Shortly after the song gained viral status online, he signed with Kanye West's GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings.

[5][6] He is of Afro-Barbadian and African American descent,[7] and is the grandson of blues musician Sidney "Guitar Crusher" Selby.

The following month, Desiigner was enlisted to perform at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in 2016.

[16][17] In an interview with Billboard, Desiigner confirmed the release of his first upcoming mixtape, titled Trap History Month.

[21] In June 2016, "Champions" was released as the lead single from the GOOD Music's ultimately shelved compilation album, Cruel Winter.

Desiigner made a guest appearance on the song along with West, Gucci Mane, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Yo Gotti, and Quavo.

[22] In the same month, Desiigner made his US television debut, when he performed his single, "Panda" at the 2016 BET Awards.

[27] Desiigner appeared as a special guest on the Netflix series Bill Nye Saves the World.

[29] In a 2022 interview with VladTV, Desiigner explained why he left GOOD Music in 2019, saying he was "going through a little mental thing" including his father having been comatose, and had tried to contact Kanye and his other labelmates for guidance but didn't receive any.

[33] On September 8, 2016, Desiigner and three other people were arrested in New York City, after a 911 caller claimed that he pulled a gun on them.

The police allegedly found oxycodone and guns, for which he and the other individuals received drug and weapon charges.

He later posted an apology on social media for the incident and claimed he would be checking himself into a facility for mental health treatment.