DOM KENNEDY
It may come as a surprise that the first name that comes to mind for me when I hear any mention of West Coast rap isn’t Kendrick Lamar, it’s Dom Kennedy. While the TDE camp have pushed Cali to the forefront of the hip-hop conversation and deserve many accolades, Kennedy was certainly the flagbearer through some lean years. With the genre’s focus 3,000 miles away, the Leimart Park star didn’t reinvent the wheel, he picked up right where the legendary West Coast artists before him left off. Adding a signature flair to the traditional tenets of everything you envision to be West Coast, he’s kicked laid-back, Cali-lifestyle rap and soundtracked summers for years now. Those who’ve missed him spritz his Plantinum Chanel alongside a who’s who of cool in hip-hop may not realize his reach stretches further than his own backyard. He’s collaborated with stars as big as Rick Ross and Kendrick and bubbling middle acts like Freddie Gibbs, Curren$y and Big K.R.I.T, but always makes room for off-the-radar hometown acts to get to shine, too. (Mike McCray)
Price: $27