Locksmith

Born Davood Asgari in Richmond, California during 1984, Locksmith emerged as a rapper and producer of Persian and African-American heritage. He first drew attention in the early 2000s both through battle-MC appearances and as one half of the Frontline. The pair originated in the late 1990s while Locksmith and Left were still junior-high classmates, then began issuing their own mixtapes in 2001. Unlike many artists tied to the hyphy scene then dominant in the Bay Area, the Frontline adopted a socially conscious approach that favored messages of positivity over celebrations of drugs, alcohol, or violence. Their first full-length project, Who R You, came out on Infrared/Landmark Entertainment in 2004 and was later reissued by Penalty Recordings as Now U Know. The follow-up album Lock & Left appeared on Infrared, with several tracks gaining rotation on MTV.

Locksmith had meanwhile built a separate reputation on the battle circuit, first showing up on MTV’s Freestyle Battle Championship in 2003 and later entering GrindTime’s Rap Battle League in 2009. He eventually stepped away from competitive battling to concentrate on mixtapes and studio work. After the 2009 Rare Form EP came The Locktape in 2010 and I Am Lock in 2011. That same year saw the release of the Ski Beatz-produced Embedded on DD172/Blu Roc Records. Additional mixtapes Labyrinth and The Green Box followed in 2012 and 2013, respectively. His first proper solo album, A Thousand Cuts, landed on Landmark Entertainment in 2014, with Lofty Goals arriving the next year.