Richmond, CA – Northern California rapper, Locksmith, has made sure to make an impact with his rhymes and will continue to with the release of his free solo album, ﾓI Am Lockﾔ on September 11, 2011 on his official site iamlock.com.
The project features production from some of the finest including E-A-Ski, Ski Beatz (ﾓDead Presidentsﾔ), and Left (of Frontline). With a refreshing take on rap and demonstrating his ability to be more than just a battle rapper, Locksmith is amongst the new leaders of Hip Hop, especially on the West Coast.
Locksmith first turned heads from his appearance on MTVﾒs Freestyle Battle in 2003 and on the Wake Up Show with Sway and King Tech. He also became a household name as one of the members of the group Frontline. Most notably now, Locksmith is known for his rapport with legendary producer, E-A-Ski.
“There are very few ﾑbattleﾒ rappers who get their music played in clubs, but I’ve been able to blur those lines; that’s something that I’m very proud of and it’s something that I feel comfortable doing,ﾔ Locksmith explains. “This is why I’m putting out this body of music ﾖ to quiet those perceptions. When you hear the product, you’re gonna be able to judge. Whether you like me or not, you can’t put down the quality of music. I’m very proud of what it is.“
After releasing free songs here and there, Locksmith has been overwhelmed by the number of positive responses from supporters. Now, he feels the need to give back to those fans, and to demonstrate his own range and diversity capabilities. The album will give listeners ﾓthat raw uncut Hip-Hopﾔ sound. Locksmith states, ﾓWhen you get the full product, you will hear a more diverse landscape of music than what you’re usually used to from me, so I’m showing what else we’ve got in store.ﾔ
Standing above 6ﾒ0″, Locksmith already stands out amongst the crowd. With industry artists and his label IMGMI behind him on his solo endeavor, his future stands as tall. Locksmith continues to work hard in the studio, as he hopes to release another mixtape some time in October 2011.
Following that, he will be releasing his solo album ﾓEmbeddedﾔ in November, with production done solely by East Coast producer Ski Beatz. To start off the 2012 year, Lock will follow-up with another solo album ﾓLabyrinthﾔ, which will feature production by E-A-Ski. As Lock said, ﾓThis is the very tip of the iceberg.“
Download the entire “I Am Lock” mixtape for free at iamlock.com or below:
Locksmith – I AM LOCK (Free Download)
Also make sure to check out an insane freestyle Locksmith dropped on DJ Kay Slay’s show on Shade 45:
Locksmith – Freestyle With DJ Kay Slay on Shade 45 (Video)
Enjoy “I Am Lock“, spread to your homies and keep it locked for more Locksmith in the near future!
