Summrs
Summrs, whose real name is Deante Adam Johnson, is an American rapper and singer born on November 18, 1999, in Lafayette, Louisiana.[1][2] He is recognized for his prolific output in the hip-hop and rap genres, particularly contemporary, Southern, and trap styles, often blending R&B elements with heavy use of Auto-Tuned vocals and pioneering the PluggnB subgenre.[2][3] Emerging from the SoundCloud rap scene, Summrs was a key member of the now-defunct Slayworld collective alongside artists like Goonie and Kankan, where he began releasing music independently in the late 2010s.[1][3] His early career was marked by an exceptional work ethic, with nine projects dropped in under seven months during 2018 alone, including EPs such as Drug/Love! and BellWorld, as well as mixtapes like BellWorld 2, ##ENDEAVOR777, DEVOTION, and Revived.[1] In 2019, he continued this momentum with releases including the album Isolation and the EP EVOLVED, followed by the 2021 album Intoxicated and EPs What We Have and Nothing more Nothing LESS.[1][3] Summrs frequently collaborates with producers and artists such as XanGang, Goyxrd, CashBently, and Alexzander Pray, contributing to his signature melodic trap sound.[1] In 2021, Summrs signed with Victor Victor Records, though he has continued to release much of his music independently, and by the mid-2020s, he had partnered with 10K Projects. His ongoing discography includes recent albums like NIGHTFALL (2024), B4DARAVEN (2024), and BADMAN (November 2025), with singles such as "With The Mafia" and "When I Want" showcasing his evolving style and sustained popularity in underground rap circles.[4]Background
Early life
Deante Adam Johnson, known professionally as Summrs, was born on November 18, 1999, in Lafayette, Louisiana.[5] Johnson grew up primarily in Eunice, a small town in Acadia Parish with a population of around 9,300 residents.[6] This rural community, situated in the Cajun prairie region of south-central Louisiana, is steeped in French Acadian heritage, where traditions of zydeco, Cajun folk music, and Creole culture shape daily life and local festivals.[7] The area's agricultural economy and tight-knit neighborhoods provided a backdrop of simplicity and community, though marked by regional challenges like limited economic opportunities in rural Louisiana.[8] Johnson's early family dynamics were shaped by instability, as his young parents separated when he was six years old.[9] He was raised primarily by his single mother alongside his brother in an environment of financial hardship, relying on her long work hours and occasional loans for support; due to these struggles, the family moved in with his grandmother, Brenda Randle, who passed away on December 25, 2020, whose influence offered some stability during his childhood.[9][10] This socioeconomic context of poverty in rural Louisiana exposed him to the resilience required in such settings, where basic needs often took precedence over luxuries.Education
Summrs attended Eunice High School in Eunice, Louisiana, during his early teenage years. He faced challenges in formal education, including a lack of interest compounded by ADHD, leading to his expulsion in ninth grade following an incident captured on video.[11] Following the expulsion, Summrs transitioned to homeschooling under his mother's guidance and enrolled in online schooling, though he struggled to maintain focus on academics. At age 16, his mother encouraged him to obtain a General Educational Development (GED) certificate and seek employment; he completed the GED process around 2015–2016 and filled out a job application as a step toward local work opportunities in Louisiana.[11][12] These experiences in a small-town Louisiana educational environment instilled a sense of resilience and self-reliance in Summrs, shaping his practical approach to personal development amid limited resources. No specific extracurricular activities unrelated to creative interests are documented from his school years. After earning his GED, Summrs briefly explored entry-level local activities in the region before dedicating himself to his pursuits.[11]Career
Beginnings (2016–2018)
