Rob $tone Puts San Diego on the Hip Hop Map

It’s true that when you think of hip hop artists and certain cities around the United States, there are some names that have become synonymous with the place. For example, when you think of New York City you might think of Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Tupac, or Nicki Minaj. In Los Angeles it might be Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, or Eazy-E that spring to mind first.

But when you think of sunny San Diego, you might be drawing up a blank. San Diego is well known for it’s weather, surf, and diversity, but music-wise our city has mostly produced bands (like P.O.D., Switchfoot, and blink-182) or singular artists (like Adam Lambert or Jason Mraz). While the hip hop scene has it’s own presence in San Diego, it doesn’t quite have a mainstream artist to call their own. 

Rob $tone, the artist behind the hot hip hop track “Chill Bill”, is looking to change that perception.

Rob $tone recently did an interview with Billboard, describing his recent success and goals, as the “Kill Bill”-inspired song rises in the charts. He talked about how San Diego was overshadowed by the powerhouse music from Los Angeles and Atlanta, and how he was striving to foster more hip hop in his hometown. 
 
Spending time in Atlanta when he was younger, Rob $tone returned to San Diego a changed man: “I was listening to 2 Chainz a lot...in Atlanta. They play a lot of hip-hop on the radio. In San Diego, we don't get that on the radio. I wanted to bring that to San Diego and give local artists a chance.” He describes San Diego as having more of a “chill” music scene, but hopes to bring in that “hype” music that made Atlanta such a draw.

Rob $tone and his crew 1207 have come a long way from recording in a studio in North Park. They hope to inspire more San Diego hip hop artists to come out of the woodwork. His own career is on the rise, after a big performance at the recent SXSW, and will be opening for A$AP Ferg on the “Turnt & Burnt” tour starting in October.

You can read more about his interview by clicking here! 


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