The 1lilsunny Story
When you talk about Virginia’s influence on hip-hop, most people bring up Pharrell, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, or Pusha T. But in the heart of the 757, a new name has been buzzing beneath the surface — 1lilsunny. And while he may not yet be a mainstream name, his story, his numbers, and his influence paint the picture of an artist with a presence far bigger than the spotlight currently allows.
Born and raised between Newport News, Hampton, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake, Sunny grew up surrounded by both opportunity and adversity. His earliest years were marked by trials and tribulations that could have broken anyone else — doubters, constant setbacks, and jealous peers who went as far as stealing his ideas and passing them off as their own. Instead of letting the weight of it crush him, Sunny flipped the script: the struggle became the art, the adversity became the drive.
But what most people don’t see behind the music is the depth of that struggle. Sunny revealed in our conversation that his childhood was scarred by evil and neglectful parents — a mother who betrayed him by siding with an abusive father, and a system that left him vulnerable to being lied on and locked up. Rather than let those wounds define him, Sunny now uses his story as a testimony for other children who are trapped in similar cycles of pain, neglect, and injustice.
“It’s not about me anymore,” he says. “It’s about showing kids like me that no matter what you’ve been through, you can create something, you can heal, you can turn it into fuel.”
Even in relationships, Sunny faced betrayal and jealousy. His creativity, passion, and high frequency often became sources of conflict — with people resenting the light he carried instead of supporting it. These experiences didn’t break him; they only reinforced his commitment to living authentically and pouring his truth into the music.
The Rise of Sunny
Sunny’s music journey began humbly in 2022, with songs that were raw, unpolished, and straight from the heart. By 2023, he began to hone his craft, experimenting with new sounds and sharpening his delivery. By the end of 2024, he had cultivated a unique blend of pluggnb and his own soulful take on the Hip-Hop/R&B scene, standing out as an innovator while still keeping the emotional core of his music intact.
His breakout moment came with the spacey, emotional track “Venusian” — a fan favorite that racked up 30K+ streams. Then came “Kelly Rowland” (later renamed “Dilemma” due to copyright), which hit 11K+.
He followed that with “Lumaria,” a deeper cut from his debut project Good Dayz Never Fade Away. While not a commercial standout—with around 5,000 plays on SoundCloud and 1,300 on the album release—it still played a meaningful role in shaping the narrative of the project.
Venusian, on the other hand, quietly built momentum through various alternative channels. The track was reposted across Instagram Notes and featured in about seven reels, each pulling in 500–600 views. Sunny also kept the song in his Instagram bio since its release, during a period when his profile accumulated over 3.1 million views—adding another layer of exposure. He performed Venusian live at his now-legendary Cure Coffeehouse set, which brought in over 5,000 Instagram views and helped further cement his reputation as a formidable presence in the underground scene.
Then came the surprise viral moment: “Motivation” — a song Sunny wrote jokingly — exploded on Instagram with 70K+ views across 105 reposts.
Another standout was “After Dark”, known for its catchy, haunting hook:
“Baby, where you go…”
Originally posted in Dec. 2024, a promo post did 6,000 views. Reposted visuals brought in 1,300 TikTok views, and all versions combined bring the total close to 9,000. The SoundCloud version sits at 1,600 plays.
The Deleted Discography
In October 2024, Sunny’s entire old catalog was deleted by his ex, who joined his Discord server and began a public slander campaign. It was more than just digital sabotage — it was personal. It hurt.
Some of the most devastating losses were his collabs with Guapnevergaf (aka Guap). Together, they were known as Guap x Sunny or Guap & Sunny.
Deleted tracks include:
- “St@yTru3” – 1,300 plays / 120 likes
- “LeaveMeAlone” – 10.2K plays, boosted by a repost from Braxton Knight, a respected name in the pluggnb space
- “My Luv” – 2K IG views, 1.5K SoundCloud plays, 150 YouTube views, 125 likes
- “Feel Me” – Sunny’s first track to reach 1K plays & 100+ likes
Guap also appeared on Sunny’s amateur EPs:
- SunBoyz Da Mixtape
- Soul Eater The Mixtape
The good news? Sunny has teased remastered versions of these for an upcoming project.
The Current Discography
Since the wipe, Sunny’s released several projects and singles that have kept his buzz alive:
- Good Dayz Never Fade Away (Debut album)
- Love Burns Brighter Than Sunshine (Produced entirely by Symelz)
- lost in the nightclub :[
- Features fan-favorite “left on read” (5K IG views, 1.5K SC plays)
- “lemonade” visuals did 2K on IG, 900 plays on SC
- deadboydiary (pluggnb-heavy, still being promoted)
- #Back4You!
- 10.2K plays on SoundCloud
- 1.2K views / 112 likes on YouTube
- Brewery performance footage hit 1K views on both IG & TikTok
Sunny continues to drop new music DAILY, building an audience that respects his consistency and fearlessness.
Respected by the Scene
Sunny’s story and resilience have earned him recognition from both the underground and industry insiders:
- Lil Tracy reposted Sunny’s quote about resilience — a nod from a VA legend
- Matt MGMT from Capitol Records & Matt O’Neil (multi-platinum producer for NBA YoungBoy, Travis Scott, NLE Choppa, Swae Lee, Odetari) have noticed him
- Artists like BLOODYCLIP, CaptDozzie, and many more have engaged with Sunny’s work
Before Sunny: The bbyshyne Era
Before the world knew 1lilsunny, there was bbyshyne — a younger, more aggressive version of the artist. Think Yung Bruh before Tracy, Black Kray before Rari.
Under that name, he dropped early music videos that built his first buzz:
- “Rihanna” – Dropped as a high school sophomore, did 5K views on IG. It got the school talking. Some laughed. Others saw a star.
- Watch Here
- “Racks/Roxy” – Two-song collab with Jxydee/Xan (SunBoyz collective), who was also on the deleted track “Nana” with Guap.
- Did 1,100+ SC plays, 80 likes, 4K+ IG views
- Watch Here
Sunny’s teacher even saw the video and asked, “Why are you holding a gun?”
Sunny didn’t have an answer. It was the life around him.
- “Chopstick” – Aggressive banger featuring both Sunny and Guap.
- Watch Here
The Pain Behind the Art
Sunny’s world has been surrounded by loss. And those losses have shaped him:
- He once fought a teammate during travel football. A few months later, that boy accidentally shot himself in the neck while playing with a switch. It changed Sunny’s view on life.
- In 6th grade, Sunny jokingly wrote his gym teacher’s name in a Death Note after being picked on. But over time, they became close. The teacher taught him wrestling moves. In 7th grade, the teacher died in a motorcycle crash — hit head-on at 4AM. Sunny still wrestles with that loss.
- A shooting happened down the street from Sunny’s house. Someone from school was shot in the head. It deeply affected his community — especially Guap, who knew the victim personally.
Betrayal, Love, and Loyalty
Sunny and Guap also once shared a deep friendship — and a complicated love triangle. They both dated the same girl — the same girl who would later delete Sunny’s music and try to humiliate him publicly.
Despite everything, Sunny still says he has love for Guap.
The Legacy
Through all the trauma, betrayal, violence, and heartbreak — 1lilsunny still shines.
He’s a reminder that pain can become purpose, and that the ones the world tries to bury often rise the highest.