Derrick Milano has built a career that sits at the intersection of songwriting, recording, production, and artist development. While his name may not always appear in headlines beside the performers of the songs he helps create, his credits connect him to major names across hip-hop, pop, and R&B. His work includes records associated with Megan Thee Stallion, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Pop Smoke, Justin Bieber, and, more recently, BTS and CORTIS.
For many listeners, the biggest introduction to Derrick Milano came through Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” remix featuring Beyoncé. His songwriting contribution to that record earned him a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song in 2021. The Recording Academy currently lists him with one Grammy win and one nomination.
His career, however, has moved far beyond one award-winning song. In 2026, he has appeared in the credits of multiple BTS songs from ARIRANG, including “SWIM,” “Hooligan,” “Aliens,” “Merry Go Round,” “NORMAL,” and “2.0.” He has also continued working across different musical styles, showing why his career is better understood as that of a versatile creative rather than simply a behind-the-scenes songwriter.
Who Is Derrick Milano?
Derrick Milano is an American songwriter, rapper, singer, and producer whose professional career developed through both his own artistry and his work for other performers. Artist Publishing Group describes him as a multi-talented rapper, singer, and urban songwriter and says he began seriously developing his musical ambitions as a teenager. The company notes that he was already writing extensively and had built a personal library of more than 700 songs by the time his career was developing professionally.
People identified his real name as Derrick Gray when covering his 2024 engagement to Angela White, formerly known publicly as Blac Chyna.
His background also helped shape the range of his music. In a 2019 interview with REVOLT, Milano said he was originally from Pennsylvania, was raised in Delaware, and spent considerable time around Philadelphia because of his family connections. He explained that his music began gaining momentum when he moved to Orlando for school.
That combination of environments became part of his creative identity. His career has included rap, melodic songwriting, singing, production, and the kind of collaborative studio work that can place a songwriter in very different musical worlds.
Derrick Milano’s Early Music Journey
Milano has said his musical ambitions started when he was young, with Artist Publishing Group describing his early work as beginning around age 14. During his college years in Florida, he also worked around Orlando and Miami nightlife, including club hosting and opening-stage performances. Rather than treating music as a side interest, he continued building songs and developing his recording skills.
The early phase of his career was primarily focused on being an artist. In his REVOLT interview, he emphasized that artistry came first and explained that songwriting was something many people did not initially associate with him. That distinction is important because much of his later success happened behind the microphone rather than in the spotlight.
This transition ultimately became one of the defining characteristics of his career. He could approach a record as a performer while also understanding how to build a song for another artist.
The Breakthrough With Megan Thee Stallion
One of Milano’s most important early breakthroughs came through his connection with Juicy J and the creative circle surrounding Megan Thee Stallion. His involvement in “Hot Girl Summer” helped push him deeper into mainstream songwriting and music-making.
“Hot Girl Summer,” released by Megan Thee Stallion featuring Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign, became a major commercial success and reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Milano received songwriting credit on the track.
The song was significant because it showed that Milano could contribute to a high-profile record involving multiple major artists. His role was not limited to writing lyrics in isolation. His 2019 REVOLT interview also discussed his involvement in helping put the record together and his interest in A&R and broader creative responsibilities.
From there, his network expanded quickly, and his credits began appearing on records from some of the biggest artists in contemporary music.
The “Savage” Remix and His Grammy Win
The most important award of Milano’s career arrived with Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” remix featuring Beyoncé.
The Recording Academy officially lists Derrick Milano among the songwriters of “Savage,” which won Best Rap Song at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021. The award recognized the songwriters behind the recording, making Milano a Grammy-winning songwriter rather than simply someone associated with the recording as a producer or performer.
That distinction matters because the Grammy category itself is specifically a songwriting award. The Recording Academy describes Best Rap Song as recognizing excellence in rap songwriting.
