• Darius Damian Lewis, known as DBangz, is an 18-year-old American rapper and internet personality
• Gained stardom after releasing "Thick N*ggas and Anime Tiddies" and topping the Viral 50 Global Chart on Spotify
• Known for combining traditionally masculine rap/trap with East Asian anime culture
• Contributed to the rise of the Soundcloud rap subgenre
• Has a net worth of $200,000 and is popular on Instagram and Twitter
Who is DBangz?
Born on 10 June, 2001, in Phoenix, Arizona, under the air sign of Gemini, Darius Damian Lewis – better known as DBangz – is an American rapper, songwriter and internet personality. He became an online sensation In 2017 after releasing “Thick N*ggas and Anime Tiddies”, which eventually topped the Viral 50 Global Chart on the music streaming app, Spotify. He followed up his initial success with several other successful singles, before releasing his debut EP “Konohagakure” in 2018 – the title is Japanese for “village hidden by the leaves”, and is a reference to a fictional settlement in the hit anime series Naruto. DBangz became a star mainly because of his uncanny way of combining the traditionally masculine genre of rap/trap with East Asian anime culture. He is also one of the most influential figures in the meme rap and Soundcloud rap subgenres.
Early Life and Education: Growing Up in Arizona
This young star was born into an American family, but his mom is part-Asian part-Pacific Islander, as she’s from Hawaii; his dad is African-American, but there’s no further information about the identities of his parents, nor any about his education. DBangz hasn’t struggled with his newly-found fame, as he insisted on not revealing personal matters. On numerous occasions, reporters and fans inquired about his parents, but Lewis politely refused to answer any questions regarding such matters. We do know that he harbored an interest for hula dancing, and even performed in front of 100,000 people at the Aloha Festival in his mother’s home state.
As a child in 2014 and 2015, DBangz listened mainly to MF Doom, a rapper who’s known for his intricate metaphors and amazing lyrics, which are studied even by university professors. DBangz also studied the work of Earl Sweatshirt, one of the representatives of alternative hip hop. Mac Demarco’s songs were also on young Darius’ playlists.
Career Beginnings: Garage Recordings, Booty Toe Sucker and Going Viral
DBangz began rapping officially in 2015, when he and his friend Jonathan (also known as Snot) bought recording equipment and set up a makeshift studio in a garage – Lewis’ father also lent the boys some of his microphones. This contribution helped him record short songs, which he posted on the music-sharing platform Soundcloud. DBangz soon had a small but loyal following, making him somewhat of an online celebrity, and a member of the Soundcloud rap movement.
While most of the rappers from this subgenre were based in Florida, DBangz is credited as one of the first West Coast artists to adopt this style. Most of his early songs were akin to 1990s rap, with “F*ck It Up” being the first track of his to reach 10,000 plays on Soundcloud. Released in December 2016, it inspired Lewis to experiment, which resulted in the creation of “Booty Toe Sucker”, his breakthrough hit which amassed 100,000 plays in a matter of weeks.
What is Soundcloud Rap?
Soundcloud rap is characterized by low-quality production, murky vocals and punk influences. DBangz rose to fame at the same time as some of the biggest names of the genre, such as Suicideboys, Lil Pump and Ugly God. As the man who produced many songs while Soundcloud rap was in its nascent phase, DBangz is credited as one of the artists who significantly contributed to the rise of this type of music.
Topping the Charts: Thick N*ggas and Anime Tiddies
In June 2017, DBangz worked on a beat from renowned producer CashMoneyAP, wanting to create a true hit; according to the artist, the songwriting process was ‘a slow grind’. On 17 July, he finally released the song on Soundcloud, with just raw vocals added onto the original instrumental, and named it “Thick N*ggas and Anime Tiddies” Despite the lack of production, the track set the internet ablaze, as it combined fans of both anime shows, as well as hip hop. These two large fandoms seemingly collided and helped the song gain momentum, before reaching the front page of Reddit in November. That’s where things took off.
People began noticing the track because of its peculiar title and the uncanny lyrical skills DBangz displayed throughout its 90 seconds. Despite being short, it became a hit, and eventually reached the first position on Spotify’s Viral 50 Global Chart. ‘What’s funny about that is Cardi B posted me on her Instagram story because she was flexing that she was on the Spotify chart’, said DBangz about his achievement. ‘But she was like No. 7 and I was like No. 3 at the time. And I [reached] No. 1. To see all of those people below me was mind-blowing.’
Incident with Wycon Cosmetics
In January 2018, DBangz found his name dominating headlines across the internet, and it was all because of a peculiar cosmetics-related incident. Apparently, the Italian cosmetics retailer Wycon Cosmetics launched a line of nail polishes with the names of popular rap and R&B songs. One shade was strangely named “Thick as a N*gga”, which is a lyric from DBangz’s hit. The company faced social media scrutiny from minorities, but the young rapper gained even more fame.
Recent Works
In 2017 DBangz released “Summer Body Sweat”, his first mixtape which became a great success, so he followed it up with an antithetical-themed “Winter Booty Circles”, centered around winter and related terms. 2018’s “Konohagakure” blended some of his characteristic strange references with lethal lyrics, which attracted many old school rap fans. Evidently, he liked this direction, so he toned down the meme rap influence, and released a 9-track EP entitled “Keahonui”. The cover was a form of homage to popular gamer and streamer Etika, who committed suicide in early 2019.
Why is DBangz Considered so Influential?
According to several prominent rap critics, DBangz along with Ugly God earned his place in the history books by pushing the boundaries of rapping to where no artist had ventured before. He accomplished this by layering his verses with obscure anime references, homoerotic comments and East Asian culture. Since rap as a genre is dominated by lyrics mostly centering around money, women and similar themes, DBangz is a game changer in the truest sense. Since 2017, more and more artists have ventured into these relatively unexplored lyrical waters.
Personal Life: Does DBangz Have a Girlfriend?
As for his romantic involvements, there’s almost no information across any credible sources that could accurately describe this part of his life. DBangz himself tends to keep news about his partners completely private, and has not yet come forward to address these fan inquiries. Nothing is known about his early relationships, as well as his current status. He’s never been seen attending any public events in particular female company, and there’s no one that the fans suspect across his social media profiles. Also there’s also been no controversy regarding this matter. According to available information, or the lack thereof, Lewis is heterosexual and currently single.
Net Worth: How Rich is DBangz?
Have you ever wondered how rich is DBangz? According to authoritative sources, he has a net worth estimated at over $500,000, as of mid-2024, accumulated by becoming a star on Soundcloud, and topping the charts in several countries. Upon reaching stardom, he also started selling merchandise via his website and social media profiles. Given the fact that he’s still very young, we could very well see DBangz become even richer in the near future.
SHOUTOUT TO THIS MAN pic.twitter.com/VxCFiyJjy5
— DBangz ❗️ (@lildustmop) May 28, 2019
Body Measurements: How Tall is DBangz?
DBangz is 5ft 10 (178cm) tall – his weight and other measurements are unknown.
Social Media Presence
DBangz is well aware of the the popular trend in use of social media, as his dedication to posting updates on his public profiles and engaging with his fans is at an all-time high. He’s popular on Instagram, and Twitter is another favorite platform of his.