Summrs entered the music scene in 2016 with the release of his debut EP B a c k w o o d s on October 6, marking his initial foray into the SoundCloud rap underground.[13] This project, consisting of raw, melodic tracks, established his early presence in the emerging plugg-influenced sound, drawing from Louisiana's hip-hop traditions while experimenting with auto-tuned vocals and trap beats. His online activity on SoundCloud quickly garnered attention within niche rap communities, where he built a grassroots following through consistent uploads and interactions with fellow up-and-coming artists.[14] In 2017, Summrs accelerated his output with a series of EPs that refined his melodic style and introduced key collaborations. He released i believe in myself on January 19, featuring introspective tracks like "Never been lame" that highlighted his confident lyricism over dreamy production.[15] This was followed by Hot Like Summer, The EP on February 15, a summery collection emphasizing relaxed flows and R&B-tinged hooks.[16] On March 28, IDFW Niggas dropped, showcasing aggressive energy with cuts like "Myself" that addressed personal resilience.[17] Notable collaborations included the joint EP 2 Seasons with Autumn! on July 17, blending their voices on tracks such as "Know How I Do," and XoolSummr with producer StoopidXool on October 10, which explored experimental plugg elements across six songs.[18][19] These releases amplified his underground buzz, positioning him as a fixture in SoundCloud's melodic rap ecosystem.[20] By 2018, Summrs' work began coalescing into the nascent PluggnB subgenre, characterized by high-pitched plugg percussion and R&B-infused melodies, with his contributions helping pioneer its sound within the Slayworld collective.[21] The mixtape ##Endeavor777, released on March 18, served as a cornerstone, featuring standout tracks like "Packrunner Bitch" that exemplified the genre's hazy, atmospheric vibe.[22] He followed with the EP Bellworld on April 30, a personal tribute with emotive songs dedicated to a close relationship.[23] In March, Summrs featured on Weiland's single "Who's Better," a high-energy collaboration produced by StoopidXool that boosted his visibility in Florida's rap circles.[24] Additional projects included DEPARTURE666 on May 13, delving into darker themes with tracks like "Photos," and ##NoRegrets on July 20, executively produced by Goyxrd and centered on unapologetic pluggnb aesthetics.[25][26] These efforts solidified his role in the underground, fostering a dedicated fanbase through prolific SoundCloud drops and collaborative networks.[27]Breakthrough and label affiliations (2019–2022)
In 2019, Summrs achieved a breakthrough with a series of independent releases that showcased his evolving sound within the pluggnb genre. His mixtape Better Left Alone, featuring collaborations with artists like CashBently and Autumn!, was released on February 27, 2019, marking a pivotal project in his catalog with its blend of melodic trap elements and introspective lyrics.[28] The standout track "Should've Known" from the mixtape, produced by BrentRambo, received critical acclaim from Pitchfork, which highlighted its shimmering production and Summrs' emotive Auto-Tune delivery as a fresh take on underground rap.[29] Later that year, Summrs followed with the Evolved EP on August 7, 2019, a concise five-track project drawing heavy inspiration from contemporaries like Izaya Tiji and emphasizing atmospheric beats.[30] Culminating the year, his album Isolation dropped on October 15, 2019, comprising 15 tracks that explored themes of detachment and resilience, further solidifying his presence in the SoundCloud rap scene.[31] The momentum continued into 2020 and 2021 with additional EPs that refined his signature style. On October 20, 2020, Summrs released La Dolce Vita, a seven-track EP hosted by producer YP4AM, featuring smooth, hedonistic vibes over plugg production.[32] This was followed by What We Have on June 13, 2021, a six-song EP that revisited pluggnb roots with hazy, nostalgic melodies and collaborations underscoring his growing network in the genre.[33] During this period, Summrs signed with Victor Victor Worldwide and Capitol Records in 2021, a major label affiliation that provided broader distribution while he maintained creative control over releases.[34] Evidence of the partnership appeared in credits for tracks like "3 AM in Katy" with KanKan, copyrighted under Victor Victor Worldwide/Capitol Records.[34] By 2022, Summrs transitioned labels amid a surge in visibility, departing Victor Victor and Capitol Records before signing with 10K Projects, which supported his independent release model.[1] This shift aligned with the release of his ambitious double album Fallen Raven on June 27, 2022, a 23-track project divided into rage-infused and melodic sides, incorporating scrapped material from prior EPs like Evolved II.[35] Throughout 2019–2022, Summrs cultivated key collaborations with emerging plugg artists, including repeated features with Autumn! on tracks like "Too Many" and joint efforts with KanKan on songs such as "Catch A Vibe," helping to elevate the subgenre's profile.[28]Rise to prominence (2023–present)
