The Doppelgangaz

Orange County, New York hip-hop duo the Doppelgangaz is made up of longtime friends EP and Matter Ov Fact. Having grown up side by side, the pair began experimenting with production and crafting their own rhymes during the late '90s, contributing to assorted projects until they fully launched the Doppelgangaz around 2008. Their sound quickly took shape under the heavy sway of gritty East Coast rap icons known for vivid depictions of a grimy, vagrant existence. Blending oversized costumed alter egos with unpolished beats and lyrics that constantly evoked an outlaw existence, the group issued its debut EP, The Ghastly Duo, in 2008; the following year brought the first proper studio album, 2012: The New Beginning. Over the ensuing stretch the Doppelgangaz maintained a rapid output, alternating between vocal-driven LPs that spotlighted their delivery and largely beat-focused projects that emphasized their production. Lone Sharks, released in 2011, earned widespread praise as a career highlight, while fresh installments in the Beats for Brothels series appeared nearly every year. Alongside scattered EPs and standalone tracks, the duo kept delivering complete studio albums such as 2013’s HARK!, 2014’s Peace Kehd, and 2017’s Dopp Hopp.