Bobby Wardell Sandimanie III[4] (born July 30, 2001), known professionally asDestroy Lonely, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. His debut studio album,If Looks Could Kill (2023), peaked at number 18 on theUSBillboard 200. Prior to that, his fifth mixtape,No Stylist (2022), marked his first entry on the chart at number 91.
Destroy Lonely signed with fellow Atlanta-based rapperPlayboi Carti's record labelOpium, an imprint ofInterscope Records, in early 2021; he frequently collaborates with labelmates, rapperKen Carson andtrap duoHomixide Gang.Rolling Stone cites Destroy Lonely as being characterized by his "dynamic yet blaring" instrumentals, and his unique performing aesthetic consisting of dark-colored attire and name-brand clothing.[5]
Bobby Wardell Sandimanie III was born on July 30, 2001.[6][7] He has two younger half sisters and an older half brother, and is ofLiberian descent.[8] His father is the rapperI-20, who was part ofLudacris's record labelDisturbing tha Peace. He was homeschooled starting in sixth grade then got enrolled back into public school in 9th and 10th grade, where he recalls abusing the drugXanax. He cites his feeling that his substance abuse was destroying him as the origin of the "Destroy" part of his stage name. He spent his adolescent years in solitude which he cites as the origin of the "Lonely" part of his stage name.[5]
In early 2024, an ex-girlfriend accused him of domestic abuse viaX. Destroy Lonely denied the allegations.[9] In November 2024, a video went viral of Destroy Lonely fighting at a gas station with his new girlfriend,Shannade Clermont. He defended himself by saying that the two were simply arguing.[10]
Destroy Lonely started working on music at the age of 14, making his first songs in a recording studio at his school. He met two of his best friends, Texaco and Nezzus, who would produce many of his early works and continue to work with him on later projects at school.[11] Immediately upon meeting Nezzus, they began recording their first project,NezzusDestroyed.[12] Lonely would later go on to gain traction with his 2019 track "Bane".[11]
On September 25, 2020, Destroy Lonely released his third mixtape, titled</3 (pronounced: Broken Hearts), and a month later, on October 31, 2020, released the deluxe edition, titled</3². Following the release of</3 in 2020 and the attention from "Bane", Destroy Lonely was noticed byPlayboi Carti in December 2020 after the music video for his song "Oh Yeah" was released.[12][5] In early 2021, he signed to Carti's record label, Opium.[13]
In April 2021, he appeared in Playboi Carti's music video for his song "Sky".[14] In April 2022, he was announced as a performer at theLyrical Lemonade Summer Smash.[15] In July 2022, Destroy Lonely appeared on frequent collaboratorKen Carson's studio albumX.[16][17]Also in July 2022, he appeared on fellow Atlanta rapperBktherula's single "Forever Pt. 2"[18] and Rochester rapperSlump6s' albumGenesis.[19] In August 2022, Destroy Lonely released his fifth mixtape,No Stylist.[20] The mixtape features an appearance from his labelmate Ken Carson.[21][22] In September 2022, he and fellowOpium rapper Ken Carson gifted Playboi Carti a ring for his 26th birthday.[23] In October 2022, he announced the dates for his "No Stylist" tour.[24][25][26]
Also in October he released a music video for his track "Vtmntscoat" which is described as containing imagery of "elaborate dinner parties and midnight car rides".[27]
On November 18, 2022, Destroy Lonely followed up his mixtapeNo Stylist withNS+ (Ultra),[28] his deluxe version of the mixtape, featuring five new songs, and naming it "Ultra" after his petbombay cat.[29] Following this, on February 20, 2023, Destroy Lonely released a music video for the songs "Neverever" and "Fakenggas" on YouTube.[30]
On February 21, 2023, Lonely announced onTumblr that his next album would be released in April 2023, stating: "my album comes out in april..". On March 3, 2023, Destroy Lonely released the single "If Looks Could Kill", which was expected to be the lead single for his debut studio album.[31] On May 5, 2023, Destroy Lonely released his debut studio album,If Looks Could Kill, consisting of 25 tracks, with a bonus track, "Money and Sex", with labelmateKen Carson. Two additional tracks were released with theCD andvinyl editions, and also a short film, "Look Killa". On September 29, 2023, Destroy Lonely released a deluxe version of his debut studio album, titledIf Looks Could Kill (Director's Cut), containing 6 new tracks from all editions.[32]
On October 13, 2023, Destroy Lonely had three featured appearances on Ken Carson's third album,A Great Chaos, on the songs "Singapore", "Paranoid", and "Like This", which also featuredLil Uzi Vert.[33] On August 30, 2024, Lonely released his second studio album,Love Lasts Forever, which peaked at number 10 on theBillboard 200 chart and number 1 on theTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[34]
On April 11, 2025, Lonely appeared as a feature on Ken Carson's albumMore Chaos, on the track "Off the Meter" alongside label founderPlayboi Carti, marking Carti and Lonely's first collaboration.[35] On June 5, 2025, Lonelysurprise released his ninth EP,See U Soon </3, onSoundCloud.[36] On September 19, 2025, Lonely released his fifth mixtape,ᐸ/3³.[37]
TheRolling Stone magazine mentions Destroy Lonely's unique way of shifting cadence and the usage of humorous lyrics in his music. He cites as influencesCrystal Castles,Deftones, andThe Cure, and rap predecessors such asLil Wayne,Drake,Future,Young Thug, andPlayboi Carti. His music has been described by Brandon Callender ofThe Fader in the following manner: "Destroy Lonely has an eclectic ear for beats that skews toward twinkly, atmospheric beats that function like canvases, his voice vivid splashes of paint."[3] Much of Lonely's production makes use of ambient synthesizers, programmed guitar riffs andsamples from orchestras as well as from video game OST's such asGenshin Impact.[38]
Destroy Lonely's main lyrical subject matter is usuallybraggadocio, but his lyrics can also concern relationships, love, guns or committingfinancial crime, especially in his earlier material.
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Media related toDestroy Lonely at Wikimedia Commons
