$UICIDEBOY$ is an American hip-hop duo from New Orleans, Louisiana. It was formed in 2014 by cousins Scrim (stylized as $crim) and Ruby da Cherry. The duo initially rose to popularity on SoundCloud for their abrasive, self-produced beats, as well as their harsh lyrical content and themes prominently featuring substance abuse and suicidal ideation. They own and operate their own label, G*59 Records, under which all of their music is distributed by The Orchard.
The duo is considered one of the most popular acts in the underground rap scene. After several years of solely releasing EPs and mixtapes, $uicideboy$’ debut studio album “I Want to Die in New Orleans” was released on September 7, 2018. It fared well commercially, becoming their first top-ten album on the US Billboard 200. In May 2019, they released their collaborative six-track EP with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker entitled “Live Fast, Die Whenever,” which also featured Korn guitarist James Shaffer.
$crim was born Scott Anthony Arceneaux Jr. on April 11, 1989, in Marrero, Louisiana. Arceneaux was inspired by T-Pain and Lou Reed to produce music, buying his first laptop with money gained from selling drugs. He started DJing and attended Delgado Community College, where he was hired to DJ parties. Ruby da Cherry, born Aristos Norman Petrou on April 22, 1990, to an American mother and Greek Cypriot father, was raised in Metairie, Louisiana. Petrou’s interest in music began when he was seven, playing violin and then drums when he was ten. He joined bands in middle school and worked at his father’s restaurant as a waiter. His experience with the punk rock scene continued as he joined the band Vapo-Rats as its drummer, but he left to pursue a career in hip-hop with Arceneaux.
Arceneaux and Petrou are first cousins and shared a close relationship since childhood. Realizing that both were interested in taking a musical career seriously, and both dissatisfied with the direction of their lives, the two formed $uicideboy$, making a pact that if their musical career didn’t work out, they would both commit suicide.
The duo’s first project together, a three-track EP named “Kill Yourself Part I: The $uicide $aga,” was released in June 2014 on SoundCloud and Bandcamp. The duo released a further nine iterations of the “Kill Yourself” series. Their first full-length project, “Gray/Grey,” was released on March 3, 2015.
$uicideboy$’ underground breakthrough came with the release of the 2015 EP “$outh $ide $uicide,” a collaboration with South Florida rapper Pouya. The duo’s first foray onto the mainstream music charts came with the release of “Radical $uicide” in the summer of 2016, which peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Rap charts.
Their debut studio album, “I Want to Die in New Orleans,” was released on September 7, 2018. The duo clarified in a statement that they wanted to write about their experiences on the road and express how their lives had become more extravagant.
$uicideboy$ have gained a cult following in the hip-hop scene, in part due to their niche subject matter involving subjects scarcely seen in rap such as suicidal ideation and depression. Their most viewed music video on YouTube is for their song “Paris,” with 184 million views as of August 2023. Their most streamed song on Spotify is “…And to Those I Love, Thanks for Sticking Around,” with 544 million streams. They were featured in Billboard’s list titled “Billboard Dance’s 15 Artists to Watch in 2017.”
In late 2018, a rumor arose that the group had broken up following a series of ominous tweets. However, they soon clarified that the tweets were related to personal issues facing Arceneaux and that they had not broken up. In May 2019, the group put this rumor to rest with the release of their six-track EP “Live Fast, Die Whenever,” in collaboration with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and featuring Korn guitarist James Shaffer.
In July 2019, the duo started their first nationwide “Grey Day Tour,” with guests Germ, City Morgue, Trash Talk, Denzel Curry, Shoreline Mafia, Night Lovell, Pouya, and Turnstile as openers. The tour began on July 24, 2019, at the WaMu Theater in Seattle, Washington, and ended on August 23, 2019, at the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles, California.
In August 2021, after a hiatus of over a year, the duo released their second studio album “Long Term Effects of Suffering.” The album was received well by their fans while being divisive in general media. Shortly after the release of the album, the duo began the Grey Day Tour 2021 along with other members of G*59 and other artists like Slowthai, Turnstile, and Yung Gravy.
In November 2021, the duo was awarded their first RIAA platinum single, as their hit song “…And to Those I Love, Thanks for Sticking Around” reached one million sales. In July 2022, the third studio album and 47th project from the duo, “Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation,” was announced via an Instagram post.
On November 27, 2022, the duo alongside fellow G59 member, Germ, announced “DirtiestNastiest$uicide,” a third and final addition to their DN$ trilogy. They also announced the release date for the EP to be on December 16, 2022, and released a single for the upcoming EP called “My Swisher Sweet, But My Sig Sauer.” On December 13, 2022, the duo announced a European Tour to go from March 6, 2023, to March 26, 2023, featuring artists like Ski Mask the Slump God, Germ, Shakewell, and Chetta.
On March 26, 2023, Arceneaux posted a teaser hinting towards the release of their “YIN YANG TAPES” series, which takes elements from 90’s Memphis rap. The first Yin Yang Tape EP, “YIN YANG TAPES: Spring Season (1989–1990),” was released on May 5, 2023. The second installment in the series, “YIN YANG TAPES: Summer Season (1989–1990),” was released on May 12, 2023, featuring Ghostemane on the track “Bloody 98.” The third tape, “YIN YANG TAPES: Fall Season (1989–1990),” was released on May 19, 2023, featuring Freddie Dredd on the track “Provolone & Heroin.” The fourth and final project in the series, “YIN YANG TAPES: Winter Season (1989–1990),” was released on May 26, 2023.
On May 19, 2023, the duo announced the 4th year of their annual tour “Grey Day” to go from August 25, 2023, to October 30, 2023. Grey Day 2023 brings artists Ramirez, City Morgue, Ghostemane, Freddie Dredd, and Sematary. On July 27, 2023, the duo announced their single “Kill Yourself (Part IV)” was officially released to streaming platforms. On August 9, 2023, the duo announced their upcoming EP “I No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heel (V),” which was released on August 11, 2023.
On December 11, 2023, the duo announced a tour of Australia and New Zealand in March 2024, featuring artists like Ghostemane, Pouya, Germ, and Shakewell. The tour will pass through cities such as Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. On March 11, 2024, the duo announced their fourth album titled “New World Depression,” which was released on June 14. On April 3, 2024, the duo announced “GREYDAY2024,” the fifth year of their annual tour, featuring fellow G59 member Shakewell and other artists including Pouya, Denzel Curry, Haarper, and Ekkstacy. The tour will pass through the U.S. and Canada.
Arceneaux, before $uicideboy$, was an aspiring solo hip-hop artist, releasing several mixtapes under the name Scrim. These include “Narcotics Anonymous,” “#DrugFlow,” and “Patron Saint of Everything Totally Fucked.” In 2020, Arceneaux released his first solo album since the formation of $uicideboy$, titled “A Man Rose from the Dead.” In late January 2024, he unveiled the album “Lonely Boy,” which was released on February 2, followed by a deluxe edition with a total of 44 songs.
Petrou has released two solo mixtapes under the name Oddy Nuff da Snow Leopard: “The Jefe Tape” in 2012 and “Pluto” in 2014. In 2023, Petrou released his first solo album in nine years, titled “Tragic Love Songs to Study to [Vol. 5],” under the persona Duckboy. His second album, “Existential Hymns for the Average Sigma (Vol. 9),” was released in December of the same year.
