Locksmith (rapper)

Locksmith
Born (1984-09-29) September 29, 1984
Richmond, California
Origin Oakland, California
Genres West Coast hip hop Hip hop Hardcore Hip Hop
Occupation(s) Rapper, producer
Years active 2001–present
Labels Landmark Entertainment
Associated acts Grind Time West Coast, The Frontline, R.A. The Rugged Man, Hopsin, Jarren Benton, Apathy, TeamBackpack, Jeff Turner
Website iamlock.com

Davood Asgari, better known by his stage name Locksmith, is a rapper of African-American and Iranian (Persian) descent from Richmond, California.[1][2] He is half of the underground duo The Frontline.[3]

Biography

Locksmith is a West Coast rapper and producer who first gained notoriety in the underground hip hop scene through MTV's MC Freestyle Championship. Locksmith graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts degree in African American Studies.[2] In 2009, he did a series of rap battles in Grindtime Rap Battle League. Lock, along with his duo group The Frontline, received commercial radio play and began building a regional buzz.

It wasn't until he began his solo career in 2010, he started to cultivate a loyal fan base. Locksmith has toured with Joe Budden, Murs, R.A. the Rugged Man, Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks and collaborated with producers 9th Wonder and Ski Beatz. Locksmith has been featured on MTV, BET, Sirius XM's Shade 45, Hot 97's "Who's Next?" concert series and all major hip hop blogs.[4][5][6]

Career

Locksmith released a series of mixtapes from 2010 to 2013. His first official album A Thousand Cuts was released April 15, 2014.[7] Previously, Locksmith has collaborated with Funk Volume's Hopsin and Jarren Benton, as well as, Futuristic and Apathy. His second album, Lofty Goals, was released on June 30, 2015.[8] The album features Jarren Benton, Futuristic (rapper), Chris Webby and others.[9]

In March 2015, Locksmith performed at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.[10]

Locksmith releases his 3rd album "Olive Branch" on March 31, 2017.

Battle rapping

Locksmith previously did battle rap on GrindTimeNow. To date, he has battled the likes of Dizaster, Passwurdz, and Jonny Storm. Locksmith has since retired from battle rapping to focus on music.

Discography

Studio albums

  • A Thousand Cuts (2014)
  • Lofty Goals (2015)
  • Olive Branch (2017)

Mixtapes

  • The Locktape (2010)
  • I Am Lock (2011)
  • Labyrinth (2012)
  • The Green Box (2013)
  • The Lock Sessions (2016)

Extended plays

  • The Rare Form EP (2009)

Collaboration albums

  • Embedded[2][11] (with Ski Beatz) (November 15, 2011)
  • No Question (with Apollo Brown) (2018)

References

  1. ↑ RapReviews.com "Locksmith Interview" 9 June 2009 (accessed 25 July 2010)
  2. 1 2 3 Acosta, Danny Locksmith Talks New Album, Therapeutic Lyrics, and Headlining in Australia Before the Bay Area SF Weekly. July 8, 2015
  3. ↑ Davis, Aaron MUSIC BOX: Dirty Birds late night at The Trap Planet Jackson Hole. July 7, 2015
  4. ↑ Schwartz, Danny Locksmith Might Be The Best Conscious Rapper In The Game After This Freestyle HotNewHipHop.com. July 7, 2015
  5. ↑ Fleischer, Adam Locksmith Opens Up About Sexual Abuse On ‘Hardest Song Ever’ MTV. July 8, 2015
  6. ↑ Meara, Paul Rap Release Dates: Chris Brown, The Game, Locksmith, Miguel HipHopDX. July 8, 2015
  7. ↑ Ivey, Justin Locksmith Freestyles Over Gang Starr Instrumentals on Shade 45 with DJ Kay Slay The Boom Box. July 8, 2015
  8. ↑ Guilt-Free Listening: Stream Locksmith’s ‘Lofty Goals’ Album Uproxx.com. July 7, 2015
  9. ↑ Ward, Mark Locksmith – Lofty Goals (Album Stream) Rhyme Junkie. July 25, 2015
  10. ↑ Harrington, Jim SXSW music 2015: Here's the complete lineup San Jose Mercury News. July 8, 2015
  11. ↑ Locksmith & Skibeatz "Embedded" Episode 1 July 7, 2015
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