Sidney Royel Selby III, better known by his stage name Desiigner, is a skilled American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor who rose to fame after the release of his first single “Panda” in 2016. The song eventually rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. When famed rapper Kayne West heard the song, he was so impressed that he signed Desiigner to his ‘Good’ record label. He contributed his voice to two different tracks on Kanye West’s seventh studio album, ‘The Life of Pablo.’ Following that, Desiigner teamed up with rapper and friend Phresher to create a number of songs, the most notable of which are “On the Low” and “Danny DeVito.” Desiigner’s close buddy suggested he repurpose a song he’d heard on YouTube, which was subsequently layered with parts of rap, pop, R&B, and trap. Sidney’s passion for the BMW X6, which he likened to a panda, was depicted in the modified tune. For the better part of the day, Desiigner has been occupying Kanye West’s studio pad, making the most of his friendship with the legendary rapper. When it comes to discussing his upcoming ventures, though, he keeps his mouth shut.
Career of Desiigner
Sidney’s professional career began with him recording songs under the moniker ‘Dezolo,’ but the moniker was eventually changed to ‘Desiigner Royel.’ Sidney, on the other hand, found the tweaking interesting and the new alias stayed when his sister suggested keeping only the ‘Desiigner’ component and dropping the ‘Royel’. The song “Zombie Walk” was the first to be released under the new stage name, and it was released on December 3, 2015.
Designer made his commercial debut on SoundCloud on December 15, 2015, with the tune “Panda.” In February 2016, the song was re-released. In the same month, Desiigner signed a deal to record music for Kanye West’s GOOD Music label, which he owns and manages.
After after, he appeared on a few of tracks on Kanye’s seventh studio album, ‘The Life of Pablo.’ Following that, Desiigner performed at the ‘South by Southwest’ music festival. In a conversation with Billboard, he stated that his mixtape trap titled ‘Trap History Month’ would be released shortly.
On May 24, 2016, Desiigner announced that his upcoming first studio album will be titled ‘The Life of Designer,’ and that it would be produced by Mike Dean, who previously collaborated with Kanye West. Desiigner will also appear as a guest performer in the lead track “Champions” from the upcoming album “Cruel Winter.” Kanye West’s ‘Good Music’ record label released the single in June 2016.
Kanye West, Quavo, Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, and Gucci Mane are among the rappers who appear on the single. He made his television debut at the 2016 BET Awards, singing his first single “Panda.” On June 22, 2016, he gave a live performance of his debut mixtape LP ‘New English,’ and four days later, ‘Tide,’ a record company, put it up for sale.
Desiigner has appeared as a guest actor in the Netflix series ‘Bill Nye Saves the World.’
Scandals & Controversies
Desiigner was arrested in New York City on September 8, 2016, for possession of dangerous drugs and guns. According to a spokesperson for the NYPD (New York Police Department), Desiigner and his co-passengers were in an encounter with a driver of a Cadillac Escalade while traveling in an SUV. There was a violent verbal confrontation between Desiigner and the victim near the intersection of 42nd Street and 9th Avenue, after which a gun was pointed at the complainant’s vehicle. After the victim contacted 911, officers from the New York Police Department apprehended Desiigner and three other occupants in the SUV.
Personal Experiences of Desiigner
Desiigner was born on May 3rd, 1997 in Brooklyn, New York. His ancestors came from Barbados. He spent his childhood in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, where he began singing at an early age and sang in the school choir. He started writing songs under the alias ‘Dezolo’ when he was 14 years old. Designer acknowledges that his paternal grandfather, Sidney Selby, a superb blues guitarist who recorded several albums under the stage name ‘Guitar Crusher,’ had a huge effect on him.