Slayr

Evan McDonald (born May 22, 2007), known professionally as Slayr (stylized in lowercase), is an American rapper, singer, and record producer from Philadelphia. He first gained attention after the release of his seventh mixtape, Half Blood, in 2025 and a deluxe reissue titled Half Blood (Bloodluxe) in 2026.⁶

Evan McDonald was born on May 22, 2007⁷ in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.⁸ Both of his parents are Jamaican immigrants.⁹ He grew up in Philadelphia and was interested in video games such as Sonic Colors and Kingdom Hearts.⁸ He has credited video game soundtracks with getting him into music.⁸

McDonald first became involved in music through the online messaging app Discord.⁴ His first viral song was "Fourth Gear Cypher", released in 2021.⁴ Following the single's success, McDonald released his third mixtape Gaia in 2023. It was inspired by artists Pi'erre Bourne and Kanye West.⁴ He has described the mixtape as a major development for his sound.⁴

In 2025, McDonald released his sixth mixtape Half Blood.¹⁰ Subsequently, he has garnered millions of views on YouTube and "been subjected to irrational aura debates".¹⁰ McDonald also signed a major label deal, which was Later revealed to be with Columbia Records.¹⁰ The mixtape featured rapper Lucy Bedroque.¹¹ In March 2026, McDonald was announced as an opener for American rapper Yeat's Love/Lyfe tour.¹⁰

In April 2026, Pitchfork reviewed Half Blood (Bloodluxe), rating it a 6.7.⁸ Writer Mano Sundaresan argued that the mixtape reflected a commercial accessible take on the rage rap genre, stating that McDonald made "maximalist, crowd-pleasing rage rap that prioritizes craft over feeling".⁸ He added that, "if rage rap ever makes its way onto a Target store playlist, it might sound a little like Slayr."⁸ On May 10, 2026, McDonald performed at Rolling Loud in Orlando, Florida.¹²

McDonald's music has generated positive reviews, with fans and critics praising his creativity.³ Additionally, Slayr was listed as one of the "32 coolest artists of 2026" by The Fader.¹³