If you want to get a sense of how deeply respected Kalan is among his peers, just look at the shortlist of his collaborators, a who’s who of modern West Coast hip-hop and R&B: Ohgeesy, Blxst, G Perico, Mozzy, Dom Kennedy, BlueBucks Clan, 1TakeJay, and Westside Boogie. As Pitchfork once said: “when you’re talking about L.A.’s new wave of shit-talking, designer- obsessed rappers, Kalan.FrFr should be included....”

On the Los Angeles asphalt, he’s a mythological figure who has somehow avoided corny myth-making. We can list his hits starting from when “Right Wit It” became a mandatory drop at every house party from San Diego to Seattle or mention the “Hot N’ Ready Freestyle,” where Kalan proved that he could spit as hard as any rapper in your Top 5. We can talk about his scene-stealing performance on Destiny Rogers’ “West Like,” where Kalan comes off like a young Roger Troutman. We can cite his melodic reveries on the Puma Mixtape. But when new album drops, the overarching vision will become crystal clear. The story of how he got here isn’t as important as where he’s going.

Join bloggers Kid Fury and Crissle for their weekly podcast covering hip-hop and pop culture's most trying stars. Throwing shade and spilling tea with a flippant and humorous attitude, no star is safe from Fury and Crissle unless their name is Beyoncé. (Or Blue Ivy.)

As transplants to New York City (Kid Fury from Miami and Crissle from Oklahoma City), The Read also serves as an on-air therapy session for two friends trying to adjust to life (and rats) in the big city.

The Read is part of the LoudSpeakers Network and is published every week on iTunes, iHeart Radio Talk, Soundcloud & Stitcher.  

THE NAVY ALBUM 🐺 2025
Pre-Save/Order: https://roddyricch.lnk.to/THENAVYALBUM

alana is following