Dion Hayes was born on November 25, 1994, and raised in the Denby neighborhood on Whittier Ave & Wayburn St. on the east side of Detroit. He attended Denby High School in Detroit but later dropped out.[10] He met fellow rapper Lil Baby in 2017.[11] He grew up listening to Yo Gotti and Jeezy.[12][13][14] Hayes employs a slurred vocal delivery with Auto-Tune.[15] His whistle has been noted as his signature sound that also kicks off nearly every song on his 2020 mixtape Young and Turnt Vol 2.[16]
Career
Hayes first gained traction for his 2018 singles "The Streets" (featuring Babyface Ray) and "STFU" (with Peezy, EWM Kdoe, Bagboy Mel, Cashkidd and Ewm Buck).[17] After writing slam poetry with Lil Baby, he signed to Lil Baby's 4 Pockets Full (4PF) and Yo Gotti's Collective Music Group (CMG), in conjunction with Interscope Records.[10][11] Hayes received national attention when he was featured on Lil Baby's February 2020 song "Grace", which peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was included on Baby's album My Turn, and its deluxe edition—released in May of that year—contained their second collaborative song "We Paid", which peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. This boosted sales of his mixtape Young & Turnt 2, which debuted at number 58 on the Billboard 200 and number six on Billboard's Independent Albums chart.[8] Hayes followed up with guest performances on songs for other artists including Marshmello, Lil Keed, Meek Mill, Blac Youngsta, Big Sean, T.I., Kaash Paige, 2 Chainz, Tory Lanez and Latto.[18] As of 2024, Hayes has guest featured on 15 total songs.
In May 2021, Billboard named Hayes the "R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month".[8] That same week, on May 21, 2021, Hayes released the 19-track mixtape, titled Free Dem Boyz, in dedication to his incarcerated friends. The project features the "standout" single "4 da Gang", a collaboration with California rapper Roddy Ricch.[8] Also in 2021, he was featured on the annual XXL Freshman Class. In July 2023, he appeared on King Von's second posthumous album Grandson, on the track "GangLand".[19]
2021 shooting
On February 21, 2021, a shooting occurred at Roddy Ricch and 42 Dugg's music video shoot, which left three people injured in Atlanta. Alabama rapper OMB Peezy was later charged with the shooting with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. All three injured survived.[20]
Legal issues
In 2019, Hayes was seen firing a gun in an Atlanta gun range, which he was prohibited from doing due to a prior felony conviction. He was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $90,000 fine.[21] On June 5, 2020, Hayes fled from a traffic stop in a rented SUV after running through a stop sign and spent two months as a fugitive. Authorities worked with the rental company to try to catch Hayes. Police captured Hayes on August 4, 2020, and charged him with a third-degree felony for fleeing from police. He was released on a $20,000 bond.[22] Having violated the terms of his release for the gun range incident, he was sentenced to six months in a federal prison camp.[21]
In April 2022, Hayes tried to avoid incarceration by filing a court document in which he claimed to be a sovereign citizen immune from federal laws.[21][23] On May 5, 2022, he was arrested in Ypsilanti, Michigan at Willow Run Airport after failing to report to serve his prison sentence.[24]
In April 2023, 42 Dugg received a one-year prison sentence for failure to report, stemming from a series of events that began with gun charges against the rapper in 2020. Dugg was released from the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta on October 16, 2023, after serving over a year, during which Hayes spent 18 months incarcerated.[25]
