

Dre, Jay Z and Beyonce, and really, just sounding uninspired. It also didn’t help Dom’s cause that fans were skeptical from the get-go after Best After Bobby 2, a follow-up to his stronger first installment that had him stumbling on instrumentals by Dr.

Released in December, both projects went largely unnoticed mainly due to the spotlight on new albums from Childish Gambino, Ab-Soul, Post Malone, Gucci Mane, Kid Cudi, and Run the Jewels. In 2016, after taking a break from press and touring to focus on his songwriting and the production aspects of his sound, Dom had some high marks for loyal fans: the debut of his Half-A-Mil group with Inland Empire’s own Hit-Boy and his own new full-length album Los Angeles Is Not for Sale, Vol. I’d argue, too, there can only be one MC ruling from June until the end of August. Consensus says there can only be one song of the summer, which is a difficult task to call. Drake, Future, Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar, and Wale are all good contenders, but let’s not forget what Dom has done for us when the sun shines brighter. With summer ‘17 approaching, we have tons of hip-hop releases from this year to add to our rotation for cookouts, lounging by the beach, and cross-country roadtrips. KENNEDY’s calling card is staying relaxed enough to settle into the vibes of his hometown, while also using his affable personality and thought-provoking wordplay to propel himself to the mainstream.Rap fans, listen up: It’s time we cut the Dom Kennedy slander. KENNEDY would cement his lyrical lightheartedness in collaborations with entrepreneurial rapper Nipsey Hussle, including 2013’s elastic, revelatory “Checc Me Out.” In 2020, he dropped Rap N Roll, an album that centered itself around the simplistic, contemplative “Saint Ermias,” a tribute to the late Hussle that brought out KENNEDY’s more serious side. In 2011, KENNEDY released his debut album, From the Westside With Love, II, which was led by the personable but flippant standouts “When I Come Around” and “Grind’n.” His sophomore effort, Get Home Safely from 2013, found him homing in on the laidback approach that made him a beloved figure in hip-hop, especially on tracks like the undulating, braggadocious “Still Callin” featuring fellow L.A. in 1984, the MC independently released his first mixtapes in the late 2000s, colored by his experiences growing up in Leimert Park and influenced heavily by the locale-driven rhymes of The Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, 2Pac, and Outkast. DOM KENNEDY’s breezy, irreverent punchlines are the staple of his signature rap style, one admired by West Coast legends, established and in-the-making.
