Locksmith (rapper)

Last updated
Locksmith
Birth nameDavood Asgari
Also known asLock
Born (1984-09-29) September 29, 1984 (age 40) [1]
Richmond, California, U.S.
Genres Hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper, producer
Years active2003–present [1]
LabelsLandmark Entertainment
Website www.iamlock.com

Davood Ali Asgari, better known by his stage name Locksmith, (born September 29, 1984), is an American rapper from Richmond, California. [2] He is half of the former underground duo The Frontline, which pioneered the "New Bay" resurgence movement in the Bay Area in the 2000s. [3] [4]

Contents

Background

Locksmith was born and raised in Richmond, California in the neighborhood of Crescent Park. [3] His father is Persian, [5] who had immigrated from Iran, and his mother was African American from Chicago, [6] originally from Tennessee. [7] For the greater part of his childhood, he was raised predominantly by his mother's side of his family as his father was the only one from his Iranian side, until he had gotten older when other paternal family-members also arrived. [6] He has four older half-siblings from his mother's previous marriage. [4] [6] Between the 80s and 90s, his sister, who is a decade his senior, [6] rapped as MC Spice and had opened up for the likes of E-40, Blackalicious and Digital Underground. [8] In 2010, his mother died. [7]

Locksmith went to De Anza High School in Richmond, [9] and attended University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated in African American Studies. [10] He played basketball during his youth, through which he met his childhood friend Left. [3] After graduating from school, the pair worked as mentors at the West Contra Costa Youth Service Bureau where they mentored teenagers and adolescents. [3] He worked there, part-time, [11] for a decade before moving on to concentrate on his solo music career. [10]

Career

Battle rap

Locksmith first gained notoriety outside of the Bay Area as a battle rapper. In 2003, after beating the likes of Mistah FAB and A-Wolf on radio station 106.1 KMEL, [12] [13] he qualified for and became a contender on MTV's MC Battle joining a pool of 32 contenders, judged by Just Blaze and Kanye West. Locksmith was the only contender from the West Coast. [4] The event was the first-ever televised battle rap tournament. [14] Locksmith then made it to the "elite eight" live telecast on May 17, judged by Method Man, Ludacris and Kevin Liles. [13] [15] Despite his strong performance, he finished as the runner-up in the championship final decided by votes by viewers at home. The polling numbers and percentages were never shown. Speaking back on the upset, he states "I was a little surprised, but actually I expected it. Everybody kinda felt like there was a bias, which there was." [4] Between late 2008 and 2009, he did a series of battles in Grind Time battling the likes of Dizaster, Jonny Storm, Passwurdz and Daylyt. [16]

The Frontline

Locksmith met his childhood friend Left on the basketball court of their junior high school. [3] In 1996, the two formed The Frontline. In 2002, the duo appeared on the Watch Out Now mixtape, along with several other Bay Area rap prospects, one of which was Oakland rapper Balance. [4] In December 2002, Locksmith and Balance appeared for the entire duration of a Saturday night broadcast of The Wake Up Show on KMEL, hosted by Sway Calloway, King Tech and DJ Revolution. Astonished by their performances, Sway commented, "These cats don't sound like regular Bay Area dudes." To which, Balance responded, "It's a New Bay." [17] Led by The Frontline and Balance at the forefront, the New Bay movement included The Team, Mistah FAB, The Federation, Certified Ryders, San Quinn, F.E., and Esinchill. [18] It gained further momentum in 2003 following Locksmith's appearance on MTV's MC Battle in which he shouted out the "New Bay" in front of a nationwide audience. [4] [18]

In February 2004, The Frontline signed a deal with E-A-Ski's label IMG. Between 2002 and 2004, the duo had released three mixtapes. They released their debut studio album, Who R You, on October 12, 2004, which peaked at #48 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart. [19] On May 10, 2005, The Frontline released their second studio album, Now You Know, which peaked at #46 on the Independent Albums chart. [20] In 2007, they released their third and final album, titled Left & Lock, on September 25.

Solo career

In March 2009, it was announced that Locksmith was working on a solo album titled Frank the Rabbit. [21] It was slated to be entirely produced by E-A-Ski. [22]

It wasn't until he began his solo career in 2010, he started to cultivate a loyal fan base. Locksmith has toured with Joe Budden, Murs, R.A. the Rugged Man, Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks and collaborated with producers 9th Wonder and Ski Beatz. Locksmith has been featured on MTV, BET, Sirius XM's Shade 45, Hot 97's "Who's Next?" concert series and all major hip hop blogs. [23] [24] [25]

Locksmith released a series of mixtapes from 2010 to 2013. His first official album A Thousand Cuts was released April 15, 2014. [26] Previously, Locksmith has collaborated with Funk Volume's Hopsin and Jarren Benton, as well as, Futuristic and Apathy. His second album, Lofty Goals, was released on June 30, 2015. [27] The album features Jarren Benton, Futuristic, Chris Webby and others. [28]

In March 2015, Locksmith performed at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. [29]

Locksmith released his 3rd album "Olive Branch" on March 31, 2017.

