Rising R&B artist Destin Conrad, 26, from Tampa, Florida, is being profiled by Billboard as part of its R&B rising star coverage ahead of his appearance at Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Live on 10 September at Brooklyn Steel in New York. The interview explores how Conrad pushes beyond traditional R&B into alt-jazz and reggae influences, describing himself as "genre-less, boundless" while retaining an emotive, alternative edge rooted in classic R&B vulnerability.

Conrad's debut album, Love on Digital, released in April 2025 on Above Ground Entertainment/EMPIRE, topped Billboard's staff-curated best R&B albums of 2025 and earned him a Grammy nomination for best progressive R&B album. His follow-up, the alt-jazz record wHIMSY, arrived four months later and debuted at No. 3 on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. He has drawn high-profile support, including a long-standing songwriting relationship with Kehlani, collaborations with Terrace Martin, James Fauntleroy and Keyon Harrold, and a meeting with Janet Jackson at the BET Awards, where he was nominated for best new artist.