Los Angeles’s Up-and-coming Rap Culture

Alde Nguyen

Online Manager

In the city of angels, several native rap artists have begun to take flight as they reach mainstream attention. The diversity of sounds from these rising artists has created a sense of local pride for a new emerging West Coast rap centering out of Los Angeles, California.

Roddy Ricch, Shoreline Mafia and Blueface are all prominent rap artists beginning to lead waves in the rap culture while representing a unique west coast sound. These artists have managed to amass enormous audiences through their trending music that satisfies the taste of the youth.

Blueface, the notorious offbeat rapper, has made a significant impact on the music industry within the past few months with his viral hits and unusual style of rap. The born-and-raised Los Angeles rapper has grabbed the media by storm with his offbeat, explicit sound catering to the rebellious youth. His single “Thotiana” has a remix version with the veteran Compton-based MC, YG and has already appeared 28th on billboards.

Compton-based rapper Roddy Ricch is noticeably rising with his unique approach to a melodic rap style. In his most popular song, “Die Young,” Roddy Ricch perfectly demonstrates this sound while rapping about his fears of dying young because of his dangerous lifestyle in the ‘streets.’ On his single, “Every Season,” Roddy Ricch impresses listeners with his quality vocals and memorable hooks, creating a masterpiece of a rap song.

Shoreline Mafia, the four-man rap group reigning from Los Angeles, has been under the radar for sometime now but has reached stardom with their hit songs and cult-like fan base. The group consists of artists Ohgeesy, Rob Vicious, Fenix Flexin and Master Kato. Together they have released countless songs about drugs and violence while still putting up millions of streams. The group tends to approach rap in a simplistic way with heavy-hitting beats and catchy lyrics.

With this newfound sense of hype surrounding these up-and-coming Los Angeles artists, Roddy Ricch, Shoreline Mafia and Blueface have expanded their connections, collaborating with the industry’s most popular. Roddy Ricch recently released a single in collaboration with the notorious music producer, Marshmello, titled “Project Dreams.” Along with the remix of his most popular song, “Thotiana,” with YG, Blueface has reported to have unreleased collaborations with platinum recording artist Drake. As for Shoreline Mafia, the group has continued to network and collaborate with rising underground rappers such as Yung Bans.

Roddy Ricch, Shoreline Mafia and Blueface have continued to keep their fan bases content by frequently releasing albums. Roddy Ricch released his album titled, “Feed Tha Streets 2,” while Blueface recently released his debut studio album, “Famous Cryp.” Shoreline Mafia excited their listeners with a holiday themed album titled “OTXmas,” which released in spirits of Christmas.

Roddy Ricch, Shoreline Mafia and Blueface are available for streaming on platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and Soundcloud. Their albums can also be purchased on iTunes for $7.99.