ILoveMakonnen

Biography

Makonnen Kamali Sheran (born April 12, 1989), better known by his stage name iLoveMakonnen (often stylized in all caps), is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his 2014 single "Tuesday×Tuesday1 September 2014 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Tuesday5:21", which gained recognition following its remix with Canadian rapper Drake. After its release in August of that year, he signed with Drake's record label OVO Sound, an imprint of Warner Records that same month; the song was re-released by the label shortly after and subsequently peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Tuesday" was also nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, and served as the lead single for his likewise re-issued self-titled debut extended play (2014), which peaked at number 72 on the Billboard 200. He would later release a sequel, alongside two mixtapes (one with Rich the Kid), on the label, before parting ways with OVO in 2016.
Since leaving OVO, less of his releases have garnered similar success. After setting priorities with Warner Records, he release the mixtape Drink More Water 6×Drink More Water 618 March 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Back Again3:442Uwonteva3:133Big Gucci4:004Sellin4:225Want You2:296Turn Off the Lies2:437Solo3:548Pushin'3:459Live for Real3:5110I Only Trip with U2:5711Where I'm At3:01, which gained decent chart success, peaking at number 25 on the Top Rap Albums chart. He would later go on to write "Falling Down", a collaboration between frequent collaborator Lil Peep and XXXTentacion, with the song peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming a worldwide success. The original version with Makonnen, "Sunlight On Your Skin", was also released, with another collaboration, "I've Been Waiting" (with Fall Out Boy), peaking at number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100. He would eventually release the album Diamonds with Peep in 2023. He has also collaborated with artists such as 21 Savage, Post Malone, Juice Wrld, Lil Yachty, Ty Dolla Sign, Gucci Mane, Wiz Khalifa, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Rae Sremmurd, Mike Will Made It, Metro Boomin, Mustard, Sonny Digital, Skepta, Santigold, Steve Aoki, and Yung Lean.

Early life

Makonnen Kamali Sheran was born on April 12, 1989, in South Los Angeles, California, and was named after Makonnen Wolde Mikael, father of Tafari Makonnen who was later crowned as Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I. His father is a first generation immigrant from Belize who worked as an electrician and his mother was a nail instructor who worked in the beauty business for over 30 years. In an interview, he described himself as mixed with African American, Indian, Irish, Belgian, German and Chinese heritage. Growing up in Los Angeles, he moved to the Atlanta area when he was 13 years old, due to his parents' divorce. There, he witnessed the death of a close friend in his senior year in high school.

2008–2013: Career beginnings

Makonnen started making songs on his computer and uploading them to MySpace. On this website, he met rising musicians, such as Adele. Makonnen also created a blog, where he would post interviews with musicians such as Lil B and Soulja Boy Tell'em. After a period under house arrest following the fatal accidental shooting of a friend, he enrolled in a cosmetology school and became a part of a group called Phantom Posse. In January 2012, Makonnen met Atlanta producer Mike Will Made It and formed a brief professional relationship with him. However, because of Mike Will's busy schedule, the two were not able to meet often, and soon were separated from each other.

2014: Rise to prominence

In March 2014, record producer Mike Will Made It would reply to Makonnen and brought him to the DTP Studios, where he played some of his songs for fellow producer Metro Boomin. Metro instantly liked Makonnen and stayed in touch with him. Later, after recording six songs together, Metro introduced Makonnen to fellow Atlanta producers Sonny Digital and 808 Mafia, who were all unusually impressed with him. Two days later, Makonnen recorded the song, titled "Don't Sell Molly No More" with Sonny Digital, which would later launch his music career. Sonny Digital introduced him to the other Atlanta producers such as DJ Spinz, Dun Deal and St. Louis producer Cammy Recklezz. He started gaining local fame within the community with songs such as "Living on the Southside", "Sneaky Lady" and "My New Friend". Makonnen was then featured on Mike Will's mixtape, titled Ransom.
In July 2014, the singer released his self-titled EP iLoveMakonnen, which included the singles "Tuesday×Tuesday1 September 2014 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Tuesday5:21" and "I Don't Sell Molly No More". The latter reached pop singer Miley Cyrus, who shared it on her Instagram. The post got over 210,000 likes and counting, that brought a lot of new fans to Makonnen. On August 15, 2014, Vice included his song "Whip It" in their Staff Picks for the Week list, commenting: "Makonnen's voice is incredible! ... How could you not have a good time listening to this song? If there is anyone I trust to teach me how to whip it, it is definitely my friend Makonnen."
In August 2014, after hearing "Tuesday", Drake asked one of the song's producers, Sonny Digital, if he could remix the song. Makonnen agreed to send it to Drake, but didn't think much of it. However, two days later Drake released a remix. Makonnen later commented: "Yeah, I surprised. Shocking. Drake listens to Makonnen. It was great. I was excited. Surprised, shocked. Just overwhelmed." The remix, simply titled "Tuesday" went viral and led to increased media interest in iLoveMakonnen. That same month, Makonnen was featured in XXL's The Come Up section, which focuses on new artists. He later stated he was not looking for a major label deal and instead planned to go touring and record music independently: "I'm not too thirsty to sign a deal. Cause a label will really just take all your free music down and you have to be somebody's bitch." On September 1, 2014, it was announced that Makonnen had signed to Drake's label OVO Sound, which is distributed by Warner Bros. Records.