Discography

Studio albums

Mixtapes

Extended plays

Collaboration albums

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krayzie Bone</span> American rapper

Anthony Henderson, better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper. He is a member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E-40</span> American rapper (born 1967)

Earl Tywone Stevens Sr., better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. Stevens is a founding member of the rap group The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 27 studio albums to date, appeared on numerous movie soundtracks, and has also done guest appearances on a host of other rap albums. Initially an underground artist, his 1995 solo album In a Major Way opened him up to a wider audience. Beginning in 1998, he began collaborating with mainstream rappers outside the San Francisco Bay Area. He rose to higher mainstream popularity in 2006 with his single "Tell Me When to Go", which was produced by Lil Jon.

The Frontline were an American rap duo from Richmond, California, which consisted of Left and Locksmith, also known as Lock. The group was associated with West Coast hip hop music.

Jamal Rocker, known professionally as Mac Mall, is an American rapper from the San Francisco Bay Area who became known in the mid-late 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saafir</span> American rapper (1970–2024)

Reggie Gibson, better known as Saafir, was an American rapper, producer, and actor. He was also a member of the rap group Golden State Project with Ras Kass and Xzibit.

Marvin Watson Jr., better known by his stage name Messy Marv, is an American rapper from San Francisco, California. Messy was also known as a collaborator in the rap group Kaalman's Krew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mistah F.A.B.</span> American rapper from California

Stanley Petey Cox, better known by his stage name Mistah F.A.B., is an American rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, community organizer and activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sway Calloway</span> American rapper and journalist

Jonathan Ahmad Calloway, known as Sway, is an American radio personality, journalist and former rapper known for hosting music, news, and culture programming. He was an on-air reporter and host for MTV News and occasional non-news hosting, including numerous red carpet MTV award pre-shows, and reports on major events, concluding his tenure with the network as host of the short-lived TRLAM. He is co-hosting the nationally syndicated radio show The Wake Up Show as as one half of the duo Sway & King Tech; and hosting Sway in the Morning on SiriusXM Shade45.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cold 187um</span> American rapper and producer (born 1967)

Gregory Fernard Hutchison, known as Big Hutch and Cold 187um, is an American rapper and producer, and leader of the rap group Above the Law. He currently records for his self-founded label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurupt</span> American rapper and record producer (born 1972)

Ricardo Emmanuel Brown, better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he formed Tha Dogg Pound in 1992 along with Daz Dillinger; the rap duo has released eight albums. He also formed the hip hop group The Hrsmn in 1996, with whom he has released two albums. His debut solo album, Kuruption! (1998) was released by A&M Records and peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200.

Shon Adams, better known by his stage name E-A-Ski, is an American rapper and producer from Oakland, California. He served as both a rapper and producer for No Limit Records, producing on Master P's early records and also releasing some of his own material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kxng Crooked</span> American rapper (born 1976)

Dominick Antron Wickliffe, better known by his stage name Kxng Crooked, is an American rapper from Long Beach, California. He is best known as a former member of the hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse with other members Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Royce da 5'9". He is CEO of his own record labels, Dynasty Entertainment and C.O.B. Digital as well as Senior Vice President of Treacherous Records. Before starting his own label, he was also signed to Virgin Records and Death Row Records. He is currently one half of the rap duo Crook and Joell with his former Slaughterhouse bandmate, Joell Ortiz. Together, they released three studio albums.

Rod Sepand, better known professionally as King Tech, is an American DJ, B-boy, VJ and audio engineer. He is one half of the duo Sway & King Tech.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KMEL</span> Urban contemporary radio station in San Francisco

KMEL is an urban contemporary radio station that is licensed to San Francisco, California, serving the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned and operated by iHeartMedia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Badass</span> American rapper and actor (born 1995)

Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott, known professionally as Joey Badass, is an American rapper and actor. Born in Brooklyn, New York City, he formed the regional hip-hop group Pro Era in 2011, with whom he has released three mixtapes and formed the larger collective, Beast Coast the following year.

Roach Gigz or Roach, is an American rapper and hyphy hip hop artist from the San Francisco Bay Area. Gigz released his first independent album in 2012, entitled Bugged Out. He runs his own label, Goomba Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Webby</span> American rapper (born 1988)

Christian Talcott Webster, better known by his stage name Chris Webby, is an American rapper from Norwalk, Connecticut. Webster has released many mixtapes such as the DJ Drama-hosted Bars On Me (2012) and his EP There Goes the Neighborhood (2011), which peaked at number 101 on the Billboard 200. He has worked with various artists such as Freeway, Mac Miller, Joell Ortiz, Big K.R.I.T., Method Man, Apathy, Prodigy, Bun B, Tech N9ne, Jarren Benton and Kid Ink. In 2013 he and his label, Homegrown Music, signed a deal with E1 Music. He then released Homegrown, another EP, in November 2012. Webster released his debut studio album Chemically Imbalanced on October 27, 2014.

