Karon Malcolm Vantrees (born February 28, 1995), known professionally as Veeze, is an American rapper and singer. He pursued a recording career in 2017 and released his debut single, "Itself", in 2019. His debut mixtape, ''Navy Wavy'', was released in September of that year. He signed with

Warner Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

to release his debut studio album, '' Ganger'' (2023), which peaked at number 97 on the ''Billboard'' 200. It was supported by the single "GOMD" (remixed featuring

Lil Uzi Vert Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commer ...

). His 2024 single, " Sorry Not Sorry" (with

Lil Yachty Miles Parks McCollum (born August 23, 1997), known professionally as Lil Yachty, is an American rapper. He first gained recognition in August 2015 for his viral hit "One Night (Lil Yachty song), One Night", the lead single from his debut extend ...

), marked his first entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Early life

Karon Vantrees, was born in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, Michigan. He spent his formative years on the city's

West Side West Side or Westside may refer to: Places Canada * West Side, a neighbourhood of Windsor, Ontario * West Side, a neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia United Kingdom * West Side, Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Westside, Birmingham ...

, specifically on

Seven Mile Road The Detroit metropolitan area in southeast Michigan is served by a comprehensive network of roads and highways. Three primary Interstate Highways pass through the region, along with three auxiliary Interstates, and multiple state and U.S. Hig ...

. Before pursuing a career in music, Veeze harbored aspirations of becoming a professional basketball player, specifically an

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

guard. However, he eventually redirected his focus towards music. Veeze has openly discussed his past experiences with substance abuse, including involvement with

lean Lean, leaning or LEAN may refer to: Business practices * Lean thinking, a business methodology adopted in various fields * Lean construction, an adaptation of lean manufacturing principles to the design and construction process * Lean governmen ...

and other

drug A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via insufflation (medicine), inhalation, drug i ...

s. These struggles, which occurred during his youth, have been referenced in his music. Veeze's musical style is heavily influenced by the Detroit hip-hop scene. He has cited various prominent Detroit rappers as inspirations. Veeze's upbringing instilled a strong hustle mentality, prompting him to sell apples and pears to make ends meet. His musical tastes were shaped by legendary artists such as

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

, DMX,

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

Cam'ron Cameron Ezike Giles (born February 4, 1976), known Mononym, mononymously as Cam'ron, is an American rapper. Beginning his career in the early 1990s as Killa Cam, Giles signed with Lance Rivera, Lance "Un" Rivera's Lance Rivera, Untertainment, a ...

Nate Dogg Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American rapper and singer. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals on several hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning him the ...

Bun B Bernard James Freeman (born March 19, 1973), known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the Southern rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz), a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work wi ...

Scarface Scarface may refer to: Gangster-related * Scarface, nickname for Al Capone (1899–1947), an American gangster and a businessman. * ''Scarface'' (novel), a novel by Armitage Trail, loosely based on Capone's rise to power ** ''Scarface'' (1932 ...

Jadakiss Jason Terrance Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Jadakiss (, ), is an American rapper who began his career in the 1990s and formed the hip hop trio the Lox alongside Styles P and Sheek Louch in 1994. The group signed w ...

, and

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...

Career

2017–2022: Early works

Veeze began his music career in the Detroit rap scene. He started rapping in summer 2019, drawing inspiration from local Detroit groups such as Street Lord'z, Doughboyz Cashout, and Team Eastside. Veeze released his debut single, "Itself", on May 22, 2019. The song, also his first commercial release, featured guest appearances from Wtm Scoob and DT. The song was produced by Top$ide. Additionally, "Itself" garnered moderate attention upon its release. Two days following the release of "Itself", Veeze released "Rusty" on May 24, 2019. "Rusty" was produced by Tye Beats. It did not chart on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

''. Veeze's "Rusty" gained local attention, attracting the notice of

Babyface Ray Marcellus Rayvon Register (born February 7, 1991), known professionally as Babyface Ray, is an American rapper. He is a prominent figure in 2020s Detroit hip hop. Early life Born February 7, 1991, in Detroit, Ray played basketball and footbal ...

, who subsequently supported Veeze by funding his debut

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

. Veeze released his debut

mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...

, ''Navy Wavy'', on September 27, 2019, through

. It included the previously released singles "Itself", "Rusty", and "Heart Insurance". The mixtape featured guest appearances from Babyface Ray, Peezy, and Beno. Veeze released the single "Law & Order" independently on September 18, 2020. Additionally, Veeze was featured on Nino Number 9's "The Ninth (Remix)", released independently on December 21, 2020. Veeze was featured on RoadRunna Wite's "OFF WHITE" on January 3, 2021. He released the single "A and W" on March 11, 2021. Veeze was featured on Babyface Ray's "Gallery Dept" on May 13, 2021. It was released through

Empire Distribution Empire Distribution, Records and Publishing Inc. (stylized as EMPIRE) is an independent American record label, distribution and publishing company founded in 2010 by Ghazi Shami. Based in San Francisco, EMPIRE has offices in New York, London, ...

and produced by Rocaine. Veeze released singles: "Free Shiest" on August 16, 2021, "Choppas in Hawaii" on August 20, 2021, "Kurt Angle" on November 5, 2021, "Let It Fly" on March 20, 2022, and "Talk Prices" in Apr 2022. On June 17, 2022, Veeze featured on

Lil Baby Dominique Armani Jones (born December 3, 1994), known professionally as Lil Baby, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence following the release of his 2017 mixtapes ''Harder than Hard'' and ''Too Hard'' — the for ...

