Ares Mascaro, known better as DAMAG3, is a rapper and producer from New Orleans. DAMAG3 creates Hip-Hop music that ranges from loud, angry, and anti-establishment to somber, self-reflective, and spiritual.

As a transgender artist, DAMAG3 focuses a lot of anger at the government and church and highlights the suffering of the LGBTQ+, black, and brown communities. DAMAG3 is a part of the artist collective Hidden Renaissance.

DAMAG3 began their career in 2021 with their debut rap album TH3 PR3S3NT MOM3NT reflecting how DAMAG3 views and presents their life and reflected on ways they could improve it.

In May 2022, Ares released the electronic rap single “DOUBL3 TAK3”, speaking about her experiences as a transgender woman and society’s distaste for transgender people in general. The song gained traction and received roughly 1 million plays on Spotify. One month later, Ares released a two-track EP WAV3//TOO BAD. In September 2022, Ares released the collaborative EP raw honey alongside KP Hunni and The Molecules. The EP takes on a more calmer approach compared to previous songs.

Later that year, Ares released two singles for their self-titled album DAMAG3. “PRISON” featuring UK rapper Gao The Arsonist on October 13th and “ON MY WAY” on November 18th. “PRISON” saw success and gained 500 thousand plays on Spotify. DAMAG3 dropped on the 1st of December, ending the 2022 year for Ares.

Ares started 2023 with a remix of “sharp objects” by Madison Hailstorm. DAMAG3 then released “GENOCID3”, featuring good friend and transgender trap-metal artist Changline. The song took off on several social media platforms. In April 2023, DAMAG3 and fellow Hidden Renaissance member OJ Mountain released the EP THE VALHALLA TAPES. In July, Ares released the single “LOV3 (limited edition)” which gained over 1 million plays, being their biggest song to date.

In August 2024, DAMAG3 published 3AT TH3 RICH, an EP speaking on the abuse of power and imbalance of equality between the working class and multi-billionaire corporations. TikTok star and guitarist RJ Pasin was featured on the EP’s sixth track “BiLLY iN B3LLY”.