Derrick Milano

Derrick Carrington Gray (born December 24, 1993), known professionally as Derrick Milano, is an American songwriter, rapper, and singer. Raised in Philadelphia and Delaware, he moved to Florida to pursue entertainment studies at Full Sail University. He began his musical career as a recording artist in 2013 before shifting focus to songwriting work in 2019.

Milano has written songs for artists including Justin Bieber, Pop Smoke, Nicki Minaj, and Megan Thee Stallion.

Early life and education Derrick Gray was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Virginia and Jeff Gray. His family moved to Brandywine Hundred, Delaware, when he was in seventh grade, and he attended Hanby Middle School, Brandywine High School, and Red Lion Christian Academy, before graduating from Concord High School in 2012. While in high school, Gray would battle rap with friends and was a member of the school choir. and Full Sail University, where he was involved in Business Professionals of America.

Career Early career (20132018)

Milano began his music career while in college, where he distributed mixtapes for his music. His breakout success came with the release of the "trap-happy" single "#ThatAintYaBitch", which he released on SoundCloud in May 2014. As a result of the single's success, he was invited to open for artists playing shows at Orlando-area venues, including for rappers Young Thug and Future.

Writing and Grammy (20192023)

Milano's first writing experience came on Kevin Gates' 2019 album I'm Him. In May 2019, Juicy J, who Milano first connected with when he was in high school, which features Beyoncé and was released in April 2020. In March 2021, Milano won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards for his work as a co-writer on "Savage Remix".

Awards and nominations