In 2023, Summrs achieved significant commercial momentum with the release of his album Stuck in My Ways on January 27, which featured tracks like "Life's a Beautiful Curse" and marked his growing presence in the underground rap scene through elevated streaming platforms.[36] Later that year, What We Didn't Have dropped on September 18 via 10K Projects, showcasing introspective themes and collaborations that propelled his monthly Spotify listeners past 1 million by year's end. Additionally, the album GHOST was released on April 28, 2023, further solidifying his output with ethereal production styles that resonated with fans, contributing to a surge in total streams exceeding 200 million across platforms by late 2023. These projects were accompanied by increased media coverage in outlets like HotNewHipHop, highlighting Summrs' transition from niche SoundCloud uploads to broader recognition. By 2024, Summrs' prominence escalated with B4DARAVEN on April 12, an album that debuted with strong initial streams and featured raw, high-energy tracks emphasizing his signature pluggnb style. The EP NIGHTFALL, released August 2, included the breakout single "Marble Floors," which amassed over 500,000 weekly Spotify streams as of late 2024 and became a staple in rap playlists, driving his total career streams beyond 400 million. That October, Summrs appeared on Yeat's album LYFESTYLE with the track "GO2WORK," released on October 17, where his verse added to the project's high-profile buzz and further boosted his visibility through joint music video promotion.[37] Overall, 2024 saw Summrs' Spotify streams grow by over 150 million, reflecting sustained fan engagement and algorithmic playlist placements.[38] Entering 2025, Summrs continued his ascent with the single "WITH THE MAFIA" on October 17, serving as the lead for his forthcoming album BADMAN, slated for November release (unreleased as of November 2025) and anticipated to build on his mafia-themed aesthetics.[39] Another project, TALE OF DA RAVEN, is also scheduled for 2025, promising deeper narrative elements in his discography.[4] Live performances have ramped up, including a co-headlining show with KanKan at Warehouse Live Midtown in Houston on January 2, 2025, marking one of his first major U.S. club dates post-2024.[40] By early November 2025, Summrs' cumulative streams had surpassed 505 million on Spotify alone, underscoring his commercial trajectory amid ongoing media spotlights in hip-hop publications.Artistry
Musical style
Summrs is widely recognized as a pioneer of PluggnB, a subgenre that fuses the bouncy 808s and high-pitched percussion of plugg with the melodic harmonies and emotional depth of R&B, while incorporating trap's heavy bass and synths to create a hazy, atmospheric soundscape.[41][42][43] This blend results in slow-tempo beats often layered with reverb-heavy synths, ambient pads, and whimsical melodies drawn from synthetic instruments, evoking a "wavy" aesthetic that prioritizes introspection over aggression.[44][45] Central to PluggnB's appeal is Summrs' vocal delivery, a high-pitched, emotive hybrid of singing and rapping delivered through heavy Auto-Tune, producing sticky, melting rhymes that glide over the production with melodic flows reminiscent of influences like early Playboi Carti or Lil Tracy.[46] His style emphasizes fluid, instinctive tone shifts that convey vulnerability, setting it apart from the rawer, more fragmented flows of broader SoundCloud rap.[47] Lyrically, Summrs explores themes of isolation, personal struggle, and fleeting relationships, often with a melancholic introspection that aligns with the genre's laid-back, ethereal vibe.[48] Unlike the high-energy, distorted aggression of rage beats or the lo-fi minimalism of traditional SoundCloud rap, PluggnB under Summrs distinguishes itself through its intricate, layered leads and dense drum programming, fostering a dreamy immersion that feels both futuristic and nostalgic.[21][42] This evolution, which Summrs helped pioneer in projects like his early Endeavor777, prioritizes emotional resonance and harmonic richness over hype-driven intensity.[46]Influences and evolution
