Bakes raps like the craft still decides everything, because for him it does. A lyrical hip-hop artist out of San Diego by way of the East Bay, he writes intricate, message-driven records built on vocabulary, rhythm, and something to say. Everything with his name on it is independent, and the vision behind it is bigger than any one record: keeping lyrical rap alive and bridging the old school and the new.

Live is where it lands hardest. He has opened for the likes of Mobb Deep, Redman and Method Man, Too $hort, Twista, A$AP Ferg and Curren$y, working his way across Southern California one room at a time.

The recognition followed. "Divine Timing" charted #3 on VEVO's Incoming Hip-Hop playlist, GQ pulled "Effortless" for its 10 Songs to Sweat To, and The Source and HipHopWeekly both told the story of the come-up.