Milano’s Grammy success also helped establish his reputation within the professional songwriting community. Artist Publishing Group lists “Savage” among his top cuts alongside records connected to Cardi B and Nicki Minaj.
Although some online profiles have described him with much larger Grammy totals, the official Recording Academy artist page provides the clearest figure: one Grammy win and one nomination.
Major Artists and Songs Connected to Derrick Milano
Milano’s catalog demonstrates how broad his creative reach has become. His songwriting and production credits include work associated with Megan Thee Stallion, Pop Smoke, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Justin Bieber, Ava Max, Moneybagg Yo, BTS, and others.
Spotify’s songwriter page currently lists 165 songs written under his profile. The page also highlights “Kings & Queens” by Ava Max, “SWIM” by BTS, “Savage Remix” by Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé, “Get Back” by Pop Smoke, “Hooligan” and “2.0” by BTS, and “Hot Girl Summer” among his highest-streamed credited songs. Spotify’s numbers change continuously, but the page illustrates the scale of his catalog.
Another useful part of his career is that he has not abandoned his own artistry. Milano has recorded and released music himself, allowing him to move between creator and performer roles. That flexibility is one reason his credits span different genres and different types of projects.
Derrick Milano and BTS
One of the biggest developments in Milano’s career arrived in 2026 through his work with BTS.
In a June 2026 interview with V13 Media’s K-ALL, Milano said he worked on six songs from BTS’s ARIRANG: “SWIM,” “Merry Go Round,” “NORMAL,” “2.0,” “Hooligan,” and “Aliens.” He also discussed how his earlier work helped lead to an opportunity to create for BTS.
His songwriting contribution to “SWIM” is independently confirmed by the song’s official Apple Music credits, which list Derrick Milano as a composer and lyricist alongside James Essien, Sean Foreman, Tyler Spry, Jamison Baken, Ryan Tedder, Kirsten Allyssa Spencer, Pdogg, and BTS member RM.
“SWIM” became a particularly important credit because it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving BTS its seventh No. 1 song on the chart.
Milano also described a more direct connection to the recording of “Merry Go Round.” In the V13 interview, he explained that some of his background vocals remained on the finished track, meaning listeners can actually hear his vocal contribution within the BTS recording.
That makes the ARIRANG era especially notable in his career: he was not merely credited as a writer on one song, but contributed to a substantial group of tracks.
His Work With CORTIS in 2026
Milano’s 2026 credits have also extended into the rising K-pop group CORTIS.
Spotify currently lists “REDRED” by CORTIS as the latest release on Milano’s songwriter page, dated August 23, 2026. Other music-credit databases also list Milano as a composer and writer on CORTIS material, including “REDRED” and “MOTION.”
This is another example of the unusual breadth of his career. Milano first became widely recognized through American hip-hop and pop records, yet his more recent work demonstrates an ability to adapt to K-pop production environments and multinational songwriting sessions.
The progression also shows why describing him solely as a rapper would miss much of his professional significance. His catalog increasingly reflects a songwriter who can work across genres, languages, artists, and production teams.
Derrick Milano and Angela White
Milano’s personal life attracted major media attention because of his relationship with Angela White, formerly known as Blac Chyna.
The couple began dating in 2023 and made their relationship public that year. On October 18, 2024, Milano proposed during Howard University’s homecoming celebration, Yardfest, in Washington, D.C. People reported that he serenaded White with Mario’s “Let Me Love You” before getting down on one knee.
The engagement later ended. In July 2025, White and Milano publicly confirmed that they had called off the engagement, describing themselves as remaining friends and saying they believed ending the engagement was the right path for them.
Because that announcement is the latest well-documented relationship update identified in the research, it would be inaccurate to describe them as currently engaged. There is also no reliable basis to assign Milano a current romantic partner without newer confirmation.
The 2026 “SWIM” Copyright Lawsuit
One of the most important current developments involving Milano is a copyright lawsuit surrounding BTS’s “SWIM.”
