Drew Desbordes (born September 12, 1994), known professionally as Druski, is an American comedian, actor, and internet personality. He is known for his sketch comedy, Coulda Been Records, and collaborating with various musicians in their music videos, including Jack Harlow,[1] Drake,[2] Lil Yachty, and others.[3]
| Druski | |
|---|---|
 Druski in 2022 | |
| Birth name | Drew Desbordes |
| Born | September 12, 1994 Columbia, Maryland, U.S. |
| Education | Georgia Gwinnett College Georgia Southern University |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Genres | Comedy |
Early life and education
editDrew Desbordes was born on September 12, 1994, in Columbia, Maryland, to Cheryl Desbordes, a worker at the Department of State, and David McLain Desbordes, a commercial pilot who previously served in the United States Air Force as a captain and in the National Guard as a Major.[4][5] He grew up in Gwinnett County, Georgia. He played sports as a child and mostly stayed out of trouble, except in the classroom when he would make jokes.[6] He attended South Gwinnett High School.
Desbordes came from a comedic household and used to make his parents laugh speaking in different accents.[7] His family introduced him to the world of comedy at an early age, as his parents watched popular comedians on television, such as Cedric The Entertainer and Dave Chappelle.[6]
Desbordes graduated high school early. He then attended Georgia Gwinnett College before transferring to Georgia Southern University. He became depressed and stopped attending classes, instead watching YouTube videos. After two semesters, he dropped out. Desbordes was originally a Sports analytics major and wanted to become a sportscaster, but later turned to comedy after being encouraged by his classmates.[8][6]
Career
editOn October 2, 2017, Desbordes began posting comedic skits and other comedic content on his Instagram account under the handle "druski2funny", now Druski.[9] In his early skits, he pretended to be a frat bro named Kyle Rogger, a ruthless record label executive, and other characters, such as Bubba Joe, garnering a wide audience.
Druski crossed paths with then rising artist Jack Harlow and began opening and hosting shows for him.[10] On October 22, 2020, Druski made a cameo as a school bus driver in the music video for Jack Harlow's song "Tyler Herro."[11] On March 9, 2020, he was featured on Lil Yachty's song "Oprah's Bank Account."[12] On August 13, 2020, Desbordes was featured in the music video of Drake's song "Laugh Now Cry Later" featuring Lil Durk.[13][14] Drew also appears in videos for Jack Harlow's song "Churchill Downs", featuring Drake, and Chlöe and Latto's music video for For the Night.[15]
In 2021, Diddy (through his Revolt) and Adidas announced a new series called Sneakin’ In With Druski, with Desbordes as the host.[16] The series has featured people like Snoop Dogg, Teyana Taylor, and Yung Miami (from City Girls) since its launch.[17] That same year, Desbordes created the satirical label Coulda Been Records as a way for artists to come onto his Instagram Lives, usually resulting in him teasing them throughout their time on.[18] Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. struck up a friendship with Druski upon finding his videos, and invited the comedian to stay at his home during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] Druski was an opening act for J. Cole and 21 Savage's The Off-Season Tour throughout September and October 2021.[19] Also in October, Desbordes satirically offered Meek Mill to sign onto Coulda Been Records after Meek Mill said that he didn't get paid for his music.[20][21][22]
Desbordes launched his 4lifers entertainment company in 2023, which serves as the umbrella company for his business ventures. Those range from live touring, TV/Film/Web productions, merchandise, licensing, and Coulda Been Records.[23]
Touring
editDruski has done four nationwide tours in the US. First with Jack Harlow, then opening for J. Cole on the Off-Season tour with 21 Savage in the fall of 2021. Druski also opened for Chris Brown and Lil Baby on the One of Them Ones tour in the summer of 2022.[24]
He headlined his first comedy tour, "Coulda Woulda Shoulda", in March 2023.[9] The tour featured a mixture of traditional stand-up comedy and live auditions as part of his Coulda Been Records series.
