Rapper DDG started climbing in 2016, releasing his own music before signing on with major-label Epic. Pop-friendly trap production, melodic hooks, and a dynamic presence on the microphone all surfaced on his 2021 mixtape Die 4 Respect, as well as on a remix of Masked Wolf's worldwide hit "Astronaut in the Ocean" and a 2022 collaborative single with Gunna, "Elon Musk."