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Guapdad 4000

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“Guapdad 4000 continues to solidify himself as one of the game’s best-kept secrets. Charismatic and technically sound in equal measure, Guap’s dynamic persona has worked wonders where his networking game is concerned. Though while he may find himself breaking in some important rooms, his inherent nature as the Scam King will never fade.” – HotNewHipHop

“Guapdad4000 is living the dream. The Bay Area–bred faux scammer has pivoted from Instagram celebrity into rapper seamlessly.” – Pitchfork

“Hip-hop is a genre where outlaws can easily become folk heroes, and Guapdad embraces that. He’s comically narcissistic and in-your-face about his sins and bad habits (chugging Hennessy from the bottle is a big one), yet endearing with his Urkel glasses and love for Pokémon.” – KQED

About

Growing up in West Oakland provided Guapdad 4000 (born Akeem Hayes) with a vast treasure chest of invaluable inspiration, encouraging him early on in life to explore his innate talents as a multihyphenate creative and eager student of the game. While trying his hands at different mediums of self-expression over the years, he found himself amassing an exorbitant following on social media due to his charismatic personality and unabashed wit. As he continues to establish himself as an entertainer and influencer, many are first drawn to his outlandish humor and later are pleasantly surprised to learn that his talents extend past the screen and into the studio, with his roots lying in his natural ability as a rapper.

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In his teenage years, Guapdad’s profound sense of humor, paired with his aptitude for commanding attention, translated organically into his lighthearted freestyles and ignited his interest in developing his well-rounded capacities as a vocalist.

While navigating an upbringing challenged by his both of parents being in and out of jail at oft overlapping time frames, Guapdad 4000 began operating out of a necessity to both survive and take care of his siblings and grandmother. Driven by his greater desire to rise above such calamitous circumstances, he turned to illicit means to make money, such as credit card fraud and petty theft, a path accented by ups and downs that later provided ample material for his original content. While he eventually chose to abandon his crime-ridden past and pursue his music in a more dedicated capacity, his decision to instead express himself through an absurdist and comedic lens runs parallel to one of his most impactful influences, the late legend Mac Dre.

As Guap established himself as a fixture of Oakland’s reputed class of tastemakers, over time his peers became his collaborators, leading him to work with the likes of Kehlani (who dubbed his AIM screenname-inspired moniker), Saweetie, G-Eazy, Nef tha Pharoah, among others. From performing at staple underground venues and art galleries to gracing the festival stage at several Rolling Loud festivals, his online reputation grew in tandem with his expanding notoriety. Guapdad 4000 found early success in releasing parody videos and one-off singles alike, setting a strong foundation for his reputation to ultimately refocus on his passion for music. In 2017, after relocating to Los Angeles, he released his debut mixtape, Scamboy Color. The introductory project detailed his offbeat come-up and led to brand partnerships with companies such as Ethika and Footaction, as well as garnered integral co-signs from legacy acts including Drake and J. Cole.

As he balanced achieving new career milestones with polishing his first formal studio album, Guapdad called on his fans to choose the name for his debut, resulting in the selected title Dior Deposits. While his brand is grounded in individuality, the album doubles as a reflection of that, speaking to putting work in and investing in what it takes to be successful against all odds. The release, which is set to be accented with an exclusive line of merch even featuring durags and scammer cards, details his unconventional rags-to-riches story, showcasing how his ranging influences both inform and guide his ability to balance his eccentric persona with his unrelenting drive. Musically, he draws from bonafide lyricists such as Kendrick Lamar and Eminem, as well as nods to the Bay Area staples that soundtracked his youth, resulting in a project accentuated with lavish melodic flourishes, polished songwriting, rich alliteration and a mercurial nature that allows him to both be adaptive and innovative.

From his gem-laden confessional ballads that detail the life of a scammer (“Flossin,” “Touch Dough” ft. Saweetie, “Gucci Pajamas” ft. Chance the Rapper) to his more atmospheric turn-up anthems (“First Things First” ft. Reo Cragen and G-Eazy, “Rolex Rockstar” ft. Buddy), Dior Deposits displays Guapdad’s mission to own his individuality wholeheartedly and encourage others to do the same. With a confessional quality that adds to the transparent nature of his songwriting, Guapdad embraces his own growth (“Going Through It” ft. Nef tha Pharoah and E-40) while staying true to who he is at his core (“Can’t Stop Finessin'”).

With additional guest contributions from Tory Lanez, J.I.D, Jay Ant, Mozzy and Slimmy B, Guapdad thrives in collaboration, standing out while smoothly falling back to keep a compelling air of mystery around his artistry. Whether he is winning over fans through his lively “Valentino Vlog” series or honoring the duality that comes from being both Black and of Filipino descent, Guapdad 4000 is coming into his own as one of contemporary hip-hop’s most refreshing voices.

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