DUKE DEUCE

Crunk music was never dead, but Memphis rapper Duke Deuce has taken it upon himself to inspire a new generation to tear the club up. With inexhaustible energy and a booming voice, the 28-year-old Quality Control Music star who was discovered by rap heavyweight Offset, has reclaimed the ecstatic subgenre for his city, turning up while making grim and gleeful bangers. Rapping about harrowing realities in his gang-ridden hometown of Blackhaven and also the benefits of his hard-won success, Duke has already reached millions of fans and has amassed over 22 million global streams. They dig his music’s intensity as much as they do his playful dancing (a.k.a. gangsta walking). “A lot of people aren’t ready to be themselves,” Duke says plainly. “I don’t care what nobody thinks.” His personality and the high-octane anthems on his Memphis Massacre projects — like the “Crunk Ain’t Dead” remix featuring crunk legends Lil Jon, Juicy J, and Project Pat — have garnered praise from Pitchfork, SPIN, Complex, XXL, FADER, and The Ringer, among others. Already under his belt, Duke has also collaborated with the likes of Lil Yachty, Mulatto, and Offset. Duke has spent countless hours preparing his next proper project DUKE NUKEM. It’s full of crushing crunk music to ring in the next phase of Duke’s global massacre.