From the Plymouth section of Detroit’s west side, DZ (an abbreviation for his first name) divided his time between his split parents, and his grandmother’s home. Motivated by Eminem and Obie Trice, as well as local street sensations like the Chedda Boyz and Doughboyz Cashout, DZ was rapping in school—from his fifth-grade graduation to the halls of high school. As an adolescent, he formed the FMB with his best friend Smoke. Both young men had a knack for hustling their way up from their impoverished circumstances. “We ain’t know what to call it. We were doin’ well for ourselves, so we settled on FastMoneyBoyz.” Barry, now DZ’s manager, encouraged him to treat music more seriously. As the rapping improved, so did the beats. After recycling production early on, he got focused in early 2016. “I made my first mixtape out of a year of recording, tops,” he says. “Once I got consistent with it, I did two or three more.”

Consistency has been everything for DZ. 2017 videos “Hold Me Down” and “The Truth” each surpassed 5 million views. As to his grassroots formula, DZ says, “I made sure I shot two or three videos a week for two months straight. We spread the word through these videos. After that, my social media came about. I had a million views on YouTube long before I ever had 10,000 followers.” As for overarching themes in his visuals, he explains, “I just be myself, and that’s what they respect. They’ve done seen me come from the bottom and work my way up. Every step of progress, my fans feel like they’re growing with me.” He continues, “They went from seeing me with the dirty hoodies and the scuffed up Nikes to wearing $300 jeans and $500 shoes. They see the progression and see me working for it. I let them that no matter what, you can make it through any trial and tribulation. Just like I did.” Captured in the streets, DZ’s videos show an Everyman with a plan. He has used his gifts to change his life. Fans in markets including Michigan, Northern California, and Ohio have shown up in numbers across viewing and listening platforms.

FMB DZ carries his strong momentum and begins his 2018 campaign with a re-release of December’s The Gift. The expanded edition, releasing through EMPIRE will include new songs and remixes, perhaps including high-profile guests. With strong ties to Rap peers such as Philthy Rich, Payroll Giovanni, Sada Baby, and label-mate Molly Brazy, DZ is about unity and fellowship. “Detroit’s scene is all about the realness. Ain’t nothing fabricated; we tell you what’s really going on.” Through a new partnership, and daily work in the studio and on music video sets, FastMoneyBoyz DZ has his foot on the pedal. Detroit’s next Rap star is in pole position for the checkered flag simply by keeping it real and raw.