Music
Tee Grizzley
born 1994 · rapper
West-side Detroit rapper whose 2017 prison-release anthem “First Day Out” went viral and opened the national door for a new wave of Detroit street rap.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan
age 32- Birth name
- Terry Sanchez Wallace Jr.
- Detroit years
- 1994–present
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Terry Wallace Jr. was born in Detroit and raised by his grandmother near Joy Road and the Southfield Freeway in the Warrendale neighborhood, because both his parents were often in prison. He enrolled at Michigan State University to study finance but was convicted of robbery and served time in state prison until October 2016. Weeks after his release he posted “First Day Out”, a breathless account of his time inside; boosted by LeBron James, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 and led to a deal with 300 Entertainment. “From the D to the A” with Lil Yachty went double platinum and his debut album Activated reached the top ten in 2018. He has kept his music rooted in the city, naming his 2023 album Tee's Coney Island after the diners on every Detroit corner and recording with the Detroit Youth Choir.
Highlights
- “First Day Out” (2017) went viral and reached the Billboard Hot 100.
- “From the D to the A” featuring Lil Yachty was certified double platinum.
- Debut album Activated (2018) peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200.
- Released Bloodas (2018) with Lil Durk and the Timbaland-produced Scriptures (2019).
- Tee's Coney Island (2023) brought him back to the Hot 100 with “IDGAF”.
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Lived here · 1990s–2000s
Warrendale
He grew up with his grandmother near Joy Road and the Southfield Freeway.