Detroit rapper Dank Demoss — born Dajua Blanding — made headlines recently, but not for her music output, as the artist is currently suing ride-share service Lyft for weight discrimination.
Demoss believes she was illegally discriminated against after a driver refused her ride, saying that his car was too small and that his tires couldn’t handle the weight. Attorneys for the rapper claim that weight is a a “protected characteristic in Michigan, by law,” believing she has a case.
The viral story has led many to inquire about the midwestern rapper. Check out a quick explainer on the artist below.
-
She first went viral in 2017
Image Credit: Instagram. Dank had a brush with notoriety back in 2017 when she went viral after sharing a snap of herself wearing nothing but a scarf on Facebook, SK Pop reports.
-
She was a reality show contestant
Image Credit: YouTube Some recognized the Detroit rapper prior to her headline-making lawsuit due to her appearance on Deb Atney’s competition reality show, Deb’s House.
[youtube
While Deb was a fan of Dank’s artistry, she felt the need to send her home to “work on herself” and her health. See the emotional moment below.
[youtube
-
She inherited a record label
Image Credit: FSD Records Instagram. Demoss is the CEO of FSD Records, an indie label started by her father, known as Big Mixx CEO, in 2006. She inherited the company after his death in 2016, officially taking over in 2023.
“F.S.D FOUNDER! BIG MIXX, REST UP,” reads a dedication on the label’s Instagram page. “WE WILL KEEP YOUR LEGACY GOING. FSD was founded in 2006 by BIG MIXX CEO, WHERE HE SIGNED HIMSELF AND A GROUP CALLED DRAMA KINGS! 2016 He unexpectedly passed away. 2023 his oldest child and only daughter @dankdemoss took over the record label. WITH HONOR SHE WILL STRIVE TO CONTINUE HIS LEGACY AND MAKE THIS ONE OF THE WORLDS BIGGEST RECORD LABLES EVER . FSD OVER EVERYTHING.”
-
She’s inspired by 1990s Hip-Hop
Image Credit: Instagram Like many rappers of her generation, Dank was primarily inspired by 1990s Hip-Hop artists, namely 2Pac, Mia X, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Her biggest musical inspiration, however, is her late father.
-
She’s sober following past issues with alcohol
Image Credit: YouTube. Demoss is transparent in her sobriety journey, revealing in an August 2024 interview that she used to drink excessively, resulting in her becoming “emotional, or just doing too much.”
“It wasn’t good for me, it wasn’t healthy for me, for me and my family’s relationship, it was bad. I feel like I kind of drank to make myself feel better…I’m trying to get the stress out of me, but I just put it back in my body. It was rough. It was bad for me, so I had to stop.”
As of last August, she was sober for “a year and almost two months.”
Leave a comment