MBnel

Hailing from California with Filipino roots, MBnel offers a composed yet assured delivery rooted in genuine accounts of routine existence in Stockton. Initial EPs, mixtapes, and joint efforts paved the way for the 2018 single "In My City," which accumulated multi-million streams, before he showcased broader range on the 2019 album Born to Win. That busy and notable year was followed by the Child of the Trenches project, released across two volumes, with 2021 delivering the introspective, life-story album No Hard Feelings.

Born Jhonel Dongon during the early '90s—soon after his parents arrived from Cebu and the island village of Siquijor in the Philippines—he first resided with them and relatives in Stockton's 8th Street neighborhood. The family later secured separate housing, and Dongon's earliest musical exposure arrived while observing his father operate basic DJ gear. In school he composed rap verses and recorded them using a games console microphone. Reflective by nature, Dongon steered clear of the energetic hyphy style that originated years before in nearby Oakland, instead targeting a relaxed approach akin to the work of Lil Wayne and Nipsey Hussle. The ending of his MBnel stage name comes from the close of his birth name, while the "MB" portion nods to Muddy Boyz, the Crip gang faction he belongs to.

MBnel's debut single paired with a professional music video was August 2017's "Diamonds Freestyle." Early the next year a version surfaced on his first EP, Forever. Two more projects arrived rapidly—the Deeper Than Rap mixtape and a joint EP alongside Juliano Santiago—before "In My City" lifted his visibility. The track was later appended to a revised, deluxe edition of Forever that appeared that May, and he closed the year with the further mixtape Lifestyle. 2019 proved especially busy for the rapper, yielding two EPs, the Misunderstood mixtape, and numerous shared singles with artists including Bee Boie, Shotta Locc, and Glasses Malone. The period also featured Born to Win, a collection promoted in certain quarters as his debut album even though multiple extended releases already carried his name. The album included "Dear Jhené," a song written for his recently born daughter, and reflected higher production standards. Following 2020's Child of the Trenches EPs, the standalone singles "Heart" and "I Know, Pt. 2" arrived ahead of No Hard Feelings in May 2021, underscoring his consistent output.