Glasses Malone

Glasses Malone, a native of Watts in Los Angeles, grew up straddling the Watts and Compton neighborhoods and steered clear of glorifying the gangbanging lifestyle he once lived, thereby sidestepping the familiar archetype associated with hardcore West Coast rappers. His family maintained deep involvement in the illegal drug trade, and his mother ultimately received a 25-year prison sentence for her role. After leaving behind both drug hustling and gang activity, he committed himself completely to music.

His rapid succession of mixtapes during the mid- to late 2000s lifted him above the emerging pack of “New West” MCs. The Crack Mixtape in 2003 and White Lightning in 2005 moved tens of thousands of copies on the street and supplied several L.A. radio hits, generating enough momentum to ignite a bidding war among major labels that included Def Jam, Atlantic, and Aftermath. In late 2005 he finalized a $1.7 million distribution arrangement with Sony to establish his Blu Division imprint, yet the following year Sony’s extensive restructuring eliminated its urban division and led to his release from the contract in 2007. Within roughly a week he secured a joint deal through Cash Money and Mack 10’s Hoo Bangin’ imprint. His first official single, “Certified,” featuring Akon on the hook, eventually reached national radio rotation.

Although repeated setbacks postponed its release, Beach Cruiser finally arrived in August 2011, with production contributions from Q-Tip, DJ Toomp, and the Cataracs.