Summrs' musical influences draw heavily from foundational figures in hip-hop and trap, with Chief Keef cited as a primary inspiration from his formative years listening to early drill sounds. He has also expressed admiration for NBA YoungBoy's emotive delivery and Louisiana-rooted trap aesthetics, alongside broader aspirations to collaborate with artists like Future and Drake, reflecting a blend of street-oriented rap and melodic trap elements. Production-wise, his work incorporates R&B sensibilities, as noted in early reviews highlighting the search for smooth, emotive beats that elevate his Auto-Tune-heavy vocals beyond standard trap conventions.[12][49][12][29] His artistic evolution began in the mid-2010s with raw, DIY SoundCloud releases characterized by unpolished pluggnb beats— a subgenre fusing trap drums with dreamy, R&B-infused melodies—that positioned him as an early pioneer alongside collaborators like Autumn!. By 2019, projects like Isolation marked a shift toward more introspective, experimental rap, moving away from strict pluggnb adherence to explore personal vulnerability and emotional depth. This progression culminated in the 2022 double album Fallen Raven, where Side A (EVOLVED 2) introduced polished rage beats with distorted, high-energy production, contrasting the more traditional pluggnb on Side B (What We Have 2), demonstrating his range in blending aggressive trap with melodic introspection.[27][9][48][50] Post-2023, Summrs refined his sound through collaborations with artists associated with the former Slayworld collective, such as Yeat on tracks like "GO2WORK" from Yeat's 2024 album LYFESTYLE, which incorporates modern trap's booming 808s and futuristic synths alongside his signature refined Auto-Tune layering. Singles such as "Marble Floors" (2024) exemplify this phase, featuring sleek production that emphasizes opulent, high-energy flows over trap instrumentation. Thematically, his work has transitioned from the isolation and personal struggles dominant in 2019 releases to broader explorations of wealth, ambition, and success-driven lifestyles in recent output, including 2025 archival reflections on Fallen Raven that highlight family and triumphs. His November 2025 album BADMAN continues this trajectory, blending melodic trap with introspective elements in tracks like "With The Mafia," maintaining his hazy, atmospheric sound while exploring themes of success and resilience.[14][37][51][37][52][53] As a pluggnb architect, Summrs has profoundly impacted younger Louisiana rappers and the online underground scene, inspiring a wave of melodic trap variants through his fusion of R&B textures with plugg beats, as seen in the subgenre's spread via collectives like Slayworld. His pioneering role has encouraged peers to experiment with ethereal production and vulnerable lyricism, solidifying pluggnb's place in evolving SoundCloud rap ecosystems.[27][54][55]Personal life
Family
Summrs was raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, within a close-knit family structure that included his brother.[56] He maintained a particularly strong bond with his grandmother, Brenda Lee McNeil Randle, who provided significant personal guidance and affection in his life.[10][57] Randle passed away suddenly at her home in Eunice, Louisiana, on December 25, 2020, at the age of 58.[10] This loss profoundly influenced Summrs' music, as he frequently referenced her in lyrics even before her death, such as in the 2019 album Isolation, where tracks like "Horses" depict warm conversations with her and "Sorry" expresses remorse over personal choices like facial tattoos.[58][59] Following her passing, these references evolved to explore grief and longing, evident in songs such as "later not bye" (2020), which directly reminisces about her final days, and "From da Heart" (2021), where he laments her absence as a source of salvation amid personal struggles.[60][61] Such themes of familial loss and enduring memory recur in his subsequent works, underscoring her lasting emotional impact on his artistry.[62]Public image and privacy
