Locksmith (rapper)
Encyclopedia
Locksmith is a rapper of Iran
ian- (Persian) and African-American descents from Richmond, California
. He is one half of the underground duo The Frontline
.
His first gained mainstream notice in 2003 when he made it to the final round in the MTV
's Freestyle Battle Championship. After qualifying locally at an event hosted by Bay Area radio station KMEL
, Lock flew mostly under the radar until he made it to the final round to battle Reignman. Controversy erupted following the announcement that Locksmith had finished second to Reignman in internet and phone votes, though the official voting figures were never revealed by MTV.
After Locksmith's defeat on MTV, The Frontline
released their debut album Who R You/Now U Know in 2005, followed by Lock & Left in 2007. The group has enjoyed regional success in their native Bay Area, particularly on KMEL.
Locksmith's first solo single "Rare Form" was released in August 2009 and gained nationwide attention for lyrics aimed at Kanye West
and Lil Wayne
. A second single, "Man Up", began receiving airplay on KMEL in July 2010. The song is expected to appear on Locksmith's solo debut, Frank The Rabbit.
Most recently he has teamed up with Ski-Beatz who produced an entirety of his latest album "Embedded" which was just released on November 18th, 2011.
. However, Locksmith has recently been on hiatus from battle rapping to work on his upcoming album and making music, produced by EA-Ski.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian- (Persian) and African-American descents from Richmond, California
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
. He is one half of the underground duo The Frontline
The Frontline
The Frontline, commonly known as Frontline, is a rap duo from Richmond, California consisting of Left and Locksmith, also known as Lock. The group is associated with West Coast hip hop music.-History:...
.
Biography
Locksmith began his professional career under the tutelage of Bay Area producer EA-Ski and with Frontline partner Left.His first gained mainstream notice in 2003 when he made it to the final round in the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Freestyle Battle Championship. After qualifying locally at an event hosted by Bay Area radio station KMEL
KMEL
KMEL is an Urban Contemporary-formatted radio station located in San Francisco, California, and owned by Clear Channel Communications....
, Lock flew mostly under the radar until he made it to the final round to battle Reignman. Controversy erupted following the announcement that Locksmith had finished second to Reignman in internet and phone votes, though the official voting figures were never revealed by MTV.
After Locksmith's defeat on MTV, The Frontline
The Frontline
The Frontline, commonly known as Frontline, is a rap duo from Richmond, California consisting of Left and Locksmith, also known as Lock. The group is associated with West Coast hip hop music.-History:...
released their debut album Who R You/Now U Know in 2005, followed by Lock & Left in 2007. The group has enjoyed regional success in their native Bay Area, particularly on KMEL.
Locksmith's first solo single "Rare Form" was released in August 2009 and gained nationwide attention for lyrics aimed at Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
and Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
. A second single, "Man Up", began receiving airplay on KMEL in July 2010. The song is expected to appear on Locksmith's solo debut, Frank The Rabbit.
Most recently he has teamed up with Ski-Beatz who produced an entirety of his latest album "Embedded" which was just released on November 18th, 2011.
Battle rapping
Locksmith has continued to battle rap on GrindTimeNow. To date, he has battled the likes of Dizaster, Passwurdz, Daylyt, and Jonny StormJonny Storm
Jonathan Whitcombe is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jonny Storm. He has worked for many independent promotions across the United Kingdom, including the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, Real Quality Wrestling and One Pro Wrestling...
. However, Locksmith has recently been on hiatus from battle rapping to work on his upcoming album and making music, produced by EA-Ski.
External links
- Official website
- Locksmith interview, RapReviews.com