The Bay Area rapper built his sound on mixtapes before breaking through with chart-topping collaborations.
For a good sense of his style, check out 'Origami' or 'Lazarus.' They capture that blend of rap with other genres he's been working with since the start.
He came up writing as a teenager in Oakland, pulling from local hip-hop culture and influences like Nas and Tupac. That foundation shows in songs like 'Origami,' where he mixes rap with pop and rock touches. His work with producer Christoph Andersson gives much of his catalog a consistent, polished feel.
Early mixtapes like 'The Endless Summer' in 2014 built his audience, leading to his debut album 'These Things Happen' that same year. He later scored a Billboard Hot 100 number one with Bebe Rexha on 'Me, Myself & I,' and his six studio albums include 'The Beautiful & Damned' from 2018.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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