The Pack

The Pack, a Bay Area ensemble frequently styled the Wolfpack on the streets and across mixtapes, first surged into prominence through an anthem celebrating slip-on sneakers. Lloyd "Young L" Omadhebo, Keith "Stunna" Jenkins, DaMonte "Uno" Johnson, and Brandon "Lil B" McCartney, all devoted to skateboarding and hip-hop, formed the crew in 2005 while still enrolled at the same high school. As the hyphy sound rose to challenge crunk’s regional dominance, the teenagers asserted their place within the movement by issuing the grassroots project Wolfpack Muzik, Vol. 1 that same year. Although the tape stirred modest local interest, Wolfpack Muzik, Vol. 2, released in 2006, truly accelerated their trajectory. Young L’s stripped-back beats fused decelerated hyphy rhythms with Atlanta’s snap aesthetic—substituting finger snaps for traditional snares—and nowhere was this hybrid more evident than on the opening cut, “Vans.” The track’s robot-voiced hook, which touted the footwear as a superior yet more affordable option to Nike, propelled the single across West Coast airwaves. Legendary rapper Too Short, upon hearing the song, quickly tracked the group down and secured them a deal with the Jive-affiliated imprint Up All Nite. Prior to the arrival of their major-label debut, Drino Man countered with the reply record “F’ Vans,” confirming that the Pack’s breakthrough had evolved from mere single into cultural moment. Their seven-track EP Skateboards 2 Scrapers finally surfaced in December, followed by the full-length Based Boys in October of the next year. A 2009 dispute with New Boyz erupted when Stunna charged the Southern California act with appropriating both the Pack’s sonic approach and visual aesthetic. The crew returned in 2010 with its second official album, Wolfpack Party.