Lil Dicky

David Andrew Burd (born March 15, 1988), known professionally as Lil Dicky, is an American rapper, comedian, and actor recognized for blending humor with hip-hop in his music and for creating the semi-autobiographical FX series Dave. Burd, who graduated from the University of Richmond in 2010 with a finance degree, initially worked in advertising before pursuing music full-time after self-releasing the mixtape So Hard in 2013. He first achieved widespread attention when the music video for his song "Ex-Boyfriend" went viral on YouTube, amassing over one million views within 24 hours of its release. In 2015, Lil Dicky released his debut studio album Professional Rapper, which debuted at number one on the Billboard Rap Albums chart, featuring collaborations with artists such as Snoop Dogg and Fetty Wap. The series Dave, which premiered in 2020 and draws from Burd's experiences aspiring to rap stardom, has earned critical acclaim for its portrayal of the music industry and Burd's performance, spanning three seasons as of 2023. Lil Dicky's work often incorporates satirical commentary on race, celebrity, and personal insecurities, including discussions of his congenital condition hypospadias, though his comedic approach has sparked debates over cultural sensitivity in tracks like "Freaky Friday." In 2024, he released the album PENITH (The DAVE Soundtrack), further integrating his music and television endeavors.

David Andrew Burd was born on March 15, 1988, in the Elkins Park neighborhood of Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb north of Philadelphia. He grew up in an upper-middle-class Jewish family that emphasized education and stability.

Burd's mother, Jeanne Burd, later recalled that he displayed big ambitions and creativity from a young age, often voicing his thoughts unreservedly. The family resided in the largely Jewish Cheltenham area, where Burd attended Cheltenham High School in the nearby Wyncote neighborhood and participated in Jewish summer programs such as Camp Kweebec. He was known among peers as a class clown, though not part of the most popular social circles.

Dave Burd, performing as Lil Dicky, initially funded his independent music videos using savings from his bar mitzvah, which he had preserved into adulthood, enabling the production of low-budget comedic rap content that gained viral traction starting around 2013. After working as a copywriter at Goodby Silverstein & Partners, an advertising agency in San Francisco, Burd resigned in 2013 to focus full-time on his rap career, leveraging his advertising background to craft self-promotional content that emphasized humor and accessibility over traditional hip-hop bravado.