also known as
  • Lil Nett
  • Nett
  • 6unner
  • 6unnex
Born
Gunner Shepardson

2007 (age 18–19)
Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
InstrumentVocals
WorksDiscography
Years active2021–present
Labels
Websitenettspend.io
Signature

Gunner Shepardson (born 2007), known professionally as Nettspend, is an American rapper from Richmond, Virginia. He is credited with the popularization of a more extreme and experimental version of rage music, alongside artists such as OsamaSon, and Che.

Nettspend began rapping while in fifth grade and began uploading to SoundCloud in October 2022. In 2023, Nettspend released his breakthrough single "Drankdrankdrank," which went viral across Twitter. Following a slew of releases and his rise to fame, Nettspend released his debut studio mixtape Bad Ass F*cking Kid in 2024. It became his first project to chart on the Billboard 200, debuting at number 198.

Nettspend released his debut studio album titled Early Life Crisis on February 13, 2026. It became his second project to chart on the Billboard 200, debuting at number 39. Shortly afterwards, Nettspend released a compilation album titled Him. It was released exclusively on SoundCloud on April 30 before it was released on all streaming platforms on July 3. On October 30, 2026, Nettspend released his debut commercial EP Virginia Creeper.

Early life

Gunner Shepardson was born in Richmond, Virginia. He has three siblings, and his father was a country singer. Growing up, Shepardson listened to various artists such as Michael Jackson, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and was heavily inspired by rapper Future. During his childhood he was also very interested in skateboarding. He first tried out rapping while in fifth grade. Shepardson felt isolated in school and dropped out in ninth grade, citing the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Career

2022–2023: Career beginnings and breakthrough

Shepardson began releasing music to SoundCloud in October 2022. In 2023, rapper Zuro introduced Shepardson to New York rapper Xaviersobased. Following this, a snippet of his song "Drankdrankdrank" went viral on Twitter. Shepardson would briefly be associated with the digicore collective Novagang. His song "Shine N Peace" was listed among the best songs of 2023 by The Fader and The New York Times.

2024: Bad Ass F*cking Kid

Shepardson performing at The Masquerade in 2024

On January 11, 2024, Shepardson was featured alongside rapper Xaviersobased on producer Evilgiane's song "40". The song was listed as one of the best songs of 2024 by The New York Times and Pitchfork. Shepardson performed at Rolling Loud on March 16, marking his first festival performance. In June, Shepardson collaborated with rapper OsamaSon on the single "Withdrawals". That month, he also made a cameo in the music video for "Devil Is a Lie" by fellow Virginia rapper Tommy Richman. After teasing it at multiple shows, Shepardson released "That One Song" in July, a song sampling "Entombed" by Deftones. In the weeks that followed, "That One Song", along with the majority of Nettspend's other popular songs, were removed from streaming platforms. On October 3, Shepardson released the track "F*ck Swag" alongside a music video directed by Cole Bennett. On December 6, Shepardson released his debut mixtape, Bad Ass F*cking Kid. He embarked on a promotional tour of the same name, bringing out British singer PinkPantheress at his Los Angeles show.

2025–present: Early Life Crisis and further releases

On February 21, 2025, Shepardson announced his "Invert" tour on social media. Vans sponsored the tour and ran from March 14 to April 16. On March 11, Shepardson made his runway debut with Miu Miu on the last day of Paris Fashion Week alongside Cortisa Star. On March 18, Shepardson teamed up with Xaviersobased to release "Impact". On August 22, 2025, Nettspend released a two-track EP, titled Gone Too Soon, which featured tracks "Stressed" and "Her Friends". On October 28, 2025, Nettspend was featured in a holiday ad for Vans. On February 13, 2026, Nettspend announced that his debut album, Early Life Crisis, would be released on March 6, following a delay. Following the album's delay, Nettspend made his second runway with Gucci in Milan, Italy, alongside Fakemink. On March 6, Nettspend released Early Life Crisis. On April 30, Nettspend released a compilation album, titled Him, exclusively on SoundCloud. On June 13, during Summer Smash, Nettspend announced that a collaborative album with OsamaSon titled NXO was on the way. Him was officially released onto streaming platforms on July 3. His debut commercial EP Virginia Creeper, released on October 30, 2026. On November 4, 2026, Nettspend made a runway appearance for Kanye West's Yeezy Season 01 show in Los Angeles, California.

Musical style and influences

Nettspend's musical style stems from trap, a subgenre of hip-hop. His music has also been characterized as jerk, a hip-hop subgenre which consists of "pitched-up, layered vocals and bass that will make your speakers sound broken", according to Pitchfork. Most of Shepardson's songs are under two minutes long. According to The Fader, he commonly employs "distorted 808s", "loose piano riffs", and "glimmering synths" in his music. His music has been described as "a symphony of stimuli" by i-D, and "post-post-rage" by The New York Times. Shepardson's lyrics frequently reference drug use, and his concert visuals have featured imagery referencing substances such as ketamine. His public image and lyrical themes led a member of his team to compare his appeal to "if Harry Styles had access to promethazine."

In an interview with i-D, Shepardson named Chief Keef, Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and Michael Jackson as influences.

