Derrick Milano facts for kids

Derrick Carrington Gray, known as Derrick Milano, is a talented American songwriter, rapper, and singer. He was born on December 24, 1993. Derrick 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 songs 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." This popular song was performed by Megan Thee Stallion and featured Beyoncé.

Derrick Milano's Early Life and School

Derrick Gray was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents are Virginia and Jeff Gray. Derrick first learned about music by singing in his church's 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. 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. While there, he was part of a group called Business Professionals of America.

Derrick Milano's Music Career

Starting Out in Music (2013–2018)

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

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

Writing Songs and Winning a Grammy (2019–2023)

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).

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

This led to another chance to write for Megan Thee Stallion. ..... He was not officially credited for this song.

Milano continued to work with Megan Thee Stallion. He co-wrote "Savage Remix", which also featured Beyoncé. This song was released in April 2020. In March 2021, Milano won the 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 first album. This album was planned to include songs with Juicy J, Ty Dolla Sign, and Wiz Khalifa. 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