2015–2016: OVO Sound and iLoveMakonnen 2

In an interview with The Fader in December 2015, more than a year after signing to Drake's OVO Sound, Makonnen said the label delayed tracks from iLoveMakonnen 2 from coming out. The song "Second Chance," for example, was finished in January 2015 and intended for a summer release, but ended up being self-released by Makonnen in November 2015. Makonnen said, "Second Chance was supposed to be that summer banger this summer. That was supposed to be out, touching people and hitting them this summer. By the time next year they'll be ready for something else. It's all late. People are doubting me, doubting what the fuck I said when I made the fucking song. You wait a year later and it's whatever. Hopefully, it's worked right. The song is structured properly. Everything is all there for proper radio play to just spin it over and over to people. Who knows? I don't know what the fuck they want."
Makonnen also claimed "extra bullshit in the industry" stopped "Teach Me How To Whip It" and "No Ma'am" from getting radio play. When asked if he still talked to Drake, Makonnen responded, "Here and there. By the time this comes out, I'll probably see him six more times or no more times. I don't know. I just wish everybody well in all that they do and I just go on and live my life and try to uplift motherfuckers. At the end of the day I'm tired of uplifting people. I just gotta uplift myself now because everything else is a waste of time." Makonnen also described the music scene: "There's not even any money here anymore. It's all lies. The money's gone and everybody is now keeping up this front as if there's money there." On February 8, 2016, it was announced that alongside Travis Scott and Vic Mensa, Makonnen would be part of the "Wangsquad", an Alexander Wang campaign.

2016–2019; 2023: Departure from OVO Sound and Lil Peep collaborations

On April 18, 2016, Makonnen parted ways with Drake's label OVO Sound, saying the "choice to be solely on Warner Bros. Records was the right thing for me and for my best interest." On May 7, 2016, Makonnen announced he would be retiring from music to focus on acting but released a new song shortly after, with confirmation of a new project. In the late summer of 2017, Makonnen collaborated on an album with Lil Peep in London. The album was scrapped after Makonnen leaked it online in May 2020. On August 17, 2018, Makonnen announced a single he co-wrote titled "Falling Down", a reworking of "Sunlight On Your Skin" that he recorded with Peep during the sessions in London. The new version features since deceased rapper XXXTentacion, who recorded his verses following Peep's death. The single was officially released on September 19, 2018. The original "Sunlight On Your Skin" version was released on September 27, 2018.
In 2019, Makonnen released "I've Been Waiting", a collaboration with both Peep and Fall Out Boy. He had previously collaborated with the latter artists on a remix of their song "Favorite Record", which was released on their 2015 remix album Make America Psycho Again. Upon its release, the single charted at number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100, and ultimately peaked at number 12 on both the Czech Republic Airplay chart and the New Zealand Hot Singles chart. The single also charted in Poland and Sweden, and was certified Gold in both the former and Mexico, while being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 1,000,000 units. The original version of the song, without Fall Out Boy, was included on the 2019 compilation album Everybody's Everything, which serves as a soundtrack to the film of the same name, which Makonnen appears in. In 2023, the previously scrapped Lil Peep collaboration album, Diamonds, was released, featuring the original version of "I've Been Waiting".

Personal life

On January 20, 2017, via Twitter, Makonnen came out as gay.