Mozzy

Sacramento rapper Mozzy has grown into one of the defining figures in contemporary West Coast hip-hop. His verses moved fluidly between menace and triumph, while his productions drew from multiple eras of California soundcraft, propelling him from regional obscurity to wider recognition by the middle of the 2010s. Following his contributions to the 2018 Black Panther soundtrack, he delivered Beyond Bulletproof, his fifth studio album and most commercially prominent release to that point, in mid-2020; the project climbed into the upper half of the Billboard 200. A 2021 joint mixtape with Compton rapper YG, Kommunity Service, returned him to the Top 100, matched soon after by the Top 20 solo effort Untreated Trauma. The sequence continued in 2022 with Survivor's Guilt and extended into several 2024 projects, among them the Kalan.FrFr collaboration LUCKY HER.

Born Timothy Patterson, he first recorded in 2004 under the name Lil Tim and issued the single “U Ain’t Ready Like Dat” in 2010. He adopted his current moniker the following year with the album Money Means Mozzy, then released the DJ Fresh-hosted mixtape The Tonite Show in 2013. Four additional mixtapes appeared in 2014, including Free Mozzy, which surfaced while he was incarcerated on illegal firearms charges. Gangland and Yellow Tape Activities both arrived in 2015; the next year Empire issued Beautiful Struggle and Mandatory Check. Throughout 2016 he also joined forces with Dutch Santana, E Mozzy, Juneonnabeat, and Philthy Rich. Early 2017 brought Fake Famous, which included guest spots from Iamsu!, E Mozzy, Celly Ru, YFN Lucci, YG, G-Eazy, Jadakiss, and others.

After the collaborative releases Can’t Fake the Real with Blac Youngsta and Dreadlocks & Headshots with Gunplay, Mozzy issued 1 Up Top Ahk, which entered the Billboard 200’s Top 100 during summer 2017. Following his appearance on the chart-topping Black Panther soundtrack, he released the single “Nobody Knows” alongside Jay Rock and DCMBR. A busy 2018 yielded the Spiritual Conversations EP and the full-length Gangland Landlord; he also paired with Kae One for Run It Up Activities on Team Player Records, a set that featured the Jacka, Philthy Rich, and E Mozzy. In early 2019 he and Berner dropped the collaborative mixtape Slimey Individualz, which Mozzy followed in May with the tribute track “Legal Guardian/Guardian Angel” honoring his grandmother. Additional joint projects that year included the Raz Simone-assisted Members by All Movements and Blood Cuzzins, recorded with Tsu Surf.

The fifth studio album, Beyond Bulletproof, surfaced in May 2020 with appearances by G Herbo, King Von, Polo G, and further guests; it debuted at number 43 on the Billboard charts. Later that year Occupational Hazard arrived, featuring YFN Lucci, Wale, and additional artists. In May 2021 Mozzy reunited with Compton rapper YG for the mixtape Kommunity Service, trading verses with guests including Tyga, Young M.A, and Ty Dolla $ign; the project reached the Top 100 in its opening week. September brought the Lil Blood joint effort Bloody Waters and the ten-track solo album Untreated Trauma, which featured Celly Ru, EST Gee, Babyface Ray, and others and peaked at number 19. The May 2022 single “Tell the Truth” with Shordie Shordie preceded Survivor's Guilt, his seventh official LP, which arrived months later and included YG, Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz, Saweetie, Roddy Ricch, and more. The Kollect Kall EP followed in 2023 with contributions from YFN Lucci, Baby Money, and Celly Ru. Children of the Slums appeared in 2024, spotlighting Fridayy, Eric Bellinger, and Afira, while Brash Dummies and the Kalan.FrFr collaboration LUCKY HER closed out the year.