Derrick Milano
Derrick Carrington Gray (born December 24, 1993), known professionally as Derrick Milano, is an American songwriter, rapper, and singer. He grew up in Philadelphia and in Delaware before moving to Florida for college.[3] He began his musical career as a rapper in 2013 before shifting to songwriting in 2019. He has since written songs for artists including Justin Bieber, Pop Smoke, Nicki Minaj, and Megan Thee Stallion.[3] In 2021, he won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards for co-writing the rap song "Savage Remix" by Megan Thee Stallion and featuring Beyoncé.[4]
Derrick Milano
Derrick Carrington Gray[1]
December 24, 1993[2]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
- Songwriter
- rapper
- singer
2013–present
Early life and education[edit]
Derrick Gray was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Virginia and Jeff Gray.[3] Gray first gained experience in music as a member of his church's choir.[5] His family moved to Brandywine Hundred, Delaware, when he was in seventh grade, and he attended Hanby Middle School, Brandywine High School, and Red Lion Christian Academy, before graduating from Concord High School in 2012. While in high school, Gray would battle rap with friends and was a member of the school choir.[3]
After graduating from high school, Gray attended college in Florida, including at Valencia College[2] and Full Sail University, where he was involved in Business Professionals of America.[6]
Career[edit]
Early career (2013–2018)[edit]
Milano began his music career while in college, where he distributed mixtapes for his music. His breakout success came with the release of the "trap-happy" single "#ThatAintYaBitch",[7] which he released on SoundCloud in May 2014.[8] As a result of the single's success, he was invited to open for artists playing shows at Orlando-area venues, including for rappers Young Thug and Future.[2] Following this early success, a dispute with his management made releasing and promoting music challenging for Milano.[9]