Problem

Leading Diamond Lane Music Group as its founder, the West Coast rapper Problem rose from underground circles to regular rotation on radio mix shows via his 2013 track "Like Whaaat." Across a string of mixtapes issued from his late-2000s debut through the close of the 2010s, he secured mainstream traction in 2017 via his inaugural proper studio album, Selfish, then swiftly delivered 2018’s S2 and opened the new decade with the paired full-length projects Coffee & Kush, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.

Jason Martin, born in Germany and raised in Compton, adopted the stage name Problem after repeatedly giving opponents trouble on the basketball court. His initial music involvement came behind the scenes, where he began writing material for and alongside Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, Terrace Martin, and DJ Quik in 2007. The following year he established Diamond Lane Music, secured a major-label deal reflected in the title of that year’s mixtape Deal or No Deal 2: Universal Cut the Check, and was subsequently dropped after just two singles, returning to independent status. Continued collaborations with Snoop, Wiz Khalifa, Iggy Azalea, Freddie Gibbs, and additional artists sustained his momentum until 2012, when his featured role on E-40’s hit single "Function" brought broader exposure and directed fresh listeners toward that year’s Welcome to Mollywood, Pts. 1-2 mixtapes.

Activity surged in 2013 with the near-simultaneous arrival of three Problem projects—Million Dollar Afro, Ain’t Nobody Hotter Than Me, and The Separation—all before July, the final one spotlighting the street single "Like Whaaat" that soon became a viral sensation. Official release of the track arrived via the late-2013 Diamond Lane EP Understand Me. A third Mollywood installment surfaced in 2015, while The Relapse that same year compiled more than forty tracks across two discs and included guest spots from Lil Jon, Iamsu!, Omarion, Stoney tha Dealer, and Bad Lucc. Hotels 2: The Master Suite followed in 2016, showcasing Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign, Ne-Yo, Snoop Dogg, and Kevin McCall. In 2017 Problem issued multiple projects beginning with the Rosecrans EP, a joint venture with DJ Quik, then the self-produced mixtape Chachiville, and ultimately his first official studio album Selfish, which featured Nipsey Hussle, Iamsu, Ne-Yo, and Bad Lucc. S2 arrived the subsequent year.

The year 2020 proved especially productive: alongside the short film A Compton Story, Problem released the two albums Coffee & Kush, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, the latter featuring Tyrese, Jack Harlow, Jay Rock, Freddie Gibbs, Snoop Dogg, and further contributors.