From dancehall patois, to grime bars, to melodic vocals, Stefflon Don has it all.
Originating from Birmingham, England, Stephanie Allen – aka Stefflon Don – always had music in her blood. She entered a recording studio at the young age of 9-year-old to deliver a hook for rapper Unique.
“I used to think, ‘I want to be that girl on the track that says whatever she wants and just kills everybody else,” she told Billboard.
Stefflon Don worked as a hairdresser and cake decorator before pursuing music full-time. She began her musical career covering tracks like Rae Sremmurd’s “No Type” and British hip-hop artist Wretch 32’s “Six Words.”
As her star continued to rise, Stefflon jumped on a track with R&B mainstay Jeremih. They linked up at 2AM after a friend texted her, saying Jeremih wanted to meet with her for a studio session and improvised a hook on the spot.
Jeremih – London ft. Stefflon Don, Krept & Konan
She released her debut mixtape in 2016, Real Ting, which featured Jeremih returning the favour as a guest feature.
“I feel like whoever didn’t believe [before] then believes now,” she told Billboard. “I tried to make people see that I’m not someone to be put in a box. I can do it all.”
Stefflon Don went on to win “Best Female Act” at the 2017 MOBO Awards and “Best Newcomer” at the 2018 NME Awards.
Adding to her resume, she appears on Lil Yachty’s album Teenage Emotions, which comes as no surprise as she was signed to Quality Control Music – the label responsible for Atlanta rappers Yachty, and Migos.
Fast forward a few years, she now has some of the hottest tracks with Drake, Luis Fonsi, French Montana, Big Sean and Halsey.
Her French Montana collab “Hurtin’ Me” was a Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at #7 and was certified Platinum.
Stefflon Don, French Montana – Hurtin’ Me
Luis Fonsi, Stefflon Don – Calypso
Her Halsey/Big Sean collab “Alone” was her first appearance on the United States’ Billboard Hot 100. It was certified Gold in both the U.S. and Canada.
Halsey – Alone ft. Big Sean, Stefflon Don
You can check out Stefflon Don’s brand-new mixtape, Secure, right here.
“I just knew that I wanted world domination. I knew that with anything I do, I want to be the greatest. That entails being great everywhere.”
“Not just in America — everywhere.”
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