Kamaiyah

Resurrecting the sounds of the 1990s, Oakland rapper Kamaiyah debuted in the mid-2010s, delivering hardcore lyrics with a laid-back confidence and playful toughness. Atop thick beats and nostalgic production, she carved a niche in the Bay Area underground before issuing her critically acclaimed debut mixtape, 2016′s A Good Night in the Ghetto. She left major labels behind after administrative red tape held up her release schedule, and teamed with rappers like Sada Baby and Cash Kidd for her hard-hitting 2022 EP Divine Timing.
Born Kamaiyah Jamesha Johnson in Oakland, California, she was raised in Sacramento, where she grew up listening to Missy Elliot, TLC, Conscious Daughters, and Aaliyah. That combination of hip-hop-influenced R&B and rhyme-focused rapping informed a style that she eventually unveiled with the Oakland collective the Big Money Gang. She branched out on her own in 2015 with the regional hit “How Does It Feel,” which caught the attention of major music publications and NPR. Striking quickly while her brand was hot, Kamaiyah released her debut album, A Good Night in the Ghetto, in early 2016. A critical hit, she found herself rapping alongside YG and Drake, touring with the former, and briefly signing with Interscope Records. Though a release never materialized with the label, she issued her sophomore mixtape on her own. 2017′s Before I Wake was a short creative burst, focusing on the state of her life and career at the time.
Kamaiyah eventually freed herself of Interscope in 2018 and got to work on another album. Released on her label GRND.WRK, Got It Made was an aggressive return for the emcee, featuring appearances by J. Espinosa as well as spiritual and stylistic predecessor Trina. In 2020, Kamaiyah worked with fellow Bay Area rapper Capolow on the collaborative EP Oakland Nights, as well as issuing the No Explanations mixtape, which featured spots from Mozzy and Jackboy. Her Divine Timing EP appeared in 2022 on Keep It Lit Records. The West Coast bass-heavy, seven-track project included guest features from DaBoii, Sada Baby, and Cash Kidd. ~ Neil Z. Yeung & David Jeffries