GIVĒON

Despite having released a handful of singles of his own between 2018 and 2019, Giveon’s career really took off after being featured on Drake’s 2020 single “Chicago Freestyle.” Born Giveon Dezmann Evans on February 21, 1995, the Long Beach native discovered his passion for music from an early age and took part in the Recording Academy’s Grammy U program when he was just 18. There, he began to hone his baritone range inspired by the work of Frank Sinatra and vocal jazz from the 60s and 70s. In 2018, Giveon dropped his debut single “Garden Kisses," followed by the ballad “Fields,” which caught the attention of Epic Records. “Like I Want You,” his first offering for the label, came out in 2019 and appeared in several mainstream charts, reaching Number 7 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Songs and obtaining gold certification by the RIAA. This success led to an opening slot for Swedish singer Snoh Aalegra on her Europe and North American tour, and preceded the advent of his debut EP Take Time, released in 2020. That same year, Giveon jumped to fame by landing a guest spot on Drake’s Dark Lane Demo Tapes with the track “Chicago Freestyle,” also scoring songwriting credits. The single peaked at Number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and propelled Giveon’s popularity to new heights, prompting the release of a second EP titled When It’s All Said and Done (2020). Preceded by the single “Stuck On You,” the EP reached Number 9 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. In 2021, Giveon received his first-ever Grammy nomination in the category of Best R&B Album for Take Time.