Brent Faiyaz

Brent Faiyaz operates as a modern R&B vocalist, composer, and beatmaker whose understated delivery often sits atop hazy, mid-tempo productions and echoes a blend of Slim from 112 with the Weeknd. Emerging in the middle of the 2010s both on his own and as one-third of Sonder, he achieved substantial commercial traction through a guest spot on GoldLink’s multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated single “Crew” in 2016. He went on to deliver the independent solo sets Sonder Son in 2017 and the Top 20-charting Fuck the World in 2020. The guest-laden Wasteland arrived in 2022, claiming the top spot on the R&B chart and reaching number two on the Billboard 200, before Larger Than Life followed in 2023 as his first mixtape, likewise packed with features.

Raised in Maryland, Faiyaz began circulating material via SoundCloud and relocated to Los Angeles within a few years to advance his work. After issuing his first commercial project, the 2016 A.M. Paradox EP, he appeared on GoldLink’s “Crew,” which climbed to number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100, earned triple-platinum certification, received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and was placed in season two of Insecure. Just prior to that single’s launch, Faiyaz joined producers Atu and Dpat to create the group Sonder, whose Into EP surfaced at the start of 2017. Later the same year he released the full-length Sonder Son, captured during a month-long stay in the Dominican Republic. The solo EP Lost followed in 2018.

Guest turns alongside A$AP Ferg and Juice WRLD paved the way for his second album, Fuck the World, which entered the Billboard 200 at number 20 upon its February 2020 release. Early the next year he teamed with DJ Dahi for the single “Gravity,” also featuring Tyler, The Creator. “Wasting Time,” which included Drake, surfaced several months afterward. Both tracks landed on the 2022 album Wasteland, additionally incorporating contributions from Alicia Keys and Raphael Saadiq; the project debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and led the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Additional non-album cuts appeared throughout 2023, among them “Fell in Love” with Marshmello and “Moment of Your Life” featuring Coco Jones. That October, supported by a fresh distribution arrangement, Faiyaz issued the mixtape Larger Than Life. Beyond its title track, the more expansive collection contained joint numbers such as “Last One Left” with Missy Elliott and Lil Gray plus “Outside All Night” alongside A$AP Rocky and N3WYRKLA, while also housing introspective solo cuts like “WY@.”