Desiigner
Desiigner | |
|---|---|
 Desiigner in 2019
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sidney Royel Selby III |
| Also known as |
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| Born |
May 3, 1997 New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Discography | Desiigner discography |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | lifeofdesiigner |
Sidney Royel Selby III (born May 3, 1997), known professionally as Desiigner, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his 2015 debut single "Panda", which topped the Billboard Hot 100. Shortly after the song gained viral status online, he signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings until departing both labels in 2019.
In July 2016, he released the follow-up single "Tiimmy Turner", which peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite this, Desiigner is frequently described as a one-hit wonder.
Early life
Sidney Royel Selby III was born on May 3, 1997, in Brooklyn, New York City. He is of Afro-Barbadian and African American descent, and is the grandson of blues musician Sidney "Guitar Crusher" Selby. He grew up in the Louis Armstrong housing projects in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood. He began practicing vocals at school choir and church. At the age of 14, he embarked on his musical career.
Career
Desiigner embarked on his music career under his original nickname Dezolo, before he began releasing his work under the alias of Designer Royel, especially with Royel (his middle name). His sister convinced him to drop the "Royel" part and then keep the "Designer" part as his new stage name, doubling the "I"'s. On December 3, 2015, under his new pseudonym, Desiigner released his debut track, called "Zombie Walk". The song was produced by The Shell God. On December 15, 2015, Desiigner released another single, "Panda" on SoundCloud. The song released on iTunes five days later, before being re-released as his commercial debut single in February 2016. On February 11, 2016, Desiigner signed a recording contract with Kanye West's record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. In the same month, Desiigner appeared on two songs by West — "Pt. 2" (which features an interpolation of "Panda") and "Freestyle 4" — from his seventh album The Life of Pablo. The following month, Desiigner was enlisted to perform at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in 2016. In an interview with Billboard, Desiigner confirmed the release of his first upcoming mixtape, titled Trap History Month.
On May 5, 2016, producer Mike Dean announced that he would be serving as the executive producer for Desiigner's upcoming debut studio album. On May 24, Desiigner later announced that the title to his upcoming debut album would be called The Life of Desiigner. In June 2016, XXL revealed their annual "Freshmen Class" for 2016, and Desiigner was included on the list with nine other new artists. In June 2016, "Champions" was released as the lead single from the GOOD Music's ultimately shelved compilation album, Cruel Winter. Desiigner made a guest appearance on the song along with West, Gucci Mane, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Yo Gotti, and Quavo. In the same month, Desiigner made his US television debut, when he performed his single, "Panda" at the 2016 BET Awards. On June 26, 2016, Desiigner released his first full-length mixtape, titled New English on Tidal, following a live premiere of the mixtape on June 22. In July 2016, American singer Demi Lovato brought out Desiigner at their concert in New York. On July 21, 2016, Desiigner premiered his follow up single, "Tiimmy Turner", which was released as a single on iTunes the next day. The song peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Desiigner appeared as a special guest on the Netflix series Bill Nye Saves the World. On November 7, 2017, it was reported that BTS would release a remix of their song "Mic Drop" featuring Desiigner and remixed by Steve Aoki. It was set to be released on November 17, 2017, but was postponed and released on November 24, 2017, instead.
On May 3, 2018, Desiigner announced on social media that his debut extended play (EP), L.O.D., would be released at midnight on May 4, 2018. Upon release, it peaked at number 161 on the Billboard 200 and became his second and final project on a major label. The EP's namesake was utilized for his own label, LOD Records, through which he released his 2020 single, "Diva" independently.
In a 2022 interview with VladTV, Desiigner explained why he left GOOD Music in 2019, saying he was "going through a little mental thing" including his father having been comatose, and had tried to contact Kanye and his other labelmates for guidance but didn't receive any.
On the morning of November 1, 2022, Desiigner went to Instagram Live saying "I'm done rapping," after hearing the news of Migos rapper Takeoff's death from a shooting in Houston, Texas, that same morning. However, he returned to doing so on November 26 when he released the song "My Brodie", accompanied with a music video.
Legal issues
On September 8, 2016, Desiigner and three other people were arrested in New York City, after a 911 caller claimed that he pulled a gun on them. Desiigner was later found in an SUV with four other people and the vehicle was searched. The police allegedly found oxycodone and guns, for which he and the other individuals received drug and weapon charges. They were all detained in custody. On September 10, 2016, his felony gun charge was dropped by prosecutors. He was cleared of the charges on September 12, 2016, when it was found that the pills were anabolic steroids belonging to his driver.
In April 2023, Desiigner was charged with indecent exposure after allegedly being caught on a Delta Air Lines flight masturbating in front of flight attendants while travelling from Tokyo to Minneapolis, Minnesota. He later posted an apology on social media for the incident and claimed he would be checking himself into a facility for mental health treatment.
Musical style
Desiigner's musical style is influenced by Southern hip hop, namely trap music which originated in Atlanta, Georgia. His rapping technique and vocals have been heavily compared to that of Atlanta-based rapper Future. When asked about the frequent comparisons, he told Complex: "God gave him a blessing, but he gave me a blessing too. I ain't gonna doubt the man's music. He makes beautiful music too. Music is made every day. Big ups to him, big ups to Future. I actually like Future's music. I like his music, you feel me. I'm not a hater or a critic on him, you know, I do me. God bless him, God bless me."
Discography
- New English (2016)
- L.O.D. (2018)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Music: R&B/Hip-Hop Song | "Panda" | Nominated | |
| MTV Video Music Awards | Best New Artist | Himself | Nominated | ||
| Best Hip Hop Video | "Panda" | Nominated | |||
| BET Hip Hop Awards | Best Hip Hop Video | Nominated | |||
| People's Champ Award | Nominated | ||||
| Best New Hip Hop Artist | Himself | Nominated | |||
| MTV Video Music Awards Japan | Best Hip Hop Video | "Panda" | Nominated | ||
| American Music Awards | Video of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Song | Nominated | ||||
| WatsUp TV Africa Music Video Awards | WatsUp TV Viewers Choice Award | Won | |||
| 2017 | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Performance | Nominated | ||
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | Hip-Hop Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Hip-Hop Artist of the Year | Himself | Nominated | |||
| Best New Hip-Hop Artist | Nominated | ||||
| Billboard Music Awards | Top New Artist | Himself | Nominated | ||
| Top Streaming Songs Artist | Nominated | ||||
| Top Rap Artist | Nominated | ||||
| Top Streaming Song (Video) | "Panda" | Won | |||
| Top Rap Song | Won |