Rob $tone

Californian rapper Rob $tone broke into the hip-hop mainstream with his viral hit “Chill Bill.” Born Jaylen Robinson in San Diego, $tone issued the track — which also featured J. Davis and Spooks over a Purp Dogg production — in 2014. It appeared on his debut mixtape, Straight Bummin, the following year. Due in part to the song’s online popularity, $tone released “Chill Bill” as a single in 2016 and it slowly climbed its way into the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100. The track sampled Bernard Herrmann’s Twisted Nerve theme, which was later popularized in Kill Bill, Vol. 1. A remix was recorded with D.R.A.M., Denzel Curry, and Cousin Stizz later that year. $tone signed with RCA and issued his sophomore mixtape, I’m Almost Ready, in September 2016. ~ Neil Z. Yeung