Summrs has cultivated a public image as an enigmatic and introspective figure within underground rap, prioritizing his music over personal exposure and aligning closely with the genre's low-profile ethos.[12] Often described as a pioneer of the pluggnb subgenre, he maintains an aura of mystery that resonates with fans, focusing on therapeutic expression through his lyrics rather than overt self-promotion.[5] This reserved demeanor has positioned him as a humble counterpart to the more flamboyant personalities in hip-hop, emphasizing artistic evolution over celebrity spectacle.[63] His approach to privacy is evident in his selective engagement with media, including the rejection of a 2022 XXL magazine interview, which highlighted his preference for letting his discography define his narrative.[64] Summrs rarely delves into personal anecdotes in public forums, instead channeling introspective themes—such as familial loss—exclusively through his songwriting, thereby preserving boundaries around his off-stage life.[12] On social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube, his activity is largely confined to music announcements and teasers, as seen in the October 2025 rollout of his single "WITH THE MAFIA," the lead track for his forthcoming album BADMAN, where posts focused solely on visualizers and release dates without personal insights.[65] While Summrs has navigated minor public disputes, such as beefs with Homixide Gang in 2023 that led to event disruptions and online exchanges, no major controversies have significantly impacted his image as of late 2025.[66] These incidents, often resolved quietly or via brief social media responses, underscore his strategy of de-escalation, contrasting sharply with more outspoken Plugg scene contemporaries who amplify feuds through frequent online rants and public call-outs.[67] This measured handling reinforces his reputation as a grounded, privacy-focused artist dedicated to sustaining underground credibility.Discography
Studio albums
Summrs' studio albums represent his evolution from underground trap and pluggnb sounds to more polished, versatile releases under major labels. His early works were self-released, focusing on melodic flows and atmospheric production, while later projects incorporate rage influences and broader commercial appeal following his signing with 10K Projects. The following table enumerates his main studio albums in chronological order:| Title | Release Date | Label | No. of Tracks | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Against Me | June 21, 2019 | Self-released | 16 | This early trap album established Summrs' signature melodic style and storytelling, marking a key step in his independent rise within the SoundCloud rap scene.[68][69] |
| Isolation | October 15, 2019 | Self-released | 15 | A pivotal early project blending trap with introspective themes, though some tracks were later removed due to label disputes, highlighting his initial underground traction.[48][70] |
| Intoxicated | March 13, 2021 | Self-released | 13 | A melodic trap album marking Summrs' growing experimentation with R&B influences pre-label signing.[71] |
| Nothing more Nothing LESS | September 27, 2021 | Self-released | 12 | An introspective project blending pluggnb and emotional themes, released independently amid rising popularity.[72] |
| Fallen Raven | June 27, 2022 | Self-released | 23 | Serving as his breakthrough full-length, this double-disc set fused rage beats with melodic pluggnb, featuring viral tracks like "Swing Ya Pole."[73][74] |
| Stuck in My Ways | January 27, 2023 | 10K Projects | 25 | His debut under 10K Projects, this expansive album showcased vocal versatility across rage and R&B elements, reaching No. 13 on the US Heatseekers chart and reflecting personal struggles.[75][76][77] |
| GHOST | April 28, 2023 | 10K Projects | 21 | As his third studio album and second release of 2023, it emphasized trap and rage production, solidifying his momentum with high-energy tracks produced by collaborators like BNYX.[78][79] |
| What We Didn't Have | September 18, 2023 | 10K Projects | 15 | A cohesive pluggnb-focused follow-up to GHOST, this project explored emotional themes of toxicity and healing, praised for its thoughtful sequencing and underground appeal.[80][81][82] |
| B4DARAVEN | April 12, 2024 | 10K Projects | 7 | A concise rage-influenced project previewing themes for upcoming releases, maintaining underground momentum.[83] |
| BADMAN | November 2025 | 10K Projects | TBD | His latest release, previewed with singles like "With the Mafia," continues his rage evolution post-label deal, anticipated as a high-impact entry in his catalog.[53][84] |