DDG

Pop-friendly trap beats, catchy melodic hooks, and an energetic microphone style define the sound of Michigan-raised YouTuber-turned-rapper DDG. His ascent began in 2016 when he began issuing independent tracks, eventually leading to a deal with the major label Epic. The mixtape Die 4 Respect arrived in 2021 alongside his guest turn on the remix of Masked Wolf’s global smash “Astronaut in the Ocean.” After the Gunna-assisted single “Elon Musk,” DDG delivered his second studio album, It’s Not Me It’s You, in 2022. Its 2023 sequel, Maybe It’s Me…, spotlighted the breakout track “I’m Geekin,” while the EP HANDLING BUSINESS and several singles such as “Pink Dreads” followed throughout 2024.

Born Darryl Granberry, Jr. in Pontiac, Michigan, DDG first rapped in public during 2016; the singles “Dope” and “Lettuce” with Famous Dex surfaced near the end of 2017. Growing visibility brought higher-profile features, among them YBN Nahmir, G Herbo, and Black Youngsta on “Run It Up” plus Queen Naija on “Hold Up.” He released the mixtape Take Me Serious in 2018, then followed with the 2019 projects Sorry 4 the Hold Up and the Epic/Sony debut studio album VALEDICTORIAN. Standalone tracks continued through 2020. The next year saw DDG link with Quality Control Music producer OG Parker for another Die 4 Respect mixtape that featured Lil Yachty, 42 Dugg, and additional guests; the set reached the Top 100 of the U.S. Billboard charts. A Blueface-assisted remix of “Moonwalking in Calabasas” amassed more than 200 million streams, and DDG closed 2021 by joining G-Eazy on a fresh version of Masked Wolf’s “Astronaut in the Ocean.”

Having relocated to Los Angeles, DDG also launched a professional boxing career while maintaining his music output. Further non-album cuts paved the way for his sophomore LP, among them 2021’s “Rucci” and 2022’s “Elon Musk” with Gunna. The latter track appeared on It’s Not Me It’s You, which landed at the close of September and registered on the Billboard 200. That same year he teamed with Offset for the independent single “Bulletproof Maybach.” July 2023 brought the third album, Maybe It’s Me…, positioned as a direct follow-up to It’s Not Me It’s You. Filled with reflections on relationship ups and downs and DDG’s path to prominence, the project carried the viral single “I’m Geekin” featuring Luh Tyler as well as a remix that added NLE Choppa and BIA. The 2024 singles “She Don’t Play” and “Going to the Top” preceded the EP HANDLING BUSINESS, which included Tory Lanez and Real Boston Richey, while “Pink Dreads” emerged from a collaboration with PlaqueBoyMax.