The Jacka

Bay Area street rap star The Jacka emerged during the waning days of the 1990s West Coast renaissance as a member of Mob Figaz, a group cosigned by controversial Sacramento rapper C-Bo. For the next few years, The Jacka struggled to get noticed while dealing crack and carrying out various prison stints. The Jacka's time arrived when hyphy, a local sound that blended thick, club-oriented bass beats with hardcore lyricism, brought renewed national focus to the local hip-hop community. With his second album, 2005's The Jack Artist, he established himself as an uncompromising voice that could rap about street hustling from personal experience. His 2009 album Tear Gas became a regional smash and launched the hit "Glamorous Lifestyle." In 2011, he followed it up with Flight Risk.