Destroy Lonely

Atlanta rapper Destroy Lonely favors unpredictable, rapid-fire delivery atop moody trap productions. Since the closing years of the 2010s he has issued a steady stream of mixtapes and EPs, while the track “Bane,” first issued as a 2019 single, achieved widespread viral traction in 2021. Following his affiliation with Playboi Carti’s Opium imprint, he dropped the 2022 mixtape No Stylist and then unveiled his first proper studio album, If Looks Could Kill, the next year. Subsequent guest spots alongside PinkPantheress and Quavo preceded the 2024 release LOVE LASTS FOREVER, which entered the Top Ten of the Billboard 200.

Born Bobby Sandimanie III, he is the offspring of rapper I-20, a frequent Ludacris collaborator who held a deal with Disturbing tha Peace. Growing up, the younger Sandimanie viewed Ludacris as an uncle figure and regularly joined his father on tour. He completed middle school via online coursework, used spare hours to master audio production on his own, and started posting material to SoundCloud in 2015. During high school he connected with fellow rappers Nezzus and Texaco Cam, gradually building ties throughout the Atlanta rap community.

The 2018 EP NezzusDestroyed, recorded with Nezzus, marked an early joint effort, while Destroy Lonely’s solo output that year included Darkhorse, Sometimes U Lose, and Forever, ILY along with the single “Bane.” In 2020 he released the EP Lord and the mixtape