BORN IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, DOM KENNEDY (BORN DOMINIC HUNN) IS AN ARTIST WITH A FIERCELY INDEPENDENT STREAK. WITH A STYLE THAT PAIRS SIMPLE LYRICISM WITH A KNACK FOR NARRATION, KENNEDY TOOK INSPIRATION FROM RAP LEGENDS SUCH AS DJ QUIK, 2PAC AND THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. KENNEDY MADE HIS DEBUT IN 2008 WITH 25TH HOUR, FROM THE WESTSIDE WITH LOVE IN 2010, AND THE ORIGINAL DOM KENNEDY IN 2011. BY THIS POINT, HE HAD BEGUN TOURING ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND INTERNATIONALLY, PLAYING A SHOW IN DJIBOUTI, AFRICA. NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND A FAIR DEAL TO SUIT HIM, THE TALENTED MC INSTEAD STARTED HIS OWN LABEL, THE OPM COMPANY, WHICH HE HAS USED TO RELEASE HIS OWN ALBUMS AS WELL AS FOR OTHERS. FROM THE WESTSIDE WITH LOVE II ARRIVED IN 2011 AND WAS A SUCCESS, HITTING THE TOP 100 OF THE BILLBOARD 200 ALBUM CHART. KENNEDY TOURED THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND EUROPE IN 2012, AND RELEASED THE YELLOW ALBUM WITH THE LEAD SINGLE "MY TYPE OF PARTY", THIS MIXTAPE IS REGUARDED AS AN ALL TIME FAVORITE WORLDWIDE. 2013 SAW THE RELEASE OF HIS SECOND PROPER ALBUM GET HOME SAFELY BY THE END OF THE YEAR. THE ALBUM PROVED TO BE AN EVEN BIGGER SUCCESS, HITTING THE TOP 25 AND EARNING CRICITAL ACCLAIM. HIS THIRD EFFORT, BY DOM KENNEDY, WAS ISSUED IN 2015 AND FEATURED PRODUCTION BY JAKE ONE, J.LBS AND DJ DAHI, AMONG OTHERS. THE FOLLOWING FALL, HE RELEASED LOS ANGELES IS NOT FOR SALE, VOL 1. WITH A BEGINNING STORY FOR THE AGES ONLY TIME WILL TELL THE TRUE OUTCOME. FROM KENNEDY HIMSELF, "MY MUSIC HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT EVOLUTION, RESULTS MAY VARY BUT I HAVE TRIED TO REMAIN RESPONSIBLE TO WHAT I WAS FEELING AT THE TIME. I WOULDN'T HAVE LASTED ANY AMOUNT OF TIME WITHOUT THE FANS SO I THANK THEM. OPM TILL IT'S OVER."

Producer/Mashup Artist JAYBeatz.
Girls Need Love (Girls Edition), Ex Party, They Don't Know, Cuff It Wetter Baby, Fortunate Carriages, Love No One Else
#HVLM

Before his untimely death at the age of 28 in December 2021, Drakeo the Ruler was unequivocally the voice of Los Angeles street rap. Born Darrell Caldwell, Drakeo earned his first round of buzz from 2015's I Am Mr. Mosely tape, but established himself as a force whose impact would be felt far beyond Los Angeles city limits with 2017's Cold Devil. Drakeo's rap style was both menacing and conversational, the MC rarely emoting beyond a
sort of ransom-call Whisper. His reign as the voice of LA was marked by intervals of incarceration, Cold Devil having been recorded in 10 days of freedom that followed a nearly year-long stint in jail. Another bout of incarceration, ending in November 2020, sparked a remarkably consistent creative tear for the MC, with Drakeo releasing We Know the Truth, Because Y'all Asked, The Truth Hurts, A Cold Day in Hell, Ain't That the Truth, and So Cold I Do Em 2 in the span of a year. Drakeo the Ruler's voice could be found alongside any number of his LA contemporaries (Ralfy The Plug, 03 Greedo, Bino Rideaux, Blxst), but he also counted some of the biggest names in hip-hop among his fans-like Drake, who, in learning of The Ruler's
fatal stabbing, posted a picture from the MC's time modeling for his OVO
clothing label, writing that his "Talk to Me" collaborator had "always picked
my spirit up with your energy. RIP Drakeo."

Charlamagne Tha God and Andrew Schulz are The Brilliant Idiots. Join them each week as they explore the issues of the day in a style that's often idiotic, sometimes brilliant and always hysterical. 

studentunionent is following