COI LERAY NEVER FIT INSIDE ONE ZIP CODE — OR ONE VERSION OF HERSELF

Boston can claim the birthplace.

New Jersey can claim the upbringing.

Los Angeles can claim part of the expansion.

The internet can claim the moment her voice became impossible to escape.

But Coi Leray has spent most of her career resisting anybody who believes one place, one genre, one family name or one hit record can fully explain her.

She was born into hip-hop history without inheriting an easy road through it.

Her father, Benzino, was already woven into Boston's rap foundation as a member of Almighty RSO, later Made Men, and eventually became one of the most recognizable faces behind The Source Magazine, a publication that helped shape hip-hop culture during its most influential years.

Yet Coi's rise never resembled the protected path many assume came with that last name.

Instead...

It became its own story.

BORN IN BOSTON. BUILT IN NEW JERSEY.

Coi Leray Collins was born on May 11, 1997, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Shortly afterward, her parents separated, and she was primarily raised by her mother in Hackensack, New Jersey, alongside her siblings.

That move would shape almost everything about the artist she would eventually become.

Boston gave her history.

New Jersey gave her identity.

While her father remained connected to music and entertainment, Coi has spoken openly about watching the family's financial situation change over the years.

The lifestyle people assumed she had...

Wasn't always the reality.

She has talked about working regular jobs as a teenager and leaving high school at 16 because she wanted independence.

Years later, she would return and finish earning her diploma.

Those experiences became part of the hunger people hear in her music today.

THE BENZINO FACTOR

You can't tell Coi Leray's story without talking about her father.

But you also can't let his story overshadow hers.

Before social media.

Before reality television.

Before the headlines.

Benzino helped put Boston hip-hop on the map.

As a member of Almighty RSO, he represented one of Boston's earliest nationally recognized rap groups.

Later, with Made Men, he continued pushing Boston's street sound during a time when New York and Los Angeles dominated hip-hop conversations.

Then came The Source Magazine.

For younger fans who didn't grow up during hip-hop's magazine era...

It's difficult to explain how important The Source once was.

Before blogs...

Before YouTube...

Before social media...

The Source decided what albums mattered.

Its famous "Mic Ratings" influenced careers.

Its covers became moments.

Its pages introduced millions of fans to artists before streaming ever existed.

Love him or hate him...

Benzino became one of the most influential figures Boston hip-hop has ever produced.

That legacy belongs to him.

What Coi has done...

Belongs entirely to her.

FINDING HER OWN VOICE

Instead of trying to recreate her father's career...

Coi built something completely different.

She started uploading music independently before releasing Everythingcoz in 2018.

The project introduced listeners to something different.

She wasn't trying to sound like anyone else.

She blended melodic hooks...

Rap...

Pop...

Jersey energy...

And internet culture into something uniquely hers.

She followed with EC2 and Now or Never, steadily building momentum before the rest of the industry caught on.

Then...

Everything changed.

"NO MORE PARTIES" CHANGED HER LIFE

In 2021...

Coi released "No More Parties."

The song exploded.

The remix featuring Lil Durk pushed it even further.

Suddenly...

The entire music industry knew her name.

The song became platinum.

Radio embraced it.

Streaming numbers skyrocketed.

And Coi Leray officially arrived.

Ironically...

The record also reopened conversations about her relationship with Benzino after she referenced family struggles within the lyrics.

Their relationship has experienced public ups and downs ever since.

But one thing remained constant.

Coi refused to let family headlines become the only thing people talked about.

She kept releasing music.

THE XXL FRESHMAN WHO REFUSED TO QUIT

Being selected for the 2021 XXL Freshman Class should have been one of the biggest celebrations of her career.

Instead...

It became one of the toughest moments.

Her freestyle went viral.

Unfortunately...

Not for the reasons she hoped.

The internet criticized everything.

Her voice.

Her appearance.

Her performances.

Her music.

Many artists would've disappeared after that.

Coi didn't.

She kept recording.

She kept touring.

She kept growing.

Sometimes resilience doesn't look glamorous.

Sometimes...

It simply means showing up again tomorrow.

TRENDSETTER

Her debut album Trendsetter arrived in 2022.

The title fit perfectly.

Coi never wanted to stay inside one lane.

One song might lean heavily into rap.

The next might sound closer to pop.

Another could feel melodic.

Another completely experimental.

Some fans loved it.

Others questioned it.

Coi kept moving anyway.

Then came another massive moment.

"PLAYERS" MADE HER A GLOBAL STAR

If "No More Parties" introduced Coi to mainstream audiences...

"Players" introduced her to the world.

Built around a classic hip-hop sample from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's "The Message," the song became one of the biggest records of 2023.

Top 10 on Billboard.

Millions upon millions of streams.

Radio domination.

Global recognition.

The song also earned her a Grammy nomination.

Around the same time...

Her collaboration with David Guetta and Anne-Marie, "Baby Don't Hurt Me," earned another Grammy nomination.

Two nominations.

Two completely different genres.

That's versatility.

MORE THAN A RAPPER

Coi has never limited herself to one lane.

She's modeled.

Built fashion partnerships.

Worked with brands.

Performed worldwide.

Appeared on major festival stages.

Opened for Beyoncé during the Renaissance Tour.

Collaborated with artists from hip-hop...

Pop...

Dance...

And international music.

She's become one of the most recognizable female artists of her generation because she refuses to stay predictable.

MOTHERHOOD OPENS A NEW CHAPTER

In 2025...

Coi announced she was expecting her first child.

It marked another major chapter in her life.

For someone who has spent years speaking publicly about family relationships...

Becoming a mother creates a completely new perspective.

Sometimes life changes an artist before the music does.

This feels like one of those moments.

WHY BOSTON SHOULD CLAIM COI LERAY

Some people only associate Coi Leray with New Jersey.

Others only mention her father.

Boston deserves to remember another part of the story.

She was born here.

Her roots begin here.

And through Benzino...

Her family's impact on Boston hip-hop stretches back decades.

Coi represents a new generation.

Benzino helped build one before her.

Together...

Their stories connect two completely different eras of Massachusetts hip-hop.

FROM STATIC LINE SOUNDS

At Static Line Sounds...

We love telling Massachusetts stories that deserve more than a headline.

Coi Leray isn't simply "Benzino's daughter."

She isn't simply "the girl who made Players."

She's an artist who turned criticism into motivation.

Who survived public scrutiny.

Who created platinum records.

Who earned Grammy nominations.

Who built her own identity despite carrying one of hip-hop's most recognizable last names.

Boston gave her the beginning.

New Jersey helped shape her.

The world watched her become a star.

And whether she's making rap...

Pop...

Or something in between...

One thing is clear.

Coi Leray stopped living in anyone else's shadow a long time ago.

She came from hip-hop history.

Now...

She's writing her own.