42 Dugg

Whistling Detroit rapper 42 Dugg is one of Michigan hip-hop's essential voices of the late 2010s, known for his 2020 breakout tracks with Atlanta hotshot Lil Baby, "Grace"—which peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100—and "We Paid," which peaked at number 10. Born Dion Marquise Hayes on 15 November 1995 in East Detroit, Michigan, he became homeless at the age of 15 and spent six years in prison where he first started rapping. After completing his sentence, the US rapper dropped his first single, “Mama I’m Sorry,” in 2018 and his first mixtape, 11241 Wayburn, that same year. He also drew attention for subsequent singles "The Streets,” featuring Babyface Ray, and “Stfu” featuring Peezy, EWM Kdoe, Bagboy Mel, Cash Kidd, and EWM Buck. After meeting Lil Baby while playing high-stakes dice games in 2017, he was signed to the rapper's 4PF label and also to Yo Gotti's label CMG. In 2019, he dropped his debut mixtape Young and Turnt, with its follow-up Young & Turnt, Vol. 2—featuring his now signature whistle motif on every track—arriving the following year, accompanied by a deluxe version, and going to number 58 in the US. 42 Dugg has stepped up as a collaborator on tracks by Tory Lanez, Big Sean, and Marshmello, yielding 2020 single, "Baggin,'" with Marshmello, among other achievements. His fourth mixtape, Free Dem Boyz, was released in 2021, which he took all the way to number 8 on the Billboard 200. The mixtape featured guest spots from Roddy Ricch, Future, Lil Durk, Rylo Rodriguez, EST Gee, Fivio Foreign, and Rowdy Rebel. 2024 heralded the arrival of his debut major-label studio album, 4eva Us Neva Them, which was released via 4 Pockets Full (4PF), Collective Music Group (CMG), and Interscope Records. The LP packed in guest appearances from Meek Mill, Sexyy Red, Lil Baby, and others.