Smooth, charismatic rapper Guapdad 4000 rose from the Bay Area in the late 2010s with his humorous style and a steady flow similar to forebears like Mase and Fabolous. After a breakthrough appearance on the 2019 Dreamville compilation Revenge of the Dreamers III, he issued his official debut full-length, Dior Deposits. Born Akeem Hayes, the West Oakland native grew up idolizing emcees such as Dom Kennedy, Mac Dre, Pharrell Williams, and Kanye West. Comparing himself to Williams, West, Childish Gambino, and Tyler, the Creator, he fashioned himself as a creative hip-hop outlier, matching his outsized personality with tight rhymes, clever wordplay, and punchline-packed lyrics. Guapdad 4000 released his first mixtape, Scamboy Color, in late 2017, recruiting Bay Area staple IAMSU on production duties. As his name spread through hip-hop circles, he attracted famous fans like Drake and J. Cole. After a chance meeting with the latter, he was invited to appear on Dreamville's 2019 chart-topping compilation Revenge of the Dreamers III, contributing to "Don't Hit Me Right Now," "Costa Rica," and "Wells Fargo." In the following months, Guapdad 4000 began the slow rollout for his official debut, issuing singles "First Things First" with G-Eazy and Reo Cragun, "Prada Process" with 6LACK, and "Gucci Pajamas" with Chance the Rapper and Charlie Wilson. Those tracks landed on Dior Deposits, which was released that October. Additional guests included Tory Lanez, Denzel Curry, and fellow Californians E-40, Nef the Pharaoh, and Mozzy. ~ Neil Z. Yeung
