08/18/2026
“If you see this, I love you.” It’s the phrase LaDarryl leaves behind wherever he goes because to him, love is the most powerful thing in the world, and it’s a lot easier to give than we’ve made it out to be. It’s something he tries to live by, on and off the mic.
We caught up with LaDarryl Winsley II for the latest edition of the Memphis Mic Drop series to talk about his journey from choir kid to producer, why authenticity is non-negotiable in Memphis music, and the phrase he leaves behind wherever he goes.
Music has been his language for 11 years now, starting in the choir and behind a trombone before Stax Music Academy handed him the tools to build his own sound. These days, rapping and producing are his weapons of choice, and what comes out is thoughtful, groovy, and full of wordplay, a place where he lets the nerd in him run loose with the quirks of the English language.
Underneath the sound is something deeper, too. LaDarryl talks about a hunger every Memphis musician breathes in, the kind that comes from knowing there’s no promise of success or a career, only the music itself. That hunger keeps things honest and it’s why his songs are so fully him. He says he wouldn’t know how to write from any other perspective.
So if you see this.. LaDarryl loves you. And he means it.
🎤
