Denzel Curry

Miami-area rapper Denzel Curry fuses verses heavy on raw introspection with a shifting sonic backdrop that pulls from cloud rap haze and longstanding hip-hop craftsmanship. Following a string of favorably received early-2010s mixtapes, he launched his first proper studio album via the 2013 underground staple Nostalgic 64, then logged his initial Billboard placement with the 2018 major-label arrival TA13OO. Momentum built further through 2019’s Zuu and the 2020 joint effort with Kenny Beats titled Unlocked. In 2022 he delivered his fifth full-length, the reflective and grown Melt My Eyez See Your Future, before issuing the 2024 mixtape King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 2 to sustain interest ahead of the forthcoming studio album Designed by Angels.

Born in Carol City, Florida, to Bahamian and Native American parents, Curry began composing poetry during elementary school and later honed his skills through battle rap sessions at the neighborhood Boys & Girls Club. Shaped equally by 2Pac and Buju Banton, his dense lyricism and forceful delivery surfaced on early projects such as King Remembered Underground Tape 1991-1995 (2011) and King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 1: Underground Tape 1996 (2012). His association with SpaceGhostPurrp’s Raider Klan yielded appearances on the crew’s 2012 and 2013 Greatest Hits compilations. Toward the close of high school he started crafting material that would form Nostalgic 64, the 2013 release that showcased guest turns from Robb Bank$ and Odd Future’s Mike G.

After the strong reception for Nostalgic, Curry issued the paired EPs collected as 32 Zel/Planet Shrooms. His second studio album, Imperial, surfaced in 2016 and contained the tracks “Knotty Head” (featuring Rick Ross), “Zenith” (featuring Joey Bada$$), and “ULT,” a reworking of the prior-year single “Ultimate.” Following the SoundCloud leak of two demos and several enigmatic social-media messages, he dropped the 13 EP in June 2017. Into 2018 came the successive singles “Skywalker,” “Sumo,” and “Uh Huh” with IDK. That May, “Percs” arrived as the opening single from the third album TA13OO. Divided into the three acts Light, Gray, and Dark, the project gave Curry his first Billboard 200 entry, bowing at number 28; it also spotlighted the single “Clout Cobain” along with contributions from GoldLink, J.I.D., and additional artists.

A 2019 viral cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade” for Australian Triple J radio preceded the May release of the single “Ricky,” titled after Curry’s father and serving as the first preview of fourth album Zuu. The summer-leaning set drew from every formative influence—his Carol City roots, Miami bass music, and local Florida rap figures including Trick Daddy, Plies, and Trina—plus his own parents. The well-reviewed album entered just outside the Top 30 and included Rick Ross, Kiddo Marv, Ice Billion Berg, and further guests. Later that year Curry joined Kenny Beats for an installment of the producer’s online freestyle series The Cave, yielding the joint release Unlocked. The concise 2020 project highlighted Curry’s agile lyricism and humor, and was soon followed by the expanded Unlocked 1.5. In 2022 he explored a worldly, cinematic approach on fifth album Melt My Eyez See Your Future, enlisting producers Robert Glasper, JPEGMafia, Thundercat, and recurring collaborator Kenny Beats, while guests slowthai, T-Pain, Saul Williams, Rico Nasty, JID, and others joined the sessions. The jazzy, neo-soul-inflected Live at Electric Lady EP appeared in 2023, trailed by the Juicy J collaboration “Blood on My Nikez.” While preparing Designed by Angels, Curry released sixth mixtape King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 2 in July 2024; the effort featured Project Pat, Juicy J, Maxo Kream, and additional artists, functioning as a direct sequel to the 2012 project King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 1: Underground Tape 1996.