Key Takeaways
- Opium (also known as 00pium) is Playboi Carti's shadowy, producer-driven label founded around 2019–2020. The label is built on dark, distorted, avant-garde rap that's become a blueprint for the underground. They are taking that sound to ComplexCon's 10th anniversary, where Carti will be headlining and acting as co-creative director alongside Hiroshi Fujiwara.
- Its core roster includes Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, and Homixide Gang. They have released projects like A Great Chaos, If Looks Could Kill, and Homicide Lifestyle 2. There is also YVL, which serves as the younger extension of Carti's universe.
- After the arena-sized Antagonist Tour and a run of charting releases culminating in More Chaos hitting No. 1, 00pium now functions as the underground's north star—proving experimental, industrial rap can stay weird, build a full visual world, and still dominate mainstream stages like ComplexCon 2026.
It's not surprising but Playboi Carti doesn't run Opium the way other rappers run their brands.
Despite being one of hip-hop's most influential labels, Opium (also known as 00pium) operates almost entirely in shadow. The label has maintained virtually no official social presence—and no we’re not counting Carti’s legendary burner. Instead, rumors, breadcrumbs, and Reddit threads piece together how it actually works.
And yet, they are a true force—reshaping the sound of the underground without going to social media and taking credit for it. Nowhere is this power more visible than their upcoming takeover of ComplexCon this October, when they'll descend on Los Angeles. It is an 00pium takeover, with Playboi Carti not only performing but acting as creative director, alongside Hiroshi Fujiwara, in celebration of the event’s 10th year running.
In the process he's bringing his entire label for the festivities. Ken Carson, HXG and ApolloRed1 will headline day one, on October 3, while Carti, Destroy Lonely and producer Filthy will take over on day two, October 4.
With Complexcon tickets now on sale, there isn’t a better time to learn about the label taking over rap. Here is everything you need to know about Playboi Carti's Opium Records.
Where Did Opium Come From?
00pium was founded around 2019 or 2020 by Playboi Carti and producer OpiumBaby. The label became a vessel for one of Carti's obsessions: dark, industrial, avant-garde production that pushed rap into uncharted territory. "I came in first just signing a gang of producers," Carti told XXL in 2021, positioning himself as curator of a specific sonic vision.
Who's Actually on the Opium Roster?
Around this time Carti was also tapping in with the talent around him, especially a bunch of Atlanta natives that include Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, and HXG—which is the duo of Beno! and Meechie. This collective of talent, all unique in their own way, each would come to embody the goth aesthetic of Carti and 00pium. "Ken and Lonely, they are two kids who grew up where I'm from. And they are family. As they got older, they started rapping," Carti told in that same XXL interview. "I met about three years ago."
The complete roster of 00pium producers hasn't been officially confirmed, but a number of names have become synonymous with the label's output over the years—Lukrative, KPBeatz, Lil 88, Art Dealer and others. These producers have been the ones responsible for creating the distorted sound that 00pium has built over the years through releases like Ken Carson’s A Great Chaos and HXG’s Homixide Lifestyle.
Who are other Opium affiliates?
Opium is also not just a music label. The entity has continued to be a creative engine powering the desolate, brutalist world that Carti has carefully curated, involving a variety of creatives. Take Mitch Modes, a stylist who used to work for the Weeknd's imprint XO and eventually connected with Carti to help create the aesthetic around 00pium, which comprises Rick Owens and other all-black garments.
There is also SEXISDEATH, a Norwegian tattoo artist turned creative director who was brought in to craft the visual world around Carti's music. She was initially introduced to 00pium, where she said Carti described the collective as something "way bigger than you think it is." She was featured on Carti's track "BACKR00MS" and has helped create the industrial aesthetic surrounding the album's videos, cover art, and more. In 2024, she notably designed 00pium’s 2024 ComplexCon booth..
Burberry Erry is a spiky-haired, multi-hyphenate creative that has been modeling major gigs like Justin Bieber’s old brand Drew House, but was actually signed to 00pium as a creative consultant, model, and stylist. He has been seen onstage often with Carti as one of the many people rocking onstage.
And then there's Joy Divzn , another creative who told Our Generation Music he isn't officially signed to the label, but has been seen around Carti and characterizes himself as both his friend and a creative who helps 00pium. He has primarily showcased his work as a videographer and can often be seen around Carti with a VHS camera.
What’s the difference between YVL and Opium?
Opium isn't the only imprint Carti is overseeing. There is also a much newer imprint called YVL, which stands for Young Vamp Life. To outsiders, the distinction between YVL and 00pium may seem subtle, but they are two separate entities. YVL's first signed artist, Apollored1, explained the difference in an interview with KTO, saying, "00pium is kind of like the foundation. They've been the label since 2019—or 2020, one of them. That's really the difference. 00pium is like the pioneers of this whole aesthetic, right? YVL is kind of the younger crew."
Ken Carson echoed a similar sentiment last year, describing 00pium as something that is already "a family." "Motherfuckers can be YVL, I don't know about 00pium though," he said. So anyone aspiring to be part of Playboi Carti's crew may have an opportunity to do so under YVL.
Opium's Most Important Releases and Moments
Although the Carti sound and movement is most closely associated with the genre-defining Whole Lotta Red, that album was not released under 00pium—it, in fact, dropped under ASAP Rocky's AWGE imprint.
The first release to come under the 00pium imprint was Project X, which came out a couple of months after Whole Lotta Red. From there, every Ken Carson release would hit a new benchmark: X, which came a year later, was the first 00pium release to chart. A Great Chaos would follow in 2023 and featured some of his first breakthrough songs, including "Jennifer's Body" and "Overseas," which came on the deluxe and became his first charting single. Finally there was More Chaos, which would become the first 00pium album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
For Destroy Lonely, it started with No Stylist, his first commercial release, which charted on the Billboard album charts. From there he would drop If Looks Could Kill and Love Lasts Forever, as well as notable mixtapes like <3/3³. A collab album featuring Lone and Ken called OPM Twins has been long rumored, but that doesn't seem to be the focus right now. Ken Carson is about to release his new album, xperiment, as well as a new mixtape coming in July.
HXG might be one of the more underrated acts on the label, but they've been consistent. Since 2022 they've released a new album every year, with their latest being Homicide Lifestyle 2 in 2025—a year that saw each core member of 00pium release solo projects as well.
Why 00pium Matters in 2026
Even with all of the commercial success and headline tours, 00pium is still seen as the north star of the underground for rap acts that can transcend while staying true to their sound and aesthetic. As underground rap has become increasingly experimental—with artists like 2Slimey pushing distortion into noise music territory, with producers exploring hyperpop and jerk production, with the entire underground rejecting traditional song structure—00pium has still found a way to not only be influential but grow.
The label didn't invent experimental rap, but it gave it a face (Carti), a sound (distorted and dissonant), and a pathway. Most young rappers who are trying to push the boundaries of what rap can be are operating in some way within the creative universe that Carti and his crew sketched out.
Last year, they were anointed as rap's powerhouse force when they launched the Antagonist Tour, which did over 30 arena shows and featured every member of the main collective coming together to bring something great. Expect to see that same energy at ComplexCon on October 3 and 4.
