Onfroy had just started to pop after he built an iconic cult following. He began recording music under his moniker in 2013 and released his debut mixtape XXX (Unmastered) the following year. He followed up with his joint project with his close friend Ski Mask The Slump God, Members Only Vol. 1, which helped establish their Florida-based collective Members Only. The group later released Members Only, Vol. 2 featuring more members. X quickly became one of the Soundcloud era's most prominent artists after he dropped his notable song "Look At Me!" in 2015.

As his career began to gain traction, Onfroy was arrested in 2016 on charges of false imprisonment, witness tampering, and aggravated battery of his then-pregnant girlfriend. While he was locked up, Onfroy signed a management deal with Soloman Sobande, who still manages his music along with X's mother Cleopatra Bernard. Sobande helped sort through the multiple offers X received from record labels until the Florida rapper signed with Empire Distribution.

After he was released from prison in 2017, XXXTentacion hit the ground running. He dropped his first commercial mixtape Revenge, his collaborative mixtape Members Only Vol. 3, and his debut album 17, featuring songs like "Jocelyn Flores" and "F**k Love." His popularity continued to soar after collaborating with Kodak Black for "Rollin' In Peace." In 2018, X dropped his second album ? featuring collaborations with Joey Bada$$, Travis Barker and PnB Rock. It was the last album he released before his untimely death.