Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. was born in Valdosta, Georgia, on March 30, 1990. Rhett's father is renowned singer-songwriter Rhett Akins. In a 2013 interview, Rhett explained why he doesn't use his father's last name, saying, "I didn’t leave Akins out to convince people my dad wasn’t my dad. I’ve always been called Thomas Rhett. I didn’t want to get rid of it."

Rhett and his father have written songs together and their "Star of the Show" reached No. 1 in 2017. Akins was also one of the co-writers on "It Goes Like This," which in 2013 became Rhett's first No. 1 song. "Drink a Little Beer," from the album Life Changes, features Akins on the track.