I Love Makonnen

Singer and rapper Makonnen was born in Los Angeles, California, however moved to Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. at 13 and began listening to local southern rappers Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane. Inspired by his opera singing grandmother, Makonnen began making music during high school combing pop, rock, R&B, and hip-hip influences. Beginning in 2008 the singer was placed on house arrest for accidentally shooting and killing a friend. The isolation and introspection of constantly being at home led Makonnen to pursue music with greater intensity and began crafting songs on his Gateway computer and uploading them to MySpace. The singer subsequently interviewed a host of musicians online including Lil B and Miguel before being released from house arrest and put on probation.

Following a serendipitous working relationship with Mike Will Made It, Makonnen was brought to DTP studios and introduced to producers Metro Boomin, Sonny Digital, and 808 Mafia. The single “Don’t Sell Molly No More” arrived shortly after, laying the groundwork for the rapper’s successful career. By this point Makonnen was generating a significant local and online buzz aided by his well-received mixtape series “Drink More Water”. The singles “Living On The Southside”, “Sneaky Lady”, and “My New Friend” also generated more exposure for the singer, as did a shout out from Miley Cyrus on Instagram.

Makonnen originally released his debut self-titled EP “ILoveMakonnen” in July 2014. However, due to the success of a remixed version of “Club Goin’ Up on a Tuesday” by Drake, the record was rereleased in December 2014. Eventually issued as an official single, Makonnen’s “Tuesday” featuring Drake proved to be his most successful song to date charting at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.