Derrick Milano facts for kids

Derrick Carrington Gray (born December 24, 1993), known professionally as Derrick Milano, is an American songwriter, rapper, and singer. He grew up in Philadelphia and Delaware. Later, he moved to Florida to study entertainment.

Milano started his music journey as a recording artist in 2013. By 2019, he began focusing more on writing songs for other artists. He has written for famous musicians like Justin Bieber, Pop Smoke, Nicki Minaj, and Megan Thee Stallion. In 2021, he won a Grammy Award for co-writing "Savage Remix" by Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé.

Growing Up and School

Derrick Gray was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents are Virginia and Jeff Gray. Derrick first started making music by singing in his church choir.

When he was in seventh grade, his family moved to Brandywine Hundred, Delaware. He went to Hanby Middle School, Brandywine High School, and Red Lion Christian Academy. He graduated from Concord High School in 2012. While in high school, Derrick enjoyed battle rapping with his friends. He was also a member of the school choir.

After high school, Derrick went to college in Florida. He attended Valencia College and Full Sail University. There, he was part of a group called Business Professionals of America.

Derrick Milano's Music Career

Starting as a Rapper (2013–2018)

Milano began his music career while he was still in college. He shared his own music, called mixtapes, with others. His first big success was a song called "#ThatAintYaBitch." He released it on SoundCloud in May 2014.

Because this song was popular, he got to open shows for famous rappers. He performed for artists like Young Thug and Future in Orlando. After this early success, Derrick faced some challenges with his management team. This made it harder for him to release and promote new music.

Becoming a Grammy-Winning Songwriter (2019–Present)

Milano won a Grammy in 2021 for his work in co-writing "Savage Remix", which is performed by Megan Thee Stallion (first image) and features Beyoncé (second image).

Derrick Milano's first experience writing for another artist was for Kevin Gates' album I'm Him in 2019. In May 2019, Juicy J asked Milano to help with Megan Thee Stallion's song "Simon Says." Milano had first met Juicy J when he was in high school.

Milano kept working with Megan Thee Stallion. He co-wrote "Savage Remix," which also features Beyoncé. This popular song came out in April 2020. In March 2021, Milano won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song for his work on "Savage Remix." This award was given at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

As of March 2021, Milano was working on his very first album. This album is planned to include songs with Juicy J, Ty Dolla Sign, and Wiz Khalifa. It was expected to be released later in 2021. In 2023, Milano was featured on a new version of Ciara's song "Da Girls." This remix was released on May 12, 2023.

Awards and Nominations

Derrick Milano has won important awards for his music.