Clyde Carson

Oakland rapper Clyde Carson was peddling mixtapes from his vehicle long before achieving success via the dense, ominous 2012 track "Slow Down." Whether working independently or alongside the Team, he fused the hyphy sound dominant in his hometown with a grittier, more street-oriented rap approach. After issuing several mixtapes plus joint projects with the Team, Carson fully realized his approach on the 2017 debut studio album S.T.S.A. 2 (Something to Speak About).

He began his solo path in 2001 via the mixtape The Story, Vol. 1, yet channeled the bulk of his efforts into the Team, whose hyphy prominence grew through tracks such as "Hyphy Juice." In 2006 the-Dream took notice and secured him a Capitol recording contract. The ensuing year brought his first major-label project, the EP Doin' That. His stint with the label proved brief, ending once the 2009 Bass Rock EP appeared. Rejoining the Team in 2011 yielded fresh material that produced the 2012 single "Slow Down," his most successful release at the time. That same year he also dropped the solo mixtape S.T.S.A. (Something to Speak About). The 2014 Playboy EP followed, including a guest spot from Master P, and the Time EP arrived two years afterward. His inaugural studio album, S.T.S.A. 2, surfaced in 2017 with contributions from E-40, Mozzy, and Keak da Sneak. Output stayed confined to periodic singles until the concise nine-track Late Night Money High mixtape emerged in 2019. Featuring only Carson on the mic, it adopted a darker tone by blending 2010s R&B production touches with his established rap aesthetic.