Brand partnerships
editDruski has appeared in a number of promotions. In April, 2021, he appeared in the Squad Up The World | Call of Duty: Warzone Season 3 trailer, alongside Young Thug, Saweetie, Jack Harlow, Swae Lee and more.[25] Druski then appeared in Beats By Dre ‘It's the Music’ TV commercial in April, 2021. In the fall of, 2021, Druski starred in Bud Light seltzer's national TV campaign and is currently a Bud Light ambassador, appearing in spots for their coverage of the Super Bowl, March Madness and the start of the NFL season.[9] In 2022, he starred alongside Jack Harlow in a TV commercial for KFC.[26] That year, Druski also appeared in commercial spots for AT&T and in 2023 was featured in a spot for the NBA All-Star Game and the NBA NBA draft. In 2022, Desbordes also appeared in the Google Pixel Anthem spot, alongside stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Candace Parker, Joel Embiid, Kelsey Plum, LaMelo Ball, Jayson Tatum, Jalen Green, Taylor Rooks, Richard Jefferson and Simu Liu. Druski continues to be a Google Pixel ambassador and stars in their latest TV commercial for the 2023 NBA Playoffs.[27]
Druski has also done commercial work for the likes of 2K Sports, Amazon, American Express, Fanatics, Inc., EA Sports, Meta, Mountain Dew, NBA, NFL, Pepsi, PrizePicks, QuikTrip, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, and Spotify.[28][29][30][31]
Druski also has equity stake in Happy Dad Hard Seltzer, which he actively promotes across his content & live shows.[32]
Coulda Been Records
editDesbordes launched Coulda Been Records in 2019, a satirical record label crafted for his Instagram Live talent-scouting show. Desbordes began the show in 2019 as a talent show where he sought out the best singers, dancers, rappers, and it “turned out to be shit.” In a pivot, he renamed the project Coulda Been, and has turned it into a legitimate record label. While doing so, he studied the business craft of two inspirational figures, Suge Knight and Diddy. Coulda Been Records features Desbordes taking on a record label executive persona. Established artists and friends like Chloe Bailey, Drake, Jack Harlow, Ella Mai, Kodak Black, Chance the Rapper, Justin Bieber, Antonio Brown, 21 Savage, and Ice Spice frequently join Druski's streams while he looks for talent. Druski is now in production on Coulda Been Records Season 1, which will be an 8-10 episode series where contestants will compete to win a Coulda Been Records album deal. [33]
Sketch comedy
editDruski employs situational humor across all demographics. Highlight characters include frat boy, Kyle Rogger; a country hillbilly, Bubba Joe; a court-appointed snitch attorney; an old-school biker; a line cook; Demon Home, who is usually fresh out of prison; a soccer mom; a youth football and basketball coach & more.
TV and film
editDesbordes made his film debut in 2023. First as a cameo in House Party, released January 13, 2023, and then as a lead supporting actor in the Will Packer produced film, Praise This, directed by Tina Gordon Chism, released on April 7, 2023.[34][35]
Drew was featured in the final season of Grownish. Druski is working on several TV & film productions for release in 2024, including several that he is executive producing. He is both writing and starring in the content.[9]
Personal life
editVideography
edit| Year | Artist | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Lil Yachty and DaBaby featuring Drake | "Oprah's Bank Account" | Himself |
| 2020 | Drake featuring Lil Durk | "Laugh Now Cry Later" | |
| 2020 | Jack Harlow | "Tyler Herro" | Bus Driver |
| 2022 | Jack Harlow featuring Drake | "Churchill Downs" | Himself |
| 2022 | Chlöe and Latto | "For the Night" |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Ceremony | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2024 | The Streamer Awards | Best Streamed Collab | Sleepover Stream with Kai Cenat & Kevin Hart | Pending | [37] |
References
edit- ^ Wicker, Jewel (September 27, 2021). "REAL FRIENDS: HOW DRUSKI AND Rosetta BECAME UNSTOPPABLE". Complex Networks.
- ^ Rose, Jordan (October 6, 2021). "Drake Jokes That Things Have Gone 'Downhill' Since 'CLB' Drop in Hilarious IG Live Chat With Druski". Complex Networks.
- ^ Easy, Claude J. (30 September 2021). "How comedian Druski finessed an entire industry for jokes". Kulture Hub.
- ^ "Capt David McLain Desbordes". Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
- ^ "Druski's Family: Facts about the Comedian's Parents and Siblings". Earn The Necklace. 28 September 2021.
- ^ a b c Wicker, Jewel (September 27, 2021). "The Viral Life of Druski". Complex Networks.
- ^ a b Blackburn, H. Drew (November 11, 2020). "From Viral Skits to Music Videos: Druski Is Hip-Hop's New Favorite Comedian". GQ.
- ^ Tambue, Louis (2 November 2020). "Who is Druski? The internet comedian reminding us to laugh again". Kulture Hub.
- ^ a b c d Elibert, Mark. "With Support From Jack Harlow & Drake, Druski Wants To Take His Comedic Chops to the Next Level". Complex. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (7 July 2022). "'Stargirl's Anjelika Washington, Migos Frontman Quavo, Druski & Tristan Mack Wilds Among Final 14 Set For Universal's Youth Choir Comedy 'Praise This'". Deadline. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "Watch the Video for Jack Harlow's New Single "Tyler Herro"". Complex. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- ^ Campbell, Mahlik. "Watch: Lil Yachty, Drake & DaBaby in "Oprah's Bank Account"". Daquan.
