Philthy Rich

Philthy Rich is among the Bay Area’s most prolific rappers. The East Oakland native is behind dozens upon dozens of mixtapes, albums, and loose tracks released since the late 2000s, ranging from earlier titles such as My Block: Welcome to Sem City (2008) and the Billboard-charting Kill Zone (2012) to Real N-ggas Back in Style (2016), featuring the hit “Make a Living,” and Motivational Purpose (2022). In addition to grim verses straight from the streets, motivational themes are indeed threaded throughout the MC’s output. Given that Rich didn’t start to build his immense discography until his mid-twenties — years past the age by which he thought he would be dead — his rhymes of inspiration have been just as valued by his following as his aggressive material. Throughout the years, he has linked with Bay Area legends like Too $hort, E-40, and Keak da Sneak, as well as noteworthy collaborators from virtually every other region, including Jim Jones, Paul Wall, and Tee Grizzley. ~ Andy Kellman