Getting to Know DDG, Halle Bailey's Ex-Boyfriend
Halle Bailey became the talk of the town for her singing skills and role in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. Her then-boyfriend, rapper DDG (real name Darryl Granberry), received strong support from Halle's family. The couple sparked romance rumors in January 2022 when they were spotted at Usher's Las Vegas residency. However, they split in October 2024.
Hale filed a restraining order against DDG in May 2025, stating that he had been physically, verbally, emotionally, and financially abusive towards her. She is seeking orders to protect herself and their son Halo from his ongoing abuse.
One month later, DDG also filed a domestic violence restraining order, accusing Bailey of posing an “imminent emotional and psychological risk to the minor child based on repeated, documented threats of self-harm.” He claimed that there were instances where she endangered their son Halo's safety while she was allegedly in emotional distress.
DDG began his YouTube journey in 2014 when he started vlogging about his life. “I just blogged my life, basically. Show my lifestyle, my family, you know, my vibe,” he explained on The Breakfast Club. Although he admitted to showing some “corny” things on his channel, he doesn’t mind because he was focused on “making good content, getting the views, [and] making the money.”
DDG recalled that his first check from YouTube was $200, but over the summer between his freshman and sophomore years at Central Michigan University, he started making thousands of dollars per month. His healthy financial outlook influenced him to drop out of college and move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in content creation.
Although he dropped out of Central Michigan University, that doesn’t mean DDG does not take education seriously. In fact, he was his class valedictorian at International Tech Academy. “[Academics] are very important, because I was really into school. That’s what a lot of people don’t realize,” he told BET during a 2019 interview. “Valedictorian is just about being super competitive and being at the top at all times. It displays my competitiveness. I want to be valedictorian of everything — definitely of the rap game.”
“I was the class clown, but at the same time I always did my work — so that’s where the good grades came from,” the home-grown rapper further recalled in a 2021 interview with Billboard. “I think the good grades came from me being competitive. If I feel like somebody’s trying to compete with me, I go even harder.”
DDG Was His Class Valedictorian
DDG was his class valedictorian at International Tech Academy. “Valedictorian is just about being super competitive and being at the top at all times. It displays my competitiveness. I want to be valedictorian of everything — definitely of the rap game.” His debut album, released in 2019, was named Valedictorian.
DDG said he always knew he wanted to pursue music and even got to create songs growing up because his father was a music engineer in their hometown of Pontiac, Mich. “We had our own little home studio. Me and my brothers used to make, like, songs together,” he recalled. The “I’m Geekin’” hitmaker said that once his earlier work got some attention, he decided to take his music hobby seriously.“I’m in a space now where I want people to get rid of the stigma that I’m a YouTuber,” he explained. “I’m really just tryna shake that image and that stigma. Even though I am a YouTuber, I feel like it automatically comes with people not wanting to press play on the music or believing in the music. Or being harder on it. People are harder on me than other artists.” Luckily, he is supported by Halle, who starred in his 2022 “If I Want You” music video, in which they locked lips.DDG was signed to Epic Records in 2018, but just two years later founded his own record label, Zooted Music. Zooted “scouts, develops, and grows artists using its tremendous leverage in the digital and music space and produces culturally relevant, super talented artists.”He is a man of many talents, clearly. In June 2021, he won a celebrity boxing match against musician Nate Wyatt. After his win, DDG gloated that he didn’t even train for the fight. “I left the strip club last night, I wasn’t even training for this fight,” he smiled. Despite his win, he said Nate put up a good fight and said he has “a lot of respect” for him. He also said fans should not expect to see him fight ever again.He admitted that he’s just a big fan of himself. “I’m like, ‘I see why these kids love me so much.’ I like to reassure myself like, ‘Man, you got this. You’re doing that, you work hard, you came all the way from this.’ I remind myself every day that I’m doing great. Also, spiritually I’m confident. I feel like God invested in me. I haven’t lost in a long time. Even if I lose, I get it right back — and it’s been like that since I’ve been young.”He seemingly carried the same confidence when making his first deal with a record label. After meeting with numerous labels, he said he got everything he wanted in his contract including the rights to his masters. “I met with every single label you can think of, and I knew what I brought to the table. I came with a good fanbase already, I came with good music and a hit already. I came with everything already,” he noted.“So to not get what I wanted from a label would just be shooting myself in the foot. It was never about the money,” DDG further explained. “Before I signed, I already had the money. It’s just good to have a machine behind you and the whole building trying to take you to the next level. I just knew what I brought to the table. I knew what type of deal I wanted and that it should work in my favor.”
In January 2024, DDG and Halle announced they welcomed their baby boy named Halo at the end of 2023.“Even though we’re a few days into the new year, the greatest thing that 2023 could have done for me, was bring me my son,” Halle captioned an Instagram post. “Welcome to the world, my Halo. The world is desperate to know you.”If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
