Compton Av

Compton Av, a freestyle-focused West Coast rapper, derived his stage name from the southern California avenue where he spent his formative years. The choice also paid tribute to his hometown's rap legacy, since the infamous Compton crew N.W.A. supplied his initial creative spark. Kurupt and Snoop Dogg later selected one of his songs for a 2013 mixtape, prompting him to leverage the exposure through the 2014 breakout track "Run Me My Money!" That release established his presence across Los Angeles and surrounding areas, yet it was the traction gained by 2016's "Money Dance" that expanded his reach even further. He stayed productive and self-reliant in the years that followed, preserving his independent status while steadily expanding his output, an approach he later crystallized on the business-oriented May 2022 album NET 30.

Born in Compton in 1984 to a mother deeply immersed in hip-hop, he absorbed countless tracks from the rear seat of her vehicle before cutting his first recordings at age ten. Although sports dominated his teenage interests, a gunshot wound to the leg at seventeen ended any prospect of college basketball, steering him exclusively toward music. He began hosting parties to create performance opportunities and eventually moved into professional studio work. Once Snoop Dogg and Kurupt selected "Wonder Why They Call You B*tch," he launched his own imprint, Rich Off Rap, which ultimately issued "Run Me My Money!" During that period and continuing until roughly 2015, he also recorded and performed under the name Av LMKR. The acronym, representing Loyalty, Music, Knowledge and Respect, was shared with his crew until his late mentor Nipsey Hussle advised him on the advantages of committing to a single brand, leading him to drop the alternate moniker in favor of Compton Av.

Although "Money Dance" built its audience gradually, it ultimately surpassed two million streams within a few years. Early mixtapes issued from 2014 through 2017 comprised C.O.M.P.T.O.N. (Compton Only Makes Progress Through Our Nobility), Compton to Riches, and Tru 2 the Streetz, after which he stepped away from music for the entirety of 2018. His return arrived in April 2019 with the album Kept It 2 Real, featuring guest appearances from several personally significant artists including O.T. Genasis, Kalan.FrFr, and Rucci. Following a relatively subdued 2020, he delivered the February 2021 project All In. Among the initial singles previewing his next effort was "Slid'N," a multi-million-stream collaboration with Snoop Dogg and Steelz. Upon releasing NET 30 in 2022, Compton Av positioned the project as a financial primer for his listeners.