iLoveMakonnen

Makonnen Sheran is a whimsical self-made rapper, singer, and producer who goes by I Love Makonnen. Born and initially raised in Los Angeles, California, he moved outside of Atlanta, Georgia following a custody battle. In Georgia, his mother helped him get into making and producing music. Unfortunate circumstances -- a two-year period in which was under house arrest following the accidental shooting death of a friend -- made him focus more on music, as well as on blogging and interviewing artists, which enabled him to hone his craft and network. From 2011 through 2013, Makonnen released several albums and EPs, including the first volumes in his Drink More Water series. He gradually built a reputation for his surreal and seemingly lackadaisical approach to singing and rapping. In 2014, Miley Cyrus boosted his profile by posting an image of the I Love Makonnen EP to Instagram. Later in the year, Drake remixed and inserted himself into Makonnen's "Club Goin' Up on a Tuesday" and released the result on his Warner-supported OVO Sound label.

Andy Kellman
AllMusic.com