Among the slickest West Coast rappers since he released his proper debut single, "All My Life" (2008), Jay Rock rode the momentum of being named to XXL's 2010 Freshman Class to deliver the Top 20 releases 90059 (2015) and Redemption (2018).
Born Johnny Reed McKinzie, Jr., Rock was raised in the Watts neighborhood -- specifically the Nickerson Gardens public housing complex -- of Los Angeles, California. Hard times influenced the rapper's lyrics, and soon appearances on local mixtapes found him rapping in a hard style reminiscent of local hero the Game. With help from Top Daw...