Jon Kevin Freeman Jr., better known by his stage name Jon Connor, is an American rapper and record producer. Connor has released various mixtapes and an album effort during his career including the Jay-Z inspired The Blue Album, and the Eminem inspired The People's Rapper LP. His debut studio album, Unconscious State was released in 2013. Shortly thereafter, he was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment from 2013 to 2019, where he did not release an album. In 2015, he garnered notoriety for being featured on Dr. Dre's album Compton (2015) as well as The Game's album The Documentary 2.5 (2015).

Mark Anthony Battles is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer from Indianapolis, Indiana.

Rayven Justice is an American singer, rapper, songwriter and actor from Oakland, California. He started his career as part of the rap and songwriter duo Justice Brothers with his brother Raymen. Rayven Justice began pursuing a full-time solo career in 2010, and his vocals typically blend R&B with "hip hop beats and plenty of bass." His collaborative album Both Sides of the Tracks was released in 2012, and he has also collaborated with artists such as French Montana, Dubb, Iamsu!, TeeFlii, Problem, Waka Flocka Flame, Pleasure P, and Migos. After releasing a number of singles, Rayven Justice released his I Have a Dream EP and album in 2014. Currently based in Oakland, he tours regularly.

References

  1. 1 2 Paul Simpson. "Locksmith". AllMusic . Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  2. ↑ "Locksmith Interview". Rapreviews.com. June 9, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Richmond Violence Fuels Hip-Hop Duo". San Francisco Gate . June 26, 2006.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "New Bay Incarnate: Richmond's Frontline is spearheading a West Coast rap renaissance". Eastbayexpress.com. February 2, 2005. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  5. ↑ "RapReview Feature for June 9, 2009 - Locksmith Interview". Rapreviews.com.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Locksmith's Keywords (Interview)". Kivkmag.net. 13 September 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Locksmith: If you are overthinking you're not moving". Thecomeupshow.com. 25 October 2017.
  8. ↑ "Locksmith's Odyssey". Eastbayexpress.com. April 26, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Richmond rapper treading own path". Richmondconfidential.org. 3 December 2009.
  10. 1 2 3 "Locksmith Talks New Album, Therapeutic Lyrics, and Headlining in Australia Before the Bay Area". SF Weekly. July 8, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Locksmith – the Julisa Magazine". Archived from the original on 2018-12-09. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
  12. ↑ "The Frontline – The Bootleg II". Rapmusicguide.com. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  13. 1 2 "Reignman Crowned Champion of MTV/Def Jam 'MC Battle'". MTV News. May 19, 2003. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  14. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : Locksmith Names His Top 5 Rappers in the Game on Sway in the Morning | Sway's Universe. YouTube .
  15. ↑ "The two finalists Locksmith and Reign Man perform at the "MTV MC". Gettyimages.com.
  16. ↑ "Locksmith Battles" . Retrieved December 8, 2018– via YouTube.
  17. ↑ "dubcnn.com // West Coast News Network //". Dubcnn.com. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  18. 1 2 ":: Baycentrik .::. Centered around the bay with a worldwide reach". Archived from the original on 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  19. ↑ "Who R You". Billboard . October 2004. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Now U Know". Billboard . May 2005. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Locksmith Is Back As "Frank the Rabbit"". Dubcnn.com. March 23, 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  22. ↑ "E-A-Ski Comments On Protege Locksmith, Album". HipHopDX . April 1, 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  23. ↑ Schwartz, Danny Locksmith Might Be The Best Conscious Rapper In The Game After This Freestyle HotNewHipHop.com. July 7, 2015
  24. ↑ Fleischer, Adam Locksmith Opens Up About Sexual Abuse On ‘Hardest Song Ever’ MTV. July 8, 2015
  25. ↑ Meara, Paul Rap Release Dates: Chris Brown, The Game, Locksmith, Miguel HipHopDX. July 8, 2015
  26. ↑ Ivey, Justin Locksmith Freestyles Over Gang Starr Instrumentals on Shade 45 with DJ Kay Slay The Boom Box. July 8, 2015
  27. ↑ Guilt-Free Listening: Stream Locksmith's ‘Lofty Goals’ Album Uproxx.com. July 7, 2015
  28. ↑ Ward, Mark Locksmith – Lofty Goals (Album Stream) Rhyme Junkie. July 25, 2015
  29. ↑ Harrington, Jim SXSW music 2015: Here's the complete lineup San Jose Mercury News. July 8, 2015
  30. ↑ Locksmith & Skibeatz "Embedded" Episode 1 YouTube, July 7, 2015
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.