DEV

Los Angeles rapper, singer, and songwriter Dev (aka Devin Star Tailes) makes hip-hop-influenced and dance-oriented electronic pop music based around her cool vocal delivery. Born in 1989, Dev grew up in Manteca, California, where she focused on swimming, band, and choir during high school. It was while studying English and art history at San Joaquin Delta College that Dev posted a cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Blonde Trick” to her MySpace page. The track caught the attention of alternative hip-hop duo the Cataracs, who helped her sign a management deal with their label, Indie-Pop. After moving to Los Angeles in 2009, Dev began collaborating with the Cataracs on several tracks, including “2Nite,” “Fireball,” and “Booty Bounce,” the latter of which was sampled by Far East Movement for their hit single “Like a G6.” A year later, she signed to Universal Republic and released the Cataracs-produced single “Bass Down Low,” which charted on Billboard’s Hot 100. In 2011 she delivered her debut full-length album, the Cataracs-produced The Night the Sun Came Up, which also included the singles “In the Dark” and “Naked” featuring Enrique Iglesias. That same year, Dev gave birth to her first child, a daughter, with her pro-skateboarding fiancé, Jimmy Gorecki. In 2014 Dev returned with the EP Bittersweet July, featuring the NanosauR-produced single “Kids.” After the release of stand-alone singles “Lowkey” and “#1” in 2016, Dev released her sophomore LP, I Only See You When I'm Dreamin', in September 2017. The album included the singles “Come at Me” and “Trouble” featuring Marko Penn. ~ Matt Collar