Real Bad Man

Equal parts music label and streetwear designer, L.A.-based operation Real Bad Man made inroads into hip-hop with their On High Alert mixtape series before taking their behind-the-boards role further with a string of collaborative LPs. Delivering nostalgic, clean boom-bap production, they found their first major spotlight with Boldy James collaboration Real Bad Boldy (2020), followed in 2022 by a second joint album, Killing Nothing. Helmed by LA-based director Adam Weissman, fashion/music outlet Real Bad Man complimented their streetwear line with a continual stream of rap mixtapes, producing beats for new-school and veteran talents alike. Debuting in 2020 with mixtapes On High Alert Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol. 3, the outfit early collaborations saw them join the likes of Blu, Flee Lord, and Roc Marciano, with a sound characterized by slick, modernizations of classic-era boom-bap. They first hit the spotlight with the Boldy James collaborative album Real Bad Boldy (2020). With the Detroit MC at the peak of his powers following albums Manger on McNichols and The Price of Tea in China, Real Bad Man complemented his blunt vocals with jazz-laden, ’90s-era productions. After a brief hiatus, Real Bad Man returned in force in 2022, issuing On High Alert, Vol. 4, and collaborative albums Mood Swings (with Smoke DZA), Real Bad Flights (with Pink Siifu), and the critically acclaimed Killing Nothing (a second collaboration with Boldy). A similarly prolific output marked 2023, with the label producing LPs with Kool Keith (Serpent), Blu (Bad News), and YUNGMORPHEUS (The Chalice & The Blade). ~ David Crone