Rio da Yung OG
Rio da Yung OG | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Da'mario Donshay Horne-McCullough |
| Born | May 11, 1994 |
| Origin | Flint, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | Michigan rap, trap, hip-hop |
| Occupation | Rapper |
| Years active | 2016 - present |
| Labels | Boyz Entertainment |
Da'mario Donshay Horne-McCullough (born May 11, 1994), known professionally as Rio da Yung OG, is an American rapper.[1] He is known for being a key rapper in the Flint and Detroit rap scene and collaborating with Flint and Detroit rappers such as RMC Mike and Peezy. His first ever song was called “Dog” in January 25, 2016. [2] He was sentenced to five years in prison in 2021 but continued to release music while incarcerated. He was released on December 11, 2024 and has continued to release music. He is a signee of Peezy's record label Boyz Entertainment.[3]
Career
He has been rapping under the name Rio da Yung OG since 2017.[4] In 2019, he was placed under house arrest due to drug trafficking charges. This period led him to great musical productivity, releasing seven projects in the space of a year, including the Dum and Dumber mixtape series in collaboration with rapper RMC Mike,[5] which gained him notoriety within the rap scene.[6] In 2020, he released City on My Back, a 15-track album.[4][5] He then helped put other local artists on the map, including YN Jay and Louie Ray.[7]
His career was interrupted in 2021 by a 44-month prison sentence.[4][8][9] Just before his incarceration, he recorded Last Day Out, a song with nostalgic tones.[10] Despite his imprisonment, his popularity continued to grow[11] and he continued to regularly release music recorded prior to his imprisonment.[10] He released the Fiend Lives Matter EP in 2021,[12] The F Tape EP in 2023[13] and the Rio Circa 2020 album in 2024.[4] In May 2024, his single Legendary, released in 2019, was certified gold.[3] He was released in December 2024 and celebrated his release with the album Rio Free in January 2025.[4][14][15]
Following the release of RIO FREE, Rio Da Yung Og released two singles in 2025, Sneaky B and Braggin Rights.
Style
He is known for his raw, direct, offhand and provocative style,[4][6][8][10] mixing black humor and unfiltered accounts of street life,[6][8][16] which his friend RMC Mike describes as "blunt rap".[6] His tracks are generally chorus-free.[5][6]
He often raps in one take, in a conversational tone, retaining imperfections such as stutters or recording flaws. In an interview, Rio da Yung OG himself declares, "I don’t think I can rap for real".[6] He was initially inspired by Detroit rapper Peezy, who became his mentor.[6][8]
The productions on which he poses are generally dominated by powerful piano and bass, in a style characteristic of Michigan hip hop.[10]
Personal life
Rio da Yung OG has visible facial scarring due to deep second-degree burns on the right side of his face. In an interview, he revealed that he got the scars when he was 12, as he tried to cook French fries, but was intoxicated and forgot about them, and a grease fire began. He attempted to stop the fire with water, which is dangerous because grease has a lower density than water, causing it to go up and expand the flames upwards. The burn remains because he denied getting skin graft treatment.[17]
United States of America v. Woods, et al.
On February 27, 2019, Rio da Yung OG and 14 co-defendants were charged for multiple federal crimes.[1][18] Rio da Yung OG was sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He began serving his sentence in Summer 2021 after surrendering himself at the behest of the court.[1] RMC Mike said on the No Jumper podcast that Rio da Yung OG was to be released early from December 2023 to January 2024.[19]
Rio's arrest sparked the "Free Rio" movement. Rappers Trippie Redd and Louie Ray made songs dedicated to freeing Rio. The rapper Peezy also released the mixtape Free Rio.[20] Other rappers supporting his release included 42 Dugg,[21] BabyTron, and RMC Mike.[19]
He was released from jail on December 11, 2024, having served 3 years and 8 months of his sentence.
Discography
Albums, EPs and mixtapes
- Testers (2019)
- Ghetto Babes (2019)
- Testers, pt. 2 (2019)
- Dumb and Dumb3r (2019) (with RMC Mike)
- Dum and Dumber Too (2019) (with RMC Mike)
- 2 Faced (2019)
- City on My Back (2020)
- Accidental Sh*t Talking (2020)
- Dum N Dumbber 3 (2021) (with RMC Mike)
- Fiend Lives Matter (2021)
- The F Tape (2023)
- Rio Circa 2020 (2024)
- Rio Free (2025)
References
- ^ a b c Minsker, Evan (2021-01-08). "Rio Da Yung OG Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ Ketchum III, William E. (27 July 2023). "How Flint And Detroit became havens for rap dark horses". National Public Radio. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ a b c d e f "Rio Da Yung OG Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & M..." AllMusic. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ a b c Feyre, Ryan (2025-03-24). "Rio Da Yung OG :: City on My Back – RapReviews". Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Rio Da Yung OG - « Movie » feat. Louie Ray". Abcdr du Son (in French). 2020-06-19. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ "Rap's Funniest, Most Quotable New Artists Are Coming From..." Complex. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ a b c d Magassa, Mohamed; Pellion, Nicolas (2024). L'Enfer sur Terre: une décennie de rap-fiction. Audimat HS (in French). Toulouse: Les Editions Présentes. ISBN 978-2-494086-06-7.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (2021-01-08). "Rio Da Yung OG Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ a b c d Lewis, Dash. "Rio Da Yung OG: RIO FREE". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ "Rapper Rio Da Yung OG released from prison and set to make music comeback". The Express Tribune. 2024-12-11. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ Hynes, Hayley (2021-12-12). "Rio Da Yung Og Says "Fiend Lives Matter"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ Jones, James (2023-05-07). "Rio Da Yung OG Releases "The F Tape"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ Andrews, Elias (2025-01-10). "Rio Da Yung OG Kicks Off 2025 With New "RIO FREE" EP". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ Wyser, Olivier (2025-01-30). "Rap. Libre comme Rio Da Yung OG". La Liberté (in French). Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ "Rap's Funniest, Most Quotable New Artists Are Coming From..." Complex. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ No Jumper (2020-11-23). The Rio Da Yung OG & RMC Mike Interview. Retrieved 2024-07-16 – via YouTube.
- ^ "GovInfo". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ a b No Jumper (2023-07-03). RMC Mike on Rio Da Yung OG's Upcoming Release, Slowing Down on Lean & More (Video). Retrieved 2024-07-13 – via YouTube.
- ^ A, Aron (2021-07-04). "Peezy Drops Off His Latest Project "Free Rio"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
- ^ Kid L (2024-07-03). 42 Dugg on Prison with Rio, 4Eva Us Neva Them, Sexyy Red, Lil Baby, New Mindset | Kid L Podcast #408. Retrieved 2024-07-13 – via YouTube.