- ^ "DRAKE DROPS NEW SINGLE 'LAUGH NOW CRY LATER' WITH LIL DURK". Rap-Up. August 13, 2020.
- ^ Skelton, Eric; McKinney, Jessica; Ritchie, Matthew (August 14, 2020). "6 Takeaways From Drake and Lil Durk's New Song "Laugh Now Cry Later"". Complex. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ Paul, Larisha (28 October 2022). "Chlöe and Latto Offer a Lifetime of Late Nights on New Single 'For the Night'". Rolling Stone. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ Thorpe, Isha (March 29, 2021). "REVOLT and Adidas collab for new "Sneakin' In With Druski" show". Revolt.
- ^ Jefferson, Devon (April 17, 2021). "SNOOP DOGG, TEYANA TAYLOR, YUNG MIAMI STAR IN ADIDAS & REVOLT TV'S 'SNEAKIN' IN W/ DRUSKI'". HipHopDX.
- ^ Galindo, Thomas (December 27, 2021). "Druski Hosts Hilarious Try Outs For Coulda Been Records". HotNewHipHop.
- ^ "Druski Announced as Host of J. Cole's 'The Off-Season' Tour". The Source. 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
- ^ Elibert, Mark (October 28, 2021). "MEEK MILL GETS HILARIOUS OFFER FROM DRUSKI FOLLOWING LABEL RANT". HipHopDX.
- ^ Robinson, Joshua (October 27, 2021). "Druski Invites Meek Mill To Coulda Been Records In Response To Label Complaints". HotNewHipHop.
- ^ Rose, Jordan (October 27, 2021). "Druski Jokingly Responds to Meek Mill Publicly Airing Out Financial Issues With Label". Complex Networks.
- ^ Lynch, John. "Druski on staying 'that number one go-to guy for comedy,' and business advice from Drake". Business Insider. Insider Inc. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ Callas, Brad. "Druski Announces Dates for First Headlining Comedy Tour, Hosts Auditions for Supporting Talent". Complex. Complex Media, Inc. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ Mahadevan, Tara C. "Watch a Wild 'Call of Duty: Warzone' Season 3 Live Action Trailer f/ Young Thug, Gunna, Saweetie, and More". Complex. Complex Media Inc. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ Cawthon, Haley. "Nimbus works with KFC, Jack Harlow on latest holiday ad campaign". The Business Journals. American City Business Journals. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ Nudd, Tim (10 May 2023). "GOOGLE PIXEL CONTINUES ITS NBA ADVENTURES WITH 'GREATEST WATCH PARTY' FILM". Adage. Crain Communications. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ Sadler, Armon (23 December 2022). "Sabrina Ionescu Stops By American Express X NBA 2K23 Gaming Lab, Talks Upcoming WNBA Season And Women's Empowerment". Yahoo. Vibe. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ Grant, Shawn (13 February 2023). "RUBIN-PALOOZA: MICHAEL RUBIN'S SUPER BOWL PARTY FEATURES PERFORMANCES FROM TRAVIS SCOTT, MEEK MILL, LIL BABY AND MORE". The Source. John Lewis Partnership. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ Hiken, Asa. "Mtn Dew nets audio activation with basketball-themed podcast". Marketing Drive. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ "MTN DEW® and RUFFLES® Present The Block at NBA® All-Star 2022". Bloomberg. Bloomberg. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ Ward, Tom. "From YouTube Pranks To Beverage Moguls: The Nelk Boys And Shahidi Brothers' Happy Dad Hard Seltzer Is A Huge Success". Forbes. Integrated Whale Media Investments. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ Blanchet, Brenton. "Ruski Is Serious About Coulda Been Records. Sort Of". Complex. Complex Media, Inc. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ Lang, Cady (13 January 2023). "All the Cameos You Might Have Missed in House Party". Time Magazine. Time USA, LLC. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ Barnaby, Lane. "Comedian and 'Praise This' star Druski says appearing in his first major movie was 'mind-blowing': 'I thought it'd be years before I'd get my own trailer'". Insider. Axel Springer. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ PodClips (2024-04-03). Baptist vs Catholic #shorts #theovon #druski #christian. Retrieved 2024-08-27 – via YouTube.
- ^ "The 2024 Streamer Awards: All Nominations". Esports Illustrated On SI. 2024-11-12. Retrieved 2024-11-12.