Iamsu!’s HBK Gang Releases Debut Mixtape, Prepares For West Coast Tour

Mixtape: HBK Gang (Iamsu!) – Gang Forever

Young West Coast Crew On Course To Dominate Rap Releases First Official Mixtape; Out Today Via LiveMixtapes

08.12.2013

Critical Praise for Iamsu!:

Best New Artist – SPIN

“[Iamsu!] is making some of the catchiest and most pleasant music in all of rap right now.” – Stereogum

“[Iamsu!] is very easy to like, and…he flashes an intensity to match.” – Pitchfork

“Iamsu!’s growing buzz is warranted and this is shaping up to be a big year for him.” – Complex

Gen F featured artist – “Iamsu! asserts himself as a hip-hop tour de force with fluid, confident rhymes.” – The FADER

“It truly seems that Iamsu! is incapable of making a bad song.” – VICE

The Mixtape:

If you haven’t yet heard of the HBK Gang, it’s time to get acquainted. While many are already familiar with the success, both critical and commercial, of de facto crew leader Iamsu!, HBK Gang is proving prolific across the board: There’s P-Lo (of The Invasion), whose production has been the driving force behind the West Coast’s current, radio-dominating sound, and who’s produced singles for Yo Gotti (“Act Right”), Wiz Khalifa (“‘Bout Me”), and more; Sage The Gemini has been equally prolific, with two singles, “Gas Pedal” and “Red Nose,” currently charting (and climbing) on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, sitting at #46 and #59, respectively.

The rest of the crew is rounded out by Skip, Rossi, CJ Jay Ant, and Kool John, and today the group is celebrating the release of their collaborative mixtape, Gang Forever, out exclusively via LiveMixtapes. According to P-Lo, the new mixtape is a culmination of the crew’s growing success and vision, and the perfect launching pad for everything yet to come, from every member of the group: “This is what we would talk about every day – killing the game from every angle. As solo artists, as producers, but most importantly doing it together. And now it’s starting to happen, but this is only the beginning.”

Produced entirely by HBK Gang, of which many members also make of part of the production crew The Invasion, the tape is the result of packed studio sessions, with each member of the HBK Gang in attendance – and with so many talented artists in one room, competition was high. “Each one of us on the production side tried to one-up each other on the beats and whoever got in the booth laid verses,” explains Iamsu! of the tape’s collaborative process. “The anticipation for the entire HBK Gang has been building,” he continues, “and it’s time to finally bring the whole crew out. Gang Forever is the next step in reaching our goal of establishing HBK Gang as a powerhouse.”

West Coast fans of the mixtape should check out Iamsu!’s headlining tour, the HBK Forever Tour featuring Kool John and Jay Ant, presented by Pink Dolphin. The tour starts in Portland, OR on August 23rd and wraps up Reno, NV on September 22nd.

Download Gang Forever on LiveMixtapes: http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/23289/hbk-gang-gang-forever.html

Purchase tickets here: http://hbkgang.com/

Tour Dates:

Fri. Aug-23 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre w/ E-40

Sat. Aug-24 Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club Iamsu_gang_forever

Mon. Aug-26 Seattle, WA @ Nemos

Tues. Aug-27 Spokane, WA @ The Center

Thu.Aug-29 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex

Fri. Aug-30 Denver, CO @ Cervantes

Sat. Aug-31 Ft. Collins, CO @ Hodis

Mon. Sep-02 Albuqerque, NM @ Launchpad 1H

Tues. Sep-03 Flagstaff, AZ @ Green Room

Wed. Sep-04 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress

Thu. Sep-05 Phoenix, AZ @ Club Red

Fri. Sep-06 San Diego, CA @ Porters Pub

Sat. Sep-07 San Luis Obispo, CA @ SLO Brew

Sun. Sep-08 San Bernadino, CA @ Rock The Bells

Wed. Sep-11 Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones

Thu. Sep-12 Bakersfield, CA @ B-Ryders

Fri. Sep-13 Whittier, CA @ Whittier College

Sun. Sep-15 San Francisco, CA @ Rock The Bells

Wed. Sep-18 Fresno, CA @ Strummers

Thu. Sep-19 Chico, CA @ Senator Theatre

Fri. Sep-20 Santa Cruz, CA @ Catalyst 201H

Sat. Sep-21 Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades

Sun. Sep-22 Reno, NV @ Knitting Factory

Please contact Michelle or Dan if interested in talking with Iamsu!.

Iamsu! Background:

2012 was nothing short of a breakout year for Iamsu!. The 22-year-old popped up with a triple-threat performance on LoveRance’s ”UP!,” which Su! produced, penned the hook for, and guested on with a scene-stealing verse. The song peaked at number one on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and in the midst of that success, Su! again delivered a fan-favorite verse on a big-time radio single, this time with E-40′s”Function.” Su! followed that success with a solo mixtape, KILT, and the critical acclaim came in droves, as the project was hailed by SPIN as their Rap Release Of The Week, with the outlet also naming Su! as one of their 5 Best New Artists for June ’12. Su!’s been plenty busy since – a west coast tour; a collaborative mixtape with Jay Ant; a standout collaboration with Wiz Khalifa, “Bout Me,” that appeared on Khalifa’s Cabin Fever 2 and will also show up on his sophomore album, O.N.I.F.C. Iamsu! released mixtape $uzy 6 $peed, which was released exclusively through LiveMixtapes on November 10th. The tape was presented by Bay Area streetwear company Pink Dolphin, which released an exclusive t-shirt and hoody for the tape. Iamsu! is back to work already in 2013, with the recent release of Million Dollar Afro, a collaborative mixtape with Compton rapper Problem. The two West Coast rappers co-headlined their own Million Dollar Afro Tour to support the mixtape. Most recently Iamsu! released his new solo mixtape, KILT 2, in conjunction with LiveMixtapes, which is available now, as well as the remastered deluxe edition, which is available via iTunes.