Famous Dex is renowned for his vocal dexterity, infectious improvisations, and frenetic energy. Born Dexter Gore, Jr. in Chicago in 1993, he grew up on the city’s South Side and first emerged in 2015 with a pair of mixtapes, quickly signing to Atlanta rapper Rich The Kid’s Rich Forever Music the following year. A versatile vocalist, equally comfortable with melodic, Auto-Tuned flows and looser stream-of-consciousness cadences, Dex became known early on for his catchy ad-libs—“Whoa,” “Dexterrr,” “Wait!”—and ability to sketch out a whole vibe in a single, terse yelp. Though he came up in Chicago’s drill scene, Dex’s colorful, boisterous energy has often contrasted with his peers’ dark, aggressive tone, making him an essential link between his regional scene and later SoundCloud rappers. He told Apple Music that he’s proud to see himself as part of a tradition: “All the upcoming artists…they look at us like I look at Future, and Future was looking at Jay. It’s just going in generations.” With his 2018 single “JAPAN,” he even made overtures to pop music, landing at No. 28 on Billboard’s The Hot 100 on the strength of the song’s buoyant melody and candy-colored synths. No matter how critics might try to box him in, Dex isn’t worried. “They say we mumble rappers now,” he told Apple Music. “Well listen, man, that mumble rappin’ got me paid. Whatever, I’m gonna keep mumblin’, stumblin’, and drumblin’. I consider myself an entertainer with this energy.”