Even as he gains a national audience, rising DMV rapper Q Da Fool maintains that his music will always be for Maryland underdogs. • Q first tried his hand at rapping as a freshman in high school. He formed a rap group with his friends called Pakk Boyz in 2013. • Realizing that his priorities were evolving, Q broke from Pakk Boyz to start a new collective, Rich Shootas, while simultaneously positioning himself for a solo career. • Q gained traction in 2017 with the release of 100 Round Goon, a mixtape that put him on the radar of The Washington Post. The publication included his single “Numbers” in a list of songs detailing the meteoric rise of DMV music. • His manager Dolla introduced him to superstar Atlanta producer Zaytoven, who exclusively produced his 100 Keys EP. • Zaytoven presented the EP to Roc Nation Records, which signed Q and released the autobiographical project in 2018.