's track " U-Digg", alongside

42 Dugg Dion Marquise Hayes (born November 25, 1994), known professionally as 42 Dugg, is an American rapper and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. He signed with Yo Gotti and Lil Baby's respective labels, Collective Music Group (CMG) and Glass Windo ...

, accompanied by an official music video. "U-Digg" debuted at number 52 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, marking Veeze's first appearance on the chart.

2023–present: Rise to mainstream popularity with ''Ganger''

Veeze released his first single, "4 Kobe", on January 3, 2023. That same year, he gained widespread recognition with the single "GOMD" after going viral on

social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...

, followed by a remix featuring Lil Uzi Vert. The music video was also released. The video was directed by Lestyn Park, which has garnered 10 million views on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

as of March 21, 2023. On June 27, 2023, he released his debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

, '' Ganger''. It features collaborations with Lucki, Babyface Ray,

Icewear Vezzo Chivez Smith (born October 31, 1989), known professionally as Icewear Vezzo, is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He is the founder of the label Iced Up Records. He is best known for his ''Clarity'' mixtape series and his ''Rich Off Pint ...

, and

. The album received widespread critical acclaim, with several critics ranking it among the best albums of 2023. It debuted at number 97 on the ''Billboard'' 200. According to ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

''s Matthew Ritchie, Veeze's style is characterized by "vocal oddities and chuckle-inducing, stream-of-consciousness bars," with a dynamic range that "oscillates between laid-back joints fit for an evening smoke session." ''Ganger'' propelled Veeze to mainstream fame, ranking #16 on ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

''s Best Albums of 2023, #20 on ''

The Fader ''The Fader'' is a magazine established in 1999 as an outlet for Cornerstone Agency, a marketing and public relations firm established by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. History and work It is owned by T ...

''s 50 Best Albums of 2023, and #39 on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

''s 100 Best Albums of 2023. Another successful album track, "Safe 2", also garnered attention. Additionally, Veeze featured on two subsequent releases: BigWorkDog's "Talk To Em" (August 31, 2023) and Desto Dubb's "Dead Homies" (September 29, 2023). In September 2023, Veeze launched his record label Navy Wavy in partnership with Warner Records. On October 13, 2023, a deluxe edition of ''Ganger'' was released, featuring five additional tracks. On December 1, 2023, Veeze released "ATL Freestyle 1 & 2", a dual single featuring guest appearances from

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

-based rapper

Luh Tyler Tyler Reed Meeks (born February 20, 2006), known professionally as Luh Tyler, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He is known for his work in the " Florida rap" style. Career In November 2022, Meeks recorded and released his hit sing ...

and

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

-based rapper

Rob49 Robert Coleman Thomas (born March 6, 1999), known professionally as Rob49, is an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is best known for his guest appearance alongside 21 Savage on Travis Scott's 2023 song " Topia Twins", which peaked wi ...

. Veeze released singles "Pop Yo Shit" on May 30, 2024, and "F*cked A Fan" featuring

Rylo Rodriguez Ryan Preston Adams (born September 30, 1993), known professionally as Rylo Rodriguez, is an American rapper. He signed with Lil Baby's record label, Glass Window Entertainment (known at the time as 4PF) in a joint venture with Virgin Records in ...

on July 12, 2024, both accompanied by music videos. On July 25, 2024, Veeze announced that he will go on a tour in North America, titled ''Worst Tour Ever''. He noted that the tour will have support from

Karrahbooo Karrah Schuster (born March 28, 1997), known professionally as Karrahbooo (stylized in all caps) is an American rapper. She began working as Lil Yachty's assistant in 2022 and became a part of his Concrete Boys collective in 2023, releasing the s ...

, Wizz Havinn, and

Star Bandz Star Ana Flowers (born March 31, 2008), known professionally as Star Bandz, is an American rapper from Chicago. She gained widespread recognition after being featured on Sugarhill Ddot's single " My Baby", which went viral on TikTok. Her debut s ...

. Veeze was featured on Tye Beats' debut single "Wocky Sinner" on August 2, 2024, and Lil Yatchy's " Sorry Not Sorry" on August 16, 2024, released via

Quality Control Quality control (QC) is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production. ISO 9000 defines quality control as "a part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements". This approach plac ...

and

Motown Records Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

Musical style

Vantrees is noted for his frequent flows, energetic rapping, and cognizant tones, which he notably employed on his breakout single "GOMD". His sound has also been described as "melodic", albeit with a "mutter-croak" style. Chris Richards of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' newspaper stated that Veeze usually has a "wild and nonchalant" delivery in his verses. While pursuing his career, Veeze listened to Street Lord'z and Doughboyz Cashout, two prominent groups from the city of Detroit.

Navy Wavy

Navy Wavy is an American record label founded by Veeze in 2023. It operates as an imprint of

Warner Warner can refer to: People * Warner (writer) * Warner (given name) * Warner (surname) Fictional characters * Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, stars of the animated television series ''Animaniacs'' * Aaron Warner, a character in '' Shatter M ...

as of 2024. He released his first music video, "Safe 2", under the label on September 14, 2023.
-

Discography

Studio albums

Mixtapes

Singles

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Veeze 1995 births Living people 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians African-American male rappers 20th-century American male rappers African-American male songwriters Gangsta rappers Midwest hip-hop musicians Rappers from Detroit Songwriters from Michigan American trap musicians Pop rappers