Desiigner
A rapper who rode the viral, menacing energy of a single chart-topping hit into the orbit of hip-hop's biggest stars.
Born 1997 (age 29)·American rapper and singer·Birthday: May 3·Generation Z
Biography
Sidney Royel Selby III's 'Panda' hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2015, a viral phenomenon built on distorted 808s and frantic ad-libs. The Brooklyn rapper's breakout track landed him a deal with Kanye West's GOOD Music label and a featured spot on 'The Life of Pablo.' Desiigner's subsequent releases, including the atmospheric 'Tiimmy Turner,' struggled to replicate that initial impact. His career traces the modern trajectory of digital fame: instantaneous, overwhelming, and defined by a singular cultural moment.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Desiigner was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Desiigner Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Desiigner's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His debut single 'Panda' reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2016.
- Was featured on Kanye West's 2016 album 'The Life of Pablo' on the track 'Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 2'.
- Signed a recording contract with Kanye West's GOOD Music label in 2016 following the success of 'Panda'.
Did You Know?
He was only 18 years old when 'Panda' topped the charts.
The music video for 'Panda' was filmed in his Brooklyn neighborhood.
He is a distant relative of musician Selena Quintanilla through his father's side.
He performed 'Panda' on stage with Kanye West during the Saint Pablo Tour.
“I make music for the turn-up, for the energy, for the moment.”