Discography

Studio albums

References

  1. 1 2 3 Medithi, Vivian (December 6, 2024). "Who's afraid of Nettspend? He hasn't even peaked yet". The Fader. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lindert, Hattie (March 14, 2024). "Xaviersobased, Nettspend, Yhapojj: The Future of Underground Rap Is Extremely Online". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Press-Reynolds, Kieran; Maher, Morgan (September 16, 2024). "An interview with Nettspend, the divisive 17-year-old rapper". i-D. Archived from the original on December 6, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  4. ↑ Pete, Pistol (October 3, 2024). "Budding Rapper Nettspend Drops Wild "F*CK SWAG" Video". HipHopCanada. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Smalley, Griffin (August 13, 2024). "From the 804 to the World: Nettspend's Meteoric Rise". RVA Magazine. Archived from the original on August 20, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Songs You Need in Your Life: December 2023". The Fader. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  7. 1 2 "The 100 best songs of 2023". The Fader. Archived from the original on January 2, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  8. ↑ Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Zoladz, Lindsay (December 6, 2023). "Best Songs of 2023". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  9. ↑ DeVille, Chris (January 11, 2024). "Evilgiane – "40" (Feat. Nettspend & xaviersobased)". Stereogum. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  10. ↑ Horvath, Zachary (January 15, 2024). "EVILGIANE Produces A Banger For Fresh Talents Xaviersobased And Nettspend". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  11. ↑ Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Zoladz, Lindsay (December 9, 2024). "Best Songs of 2024". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  12. ↑ "The 100 Best Songs of 2024". Pitchfork. December 2, 2024. Archived from the original on December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  13. ↑ Cruz, Reanna (March 19, 2024). "The Highs, Lows, and Whoas of Rolling Loud California 2024". Vulture. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  14. ↑ Okon, Wongo (March 13, 2024). "Here Are The Rolling Loud California Set Times For 2024". Uproxx. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  15. ↑ Fisher, Caroline (July 3, 2024). "OsamaSon & Nettspend Join Forces For Chaotic Single "Withdrawals"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  16. ↑ DeVille, Chris (July 10, 2024). "Nettspend Samples Deftones On New Single "That One Song"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Nettspend Lands Lyrical Lemonade Debut with "F*CK SWAG"". Hypebeast. October 3, 2024. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  18. ↑ Cole, Alexander (October 3, 2024). "Nettspend Teases His Debut Project With Fresh Single "F*ck Swag"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  19. ↑ Corcoran, Nina (December 6, 2024). "9 Albums Out This Week You Should Listen to Now". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  20. ↑ Mahadevan, Tara (December 20, 2024). "Nettspend's L.A. Tour Stop: PinkPantheress Surprises Fans". Complex. Archived from the original on December 21, 2024. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  21. ↑ Wang, Steffanee. "Nettspend & Cortisa Star made runway debuts at Miu Miu's fall 2025 show". The Fader. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  22. ↑ Williams, Aaron (March 18, 2025). "Nettspend's 'Impact' W/ Xaviersobased Rings In His Birthday". Uproxx. Archived from the original on February 27, 2026. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Nettspend unleashes surprise two‑pack Gone Too Soon". Clash Music. August 27, 2025. Archived from the original on October 7, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  24. ↑ Vans. "The Vans are heading home for the holidays. Stay tuned. 🎁". Retrieved October 29, 2025 – via Instagram.
  25. ↑ "Vans unveils festive 'Meet the Vans' collection for the holiday season". Hypebeast. November 3, 2025. Archived from the original on February 2, 2026. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  26. ↑ Medithi, Vivian (February 27, 2026). "Nettspend says new album early life crisis will drop next week". The Fader. Archived from the original on March 1, 2026. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  27. 1 2 Hardy, Alyssa (February 27, 2026). "Nettspend Is Officially a Gucci Runway Model". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on March 6, 2026. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  28. ↑ Cowen, Trace William (February 27, 2026). "fakemink and Nettspend Follow in the Footsteps of Playboi Carti for Demna's Gucci Runway Show". Complex Networks. Archived from the original on March 9, 2026. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  29. ↑ Hypebeast Staff (February 26, 2026). "Rap's New Underground Wave Hits Demna's Gucci Milan Show With fakemink, Nettspend, Feng, Fimiguerrero & EsdeeKid". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on March 4, 2026. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  30. ↑ Spencer, Tallie (March 6, 2026). "Nettspend Blesses Fans With 21 New Tracks On "early life crisis"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
  31. 1 2 Nevares, Gabriel Bras (July 3, 2026). "HIM – Album by Nettspend". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on July 10, 2026. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
  32. ↑ Green, Walden (March 6, 2026). "Nettspend Teases Album With OsamaSon". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 16, 2026. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
  33. ↑ "The Best Teenage Rappers Right Now: 2026 Rankings". Complex. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
  34. ↑ Martinez, Jose. "Kanye West Holds Yeezy Season 01 Runway Show in Los Angeles". Complex. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  35. ↑ Press-Reynolds, Kieran (April 30, 2024). "THE FACE's guide to the American rap underground". The Face. Archived from the original on July 6, 2025. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  36. 1 2 Harris, Allison. "YhapoJJ: P.S. Fuck You". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  37. ↑ Wickes, Jade; Lai, Tiffany; Reed, Davy (September 17, 2024). "8 names to keep an eye on right now". The Face. Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  38. ↑ "Songs You Need In Your Life: July 2024". The Fader. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  39. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (March 15, 2024). "7 Artists Shaping the Sound of 2024". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  40. 1 2 Cartter, Eileen (March 21, 2025). "Nettspend Grows Up". GQ. Archived from the original on September 28, 2025. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
  41. ↑ Caramanica, Jon; Coscarelli, Joe; Srivatsa, Arjun (March 18, 2026). "Why Is NBA YoungBoy on a Nettspend Song?". The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2026.