Doe Boy

Dynamic delivery, street-level braggadocio, and a solid track record with strong mixtape releases are all key components of Cleveland-born, Atlanta-based rapper Doe Boy’s sound, one that’s decidedly modern while being informed by the gangster tradition. His early self-released mixtapes included work with producer Lex Luger, and the turbulent trap sounds were enough to land him a deal with Future’s Freebandz label. Doe Boy didn’t rest once he got a deal, however, but stayed on a near-constant grind, gaining some serious attention for his 2019 appearance with Future and Meek Mill on the song “100 Shooters,” and frequently releasing mixtapes like 2018′s Young Thug-executive produced 88 Birdz and 2022′s Oh Really, an album that immediately had millions of streams and hit the top spot on Billboards Heatseekers Albums chart. He followed in 2023 with another high profile LP, Beezy.
The beneficiary of an early co-sign from trap pioneer Lex Luger, Doe Boy made his way into the rap game in 2010 with the debut mixtape Since 1994. However, it was over Lex’s swaggering instrumentals that the 18-year-old rapper made his name; employing dexterous flows and a punchy tone on the collaborative mixtape Boyz N Da Hood (with Lex Luger), Doe Boy delivered confident narratives of extravagance and street life. A 2012 follow-up, Boyz N Da Hood 2 (with production from Lex Luger and Young Chop), was quick to catch the ear of Atlanta rapper Future, who shortly signed Doe Boy to his Freebandz label.
On Freebandz, Doe Boy benefited from Future’s rise to fame. Enlisting up-and-coming producers from DJ Esco to Metro Boomin for the Future-hosted In Freebandz We Trust, he used his third set to update versions of earlier styles (“What You Mean,” “See Dat Ass”) while also venturing into the game-changing style of his label’s head. Although a 2013 incarceration caused a significant break in his career, the prison-released Free Doe Boy kept the rapper’s name on the map while he served his sentence. Returning to music in 2016, Doe Boy released his fifth project, Streetz Need Me. With production from Luger and Esco alongside newer talents like B Wheezy, the project saw him embrace Auto-Tune, frantic ad-libs, and circular flows to suit the faster-paced trap of the era.
As he continued to construct his place within the styles of the late-2010s landscape, Doe Boy made his most prolific run to date, releasing the mixtapes In Freebandz We Trust 2, Codeine Confessions, 88 Birdz (with TM88), No Worries, and The Bandprint from 2017 to 2018. Scoring one of his biggest hits to date with 2018′s “Walk Down,” the rapper enlisted YG for its 2019 remix, which landed on 11th project Streetz Need Me 2. With appearances from Gunna, Young Thug, and Key Glock, and skits from comedian Mike Epps, the release demonstrated Doe Boy’s continued evolution of style, providing throwback anthems and contemporary cuts alike. In July 2019, he appeared on “100 Shooters,” the lead single from Future’s High Off Life, a studio album that wouldn’t be released until almost a year later. Doe Boy linked back up with Esco for the 2020 mixtape 56 Birdz, and also worked with Southside on Demons R Us. In 2021, he released a string of collaborative singles, including the Lil Uzi Vert-assisted “Low Key” and multiple pairings with Rowdy Rebel. The 2022 mixtape Oh Really included contributions from Roddy Ricch, 42 Dugg, G Herbo, and many others, and quickly hit the charts as it amassed tens of millions of streams. Just a few months after Oh Really, Doe Boy returned with the short collection Catch Me If You Can in July of 2022. In September of the same year, he teamed again once more with G Herbo and Roddy Ricch for the Mustard-produced single “Ghetto Superstar.” The full-length album, Beezy, was released in June 2023, and boasted an array of high profile guests ranging from Babyface, Future, Don Toliver, and more. ~ David Crone