Representing Riverdale, a small suburb of Atlanta, Deante' Hitchcock is a proficient rapper and thoughtful songwriter whose recordings appeal to broad audiences without sacrificing his artistic impulse. Hitchcock's flexibility is demonstrated through his studio efforts and freestyle verses, as well as his performances with a live band. After establishing himself with assorted video uploads and independent releases, Hitchcock entered his major-label phase, and has progressed with the albums Better (2020) and Once Upon a Time (2023) among a body of work that also includes a slew of singles, EPs, and other diversions. The nephew of songwriter/producer Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Hitchcock began his career in earnest as a teenager, releasing his debut mixtape, 19 Summers (2012), while attending Georgia Southern University. Additional independent tapes Wishful Thinking (2015) and Good (2016), combined with freestyle clips uploaded to social media platforms, helped him build a following that spread beyond his native region. After an EP, Just a Sample, and the in-concert recording Good: Live (both of which arrived in early 2017), Hitchcock was boosted by signing with the RCA-affiliated ByStorm label, where he reintroduced himself with the six-track So Much for Good Luck (in October 2017). By that point, Hitchcock had been favorably compared to the likes of T.I. and J. Cole, though it was evident that he had a voice of his own, with a style capable of appealing to fans of both of those dissimilar artists. Singles including "I See It" and "Side N*gga," along with the Just a Sample 2 EP, carried Hitchcock through 2019, the year the rapper also appeared on Dreamville's Grammy-nominated Revenge of the Dreamers III compilation. In 2020, Hitchcock released the full-length Better. The second of a proposed trilogy of albums, it was highlighted by "How TF" and "I Got Money Now" -- singles respectively featuring 6LACK and JID -- as well as "Flashbacks," on which he was joined by St. Beauty and labelmate Miguel. Unable to tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hitchcock and his band adapted by having a studio performance recorded for video uploads and a corresponding album, Live from Quarantine. After he offered the four-track EP Everyday the 14th, Hitchcock became a father and completed the Once Upon a Time album. Released in May 2023, Once Upon a Time contained the Big K.R.I.T. and Westside Gunn collaboration "Callin'," but even bigger was the Hi-Five-sampling "Thinking 'Bout You." ~ Andy Kellman