Kam

With his overt sociopolitical stance, somewhat rare for a West Coast rapper, Kam's angst-ridden brand of hardcore rap helped set the mark by which other socially-conscious emcees would be (and still are) judged. Originally affiliated with Ice Cube, Kam's releases appeared sporadically, initially debuting on the Boyz N the Hood soundtrack, and then releasing his first solo album, Neva Again (1993, Atlantic). His powerful sophomore release, Made in America was released to critical acclaim in 1995, although a lack of commitment due to his political stance by his label at the time, East West Recordings, eventually led to his departure. He took some time off in the late '90s to pursue other interests before returning in 2001 with his indie release Kamnesia, an ambitious album that found him further engaging street audiences with a slight club-friendly appeal to his insightful rhymes. Now Kam finds himself aligned with Guerrilla Funk Recordings, arguably the musical home best suited for him, and a long overdue official pairing with Paris, whose political leanings mirror his own almost identically.