GUAPDAD 4000

Muscian, Oakland

Smooth, charismatic rapper Guapdad 4000 rose from the Bay Area in the late 2010s with his humorous style and a steady flow similar to forebears like Mase and Fabolous.

Born Akeem Hayes, the West Oakland native grew up idolizing emcees such as Dom Kennedy, Mac Dre , Pharrell Williams , and Kanye West.

Comparing himself to Williams, West , Childish Gambino, and Tyler, the Creator, he fashioned himself as a creative hip-hop outlier, matching his outsized personality with tight rhymes, clever wordplay, and punchline-packed lyrics.