Born in St. Petersburg, Florida and raised in Houston, Texas, Devin The Dude literally lived next door to music as a youngster. Living in a house in front of radio station WRXB in St. Petersburg, Devin found that one man's trash was another man's treasure when he'd discover and collect old records the station threw in the trash. Before long, he and his brother started pulling out their mom's record player and throwing parties in their front lawn.
When he finally stumbled across Hip Hop, Devin found his first calling as a pop-locker performing for friends, family and even his elders at the neighborhood nursing home. After his show-stealing appearances on Scarface's 1998 My Homies compilation, Devin dropped his solo debut The Dude to rave reviews including a coveted 4-mics rating in The Source, a rarity for Southern Hip Hop artists at the time. Inspired by the Quincy Jones album of the same name, The Dude introduced Devin as a unique voice that made you feel at ease instead of threatened.
Though the album didn't sell through the roof, The Dude won the hearts of both rap fans and rappers themselves. Devin found unexpected fans in Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre who not only invited Devin to appear on "F*ck You" from Dre's Chronic 2001 album, but had him join them on their widely popular Up In Smoke Tour as well. The Houston rapper has laid down six solo albums that have highlighted his impressive storytelling skills and made him one of the most respected and sought-after artists in the industry. As one of the few emcees who have worked with the best in the underground, mainstream, East, West and South, Devin is your favorite rapper's favorite rapper.
