LETTY: When you think of Northern California rappers, a few staples may come to mind.
LETTY: Legends like E-40, Mac Dre & Too $hort for example.
LETTY: Along with the standouts of today like Lil B and G-Eazy.
LETTY: But who’s up next from Northern California?
LETTY: Originally from Santa Clara, California, Saweetie relocated to Sacramento as a teenager,
where she finished high school.
LETTY: Saweetie got her big break after her freestyle over Khia’s “My Neck, My Back” went viral.
LETTY: This clip turned into her debut single “Icy Girl,” which now has over 40 million
views on YouTube.
LETTY: And the Warner Brothers signee has friends on her side.
Bay Area darling Kehlani jumped on to remix “Icy Girl” in April 2018.
LETTY: Representing Oak Park, Sacramento, Mozzy is no overnight success.
The rapper, who began under the moniker Lil’ Tim, has been at this for a minute.
LETTY: And the game is finally catching up to him.
His “Sleep Walkin” music video has amassed over 19 million views since it’s release
in August 2017.
LETTY: And in 2018, Mozzy got a K. Dot shoutout at the Grammys.
KENDRICK: As my guy Mozzy say, you know, God up top all the time real talk, you know.
LETTY: SOB X RBE hails from Vallejo and has four members, Lul G, Slimmy B, Yhung T.O., and DaBoii.
LETTY: Their “ANTI” music video has surpassed 26 million views.
LETTY: But their biggest achievement has to be collabing with Kendrick Lamar.
The Compton MC recruited them for the song, “Paramedic.”
YHUNG T.O: He broke it down like yeah just do ya’ll, like say whatever come to ya’ll mind,
however ya’ll feel just do ya’ll.
LETTY: Their collaboration turned up on the
'Black Panther' movie soundtrack, which spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard album chart --
the longest for any soundtrack since ‘Frozen.’
LETTY: Vallejo native, Nef, which is short for “nephew,” earned his nickname from his uncle.
And as someone who’s always seen himself as royalty, he added “The Pharaoh.”
LETTY: Last August, Nef teamed up with SOB X RBE’s Slimmy B for “Bling Blaow,”
which has surpassed over 4 million views.
LETTY: Nef credits hometown heroes E-40 & Mac Dre for his style.
And even has a track with the former entitled “Slappin.”
LETTY: Coming out of Pinole, P-Lo, along with Chief and Iamsu, co-founded the producer collective,
HBK Gang, which stands for Heart Break Kids Gang or Hella Bright Kids Gang.
LETTY: Behind the boards, P-Lo worked with YG on the title track to his 2016 sophomore
studio album 'Still Brazy' and produced Flo-Rida’s “G.D.F.R.” which peaked at
No. 8 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 2015.
LETTY: And now, in front of the mic, P-Lo is doing numbers of his own.
LETTY: His 2017 collab with E-40 “Put Me On Somethin’” has hit over 2 million views.
LETTY: Oakland’s ALLBLACK takes a page from the books of his Bay Area predecessors
Too $hort & Dru Down and Pomona’s Suga Free, who stylistically or literally live the pimp lifestyle.
LETTY: ALLBLACK told Fader, quote:
LETTY: His video “‘07 Lynch” bypassed a million views since dropping in March 2018.
LETTY: Oakland’s Kamaiyah has built quite a name for herself in Northern California.
LETTY: This YG signee has over one million views on her 'Successful' music video since
its release in October 2017.
And good thing, because the video almost took her out.
KAMAIYAH: I almost died on a damn jetski 'cause I can't swim...
INTERVIEWER: Why was you on a jet ski if you can' t swim?
KAMIAYAH: 'Cause I needed the epic shot, dammit.
LETTY: With all this talent, our bet's on these artists.
Who else you got making it out of Northern Cali?