DD Osama is 19 years old as of late 2025. He was born on November 29, 2006 in Harlem, New York, making him one of the youngest breakout stars in the New York drill rap scene. In fact, his real name is David Reyes, and he began rapping with his siblings when he was still in his early teens. By mid-2022, at age 15, his song “Dead Opps” (recorded with his brother) had already gone viral on YouTube. DD Osama’s youth is a defining part of his story – he’s still a teenager, but he’s already dropped hit singles, a mixtape, and earned co-signs from big names in hip-hop.
DD Osama in 2023 during an interview. Growing up in Harlem, David “DD Osama” Reyes was surrounded by music. His older brother JStar Balla is a drill rapper, and his younger brother Ethan “Notti Osama” Reyes also started making music around 2021. In 2021, DD Osama and Notti Osama released their first song, “Aftermath,” which was his first official track. This early release marked the beginning of his career, even though he was only 14 or 15 at the time.
After dropping a few songs, DD Osama’s big breakthrough came in 2022 with the music video for “Dead Opps.” He and Notti Osama’s “Dead Opps” quickly racked up millions of views online. However, that year also brought tragedy: in July 2022, Notti Osama (14 years old) was stabbed to death during a street altercation. The sudden loss of his brother was devastating, but in its wake the brothers’ music only grew more popular. As the New York Times and other outlets noted, the song “Dead Opps” saw a surge in streams and became a symbol of the young rapper’s grief. DD Osama then began pouring his emotions into new music; for example, he recorded the tribute track “E.4.N (Everything for Notti)” shortly afterward.
DD Osama wasted no time turning that heartbreak into a flurry of new releases. In late 2022 he appeared in Drake’s Nike Nocta holiday campaign, a major co-sign that showed how much attention he was getting. Then in 2023 he released his debut mixtape Here 2 Stay. That project included tracks like “40s N 9s” (with Harlem rapper Sugarhill Ddot) and “Up Now” (with Coi Leray), and helped cement his place on the NYC drill scene.
Key Career Milestones:
2021: First song “Aftermath” (with brother Notti and rapper Blockwork).
Mid-2022: “Dead Opps” goes viral – millions of YouTube views.
July 2022: Notti Osama (his younger brother) is tragically killed. Music video views and streaming spike after his death.
Late 2022: Featured in Drake’s Nike x Nocta campaign; collaborates on singles like “Throw” (with Lil Mabu).
2023: Releases debut mixtape Here 2 Stay; drops singles including “40s N 9s” (with Sugarhill Ddot) and “Let’s Do It” (with NLE Choppa). Tours with Lil Durk in summer 2023.
2024: Releases second mixtape Before The Album (Oct. 2024); performs at events like the Hoops Fest in Philadelphia (Oct 2024).
Throughout these ups and downs, DD Osama has maintained a distinct musical style. He’s best known for New York-style drill rap: hard-hitting beats and a rough, energetic delivery. Complex magazine notes that he often “distorts his voice” to sound even grittier, making his lyrics “sound like bricks smashing into concrete over heavy drill production”. Interestingly, DD Osama himself has said that he doesn’t really like drill music all the time – he calls it “bad energy” – and that he would do other styles if he could. In other words, he sees himself as a versatile artist, not just a one-genre rapper.
In fact, he regularly switches up his flow. In interviews he explains that he doesn’t stick to a single style; he tries to do “everything” in his music and keeps experimenting with different sounds. This versatility likely comes from his broad influences and from growing up in Harlem, where hip-hop mixes with R&B, trap, and pop. He even admits to listening to Justin Bieber (“One Less Lonely Girl”) and being called “the Justin Bieber of the trenches” because of his devoted young fanbase. But at heart, DD Osama still represents the new generation of NYC drill – raw and emotional, channeling his pain into aggressive anthems.
Family and his community remain central to DD Osama. He often mentions his roots in Harlem and the friends who helped him. For example, his childhood friend Sugarhill Ddot appears on a key track (“40s N 9s”). He’s also collaborated with other young stars: Harlem’s Lil Mabu, Chicago’s Lil Zay Osama, Atlanta’s Lil Durk, and others. On his 2023 mixtape you’ll hear vocals or co-signs from Lil Durk (who mentors him) and fellow teenagers like Luh Tyler. He’s worked with popular female rapper Coi Leray twice – on “Up Now” and other tracks – and even teamed up with rising drill artist NLE Choppa for a single.
Notable Collaborations: Sugarhill Ddot, Lil Zay Osama, Lil Mabu, NLE Choppa, Coi Leray, Polo G, Lil Durk.
All of this has built DD Osama’s credibility. By winning co-signs from stars like Durk and Polo G and snagging a spot in a Drake campaign, he’s shown he can hang with the heavy hitters despite being just 19. Critics note that his ability to express genuine grief and vulnerability (for example on the song “Letter 2 Notti” and throughout Here 2 Stay) gives him an authenticity that resonates with fans. He’s become, as Rolling Stone put it, a frontman for the new wave of NYC drill: a young artist who channels trauma into creative energy.
To sum up, DD Osama’s age is 19, but his career already spans mixtapes, viral hits, and major collaborations. He started rapping only a few years ago, yet he’s already a well-known name in the rap community. His youth and raw talent make his story especially compelling – people are watching to see what he does next. Whether he’s in the studio or on stage, DD Osama’s combination of gritty drill and personal honesty has kept listeners hooked on him. As he himself says, he considers himself “the future” – and at 19, with the momentum he has now, he may just live up to that nickname.
