Pi’erre Bourne may be best known in mainstream circles for the “Yo Pierre, you wanna come out here?” tagline. However, Bourne is a multifaceted artist who works as a producer, rapper, and audio engineer. Along with producing some of the top tracks of the past few years for rappers such as Playboi Carti, Young Nudy, and Lil Uzi Vert, just to name a few, Pi’erre has also released three solo studio albums. Pi’erre has also worked closely with Kanye West and has recently solidified himself as one of the most prolific producers. Here’s a look at the life and career of Pi’erre Bourne.
Pi’erre Bourne grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. In addition to this, he spent summers with his grandmother in Queens, New York. During his time in New York, Pi’erre’s interest in East Coast Hip-Hop acts such as Dipset and G-Unit grew. Pi’erre began making beats on FL Studio on his uncle’s computer in elementary school. Bourne’s uncle was a rapper and graphic artist.
Upon graduating high school, Bourne went to college for graphic design but dropped out after a year to pursue music. At this time, his uncle encouraged Bourne to move to Atlanta. Due to this, Pi’erre attended the SAE Institute to study sound engineering. While in school, Bourne befriended DJ Burn One, and after graduating, the two worked at a recording studio as audio engineers. In 2015, Pi’erre worked as an engineer for Epic Records but left after a year to pursue his own career as a producer.
The year 2016 proved to be the beginning of Pi’erre’s breakout as an artist. In 2016, Pi’erre began producing for Trippie Redd and eventual long-time collaborator Young Nudy. Additionally, Bourne released three solo mixtapes, The Life of Pi’erre, The Life of Pi’erre 2, and The Life of Pi’erre 3. Bourne’s popularity would skyrocket after he met Playboi Carti.
Pi’erre met Playboi Carti in February 2017 and collaborated on the track “Woke Up Like This” featuring Lil Uzi Vert. Pi’erre produced more tracks on Carti’s debut self-titled album, including the hit “Magnolia.” The track peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition to its commercial success, Pi’erre’s tagline on the song, “Yo Pierre, you want to come out here,” became its own viral sensation. The saying became an internet meme and a trademark attached to any Pi’erre beat.
With the success of “Magnolia,” Pi’erre’s talent as a producer was in high demand in 2017. That year, Pi’erre racked up production credits on 21 Savage’s Issa Album, Lil Yachty’s Teenage Emotions, Big Sean and Metro Boomin’s Double or Nothing, and Lil Uzi Vert’s Luv Is Rage 2. Pi’erre also produced 6ix9ine’s 2017 track “Gummo.” It charted at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Pi’erre another top hit along with “Magnolia.”
In 2018, Bourne once again collaborated with Playboi Carti on his second album Die Lit, as he produced the majority of the songs and featured as a rapper on two tracks from the album. Around this same time, Pi’erre would also begin his collaborations with Kanye West. Pi’erre co-produced the song “Yikes” from Kanye’s album Ye and the single “Watch,” which featured West and Travis Scott.
Pi’erre then released a full-length collaborative project with Young Nudy in May of 2019 titled Sli’merre. Bourne produced all twelve tracks on the project, which included features from Megan Thee Stallion, DaBaby, Lil Uzi Vert, and 21 Savage. Sli’merre was met with critical acclaim and released at No. 1 on Apple Music’s US All Genres Chart. It also peaked at No. 63 on the US Billboard Hot 200. Also in 2019, Pi’erre released his debut studio album, The Life of Pi’erre 4. The album featured Bourne’s production and rapper abilities and peaked at No. 107 on the US Billboard Hot 200.
In 2020, Pi’erre’s contributions to Hip-Hop continued. Bourne produced four songs on Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake and also produced Drake’s “Pain 1993,” which featured Playboi Carti. “Pain 1993” peaked at No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Because of this, Bourne debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Producer Chart in March 2020. In addition to this, Pi’erre would once again collaborate with Carti on his third album Whole Lotta Red, which was met with critical acclaim.
Pi’erre once again collaborated with Kanye West on his album Jesus is King. Bourne co-produced songs “On God” and “Use This Gospel.” For his contributions, Pi’erre won his first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album at the 2021 award ceremony. Bourne also released his second album, The Life of Pi’erre 5, in 2021, which peaked at No. 35 on the US Billboard Hot 200 charts. As with his previous album, Pi’erre produced the entire album and rapped on it as well.
Pi’erre’s success has continued to the present day, as he continues to contribute to some of the hottest tracks in Hip-Hop. Pi’erre also released his third album, Good Movie, in September 2022. He has also released two singles this year, “IG” and “Honeyberry 2.” Whether as a solo artist or producer, Pi’erre Bourne has cemented himself as one of the most influential and important artists of recent times.