Three songwriters—Steve Cooper, Jon Sandler, and Greylyn Johnson—filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on July 8, 2026. The complaint names HYBE-related companies, Artist Publishing Group, and several credited “SWIM” writers, including Derrick Gray doing business as Derrick Milano.
The plaintiffs allege that BTS’s “SWIM” copied elements of an earlier demo they created in 2025. According to reporting on the complaint, they say the demo was circulated through music-industry contacts, including Artist Publishing Group, and allege that it could have reached people involved in the BTS recording.
It is important to distinguish an allegation from an established fact. The lawsuit does not itself prove that Milano or any other defendant infringed copyright. Big Hit Music has rejected the allegations, characterizing “SWIM” as an independent creation and saying it would respond through the legal process.
A public Justia docket snapshot shows the case was filed in July 2026, although the docket page also notes that more recent information may be available through PACER.
Why Derrick Milano Matters in Modern Music
The most interesting part of Milano’s story is not simply the Grammy. It is the career path behind it.
He started from a position where he wanted to be an artist, developed a large body of self-written material, learned the business around live performance and recording, and gradually became an in-demand creative behind major records. His professional work now reaches from Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé to Pop Smoke and Justin Bieber, and from American hip-hop into contemporary K-pop.
His 2026 work with BTS makes that evolution especially clear. A songwriter who contributes to a song that reaches the top of the Billboard Hot 100 is working at a very different level from someone simply trying to place a first record. Milano has also spoken about melody, vocal choices, collaboration, and the importance of adapting to each studio environment.
At the same time, his career illustrates how much of modern music happens away from the public face of a song. Listeners may remember the superstar performer, while the songwriter whose melodies, lyrics, harmonies, or vocal ideas helped shape the track remains comparatively unknown.
That is precisely where Derrick Milano stands out. His career is a reminder that some of the most influential figures in contemporary music are the creators whose names appear in the credits after the spotlight has moved elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions About Derrick Milano
Who is Derrick Milano?
Derrick Milano is an American songwriter, rapper, singer, and producer known for writing and contributing to records by major hip-hop, pop, R&B, and K-pop artists.
What is Derrick Milano’s real name?
People identified his real name as Derrick Gray in its coverage of his 2024 engagement.
What song earned Derrick Milano a Grammy?
He won Best Rap Song at the 2021 Grammy Awards as one of the credited songwriters on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage,” featuring Beyoncé.
Did Derrick Milano work with BTS?
Yes. He is credited on several tracks from BTS’s 2026 album ARIRANG, including “SWIM,” “Hooligan,” “Aliens,” “Merry Go Round,” “NORMAL,” and “2.0.”
Was Derrick Milano engaged to Angela White?
Yes. Milano proposed to Angela White in October 2024, but the couple announced in July 2025 that they had called off the engagement.
What is Derrick Milano doing in 2026?
His 2026 credits include multiple BTS ARIRANG songs and CORTIS releases such as “REDRED,” while his songwriter profile continues to show a large and growing catalog.
Conclusion
Derrick Milano’s career has developed from an aspiring recording artist into a wide-ranging songwriting and production career connected to some of the biggest names in music. His Grammy-winning contribution to “Savage,” work on “Hot Girl Summer,” credits with Pop Smoke and other major artists, and extensive 2026 involvement with BTS demonstrate the scale of his evolution.
His recent BTS work is especially significant because “SWIM” became a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, while additional ARIRANG tracks further expanded his international reach. His CORTIS credits show that his creative direction continues to move across musical boundaries.
At the same time, his public story now includes both personal changes and an ongoing copyright dispute surrounding “SWIM.” Those developments should be discussed carefully because the legal allegations remain matters for the courts, not established findings.
Taken as a whole, Milano’s story is one of persistence, versatility, and behind-the-scenes influence. His name may not always be the first one listeners recognize, but the credits show just how deeply his work has become connected to modern popular music.
