Kamaiyah
Resurrecting the sounds of the 1990s, Oakland rapper Kamaiyah debuted in the mid-2010s, delivering hardcore lyrics with a laid-back confidence and playful toughness. Atop thick beats and nostalgic production, she carved a niche in the Bay Area underground before issuing her critically acclaimed debut mixtape, 2016's A Good Night in the Ghetto. She left major labels behind after administrative red tape held up her release schedule, and teamed with rappers like Sada Baby and Cash Kidd for her hard-hitting 2022 EP Divine Timing.
Born Kamaiyah Jamesha Johnson in Oakland, California, she was raised in Sacramento, where she grew up listening to Missy Elliot, TLC, Conscious Daughters, and Aaliyah. That combination of hip-hop-influenced R&B and rhyme-focused rapping informed a style that she eventually unveiled with the Oakland collective the Big Money Gang. She branched out on her own in 2015 with the regional hit "How Does It Feel," which caught the attention of major music publications and NPR. Striking quickly while her brand was hot, Kamaiyah released her debut album, A Good Night in the Ghetto, in early 2016. A critical hit, she found herself rapping alongside YG and Drake, touring with the former, and briefly signing with Interscope Records. Though a release never materialized with the label, she issued her sophomore mixtape on her own. 2017's Before I Wake was a short creative burst, focusing on the state of her life and career at the time.
Kamaiyah eventually freed herself of Interscope in 2018 and got to work on another album. Released on her label GRND.WRK, Got It Made was an aggressive return for the emcee, featuring appearances by J. Espinosa as well as spiritual and stylistic predecessor Trina. In 2020, Kamaiyah worked with fellow Bay Area rapper Capolow on the collaborative EP Oakland Nights, as well as issuing the No Explanations mixtape, which featured spots from Mozzy and Jackboy. Her Divine Timing EP appeared in 2022 on Keep It Lit Records. The West Coast bass-heavy, seven-track project included guest features from DaBoii, Sada Baby, and Cash Kidd.
© Neil Z. Yeung & David Jeffries /TiVo
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Another Summer Night
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Keep It Lit Records on Nov 24, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
THE AM3RICAN DREAM
Jay Worthy, Kamaiyah, Harry Fraud
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by GDF - Keep It Lit Records - SRFSCHL, LLC on Oct 13, 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Addicted To Ballin'
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Interscope on Jun 8, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Good Night in the Ghetto
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Kamaiyah on Mar 23, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Got It Made
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by GRND.WRK - EMPIRE on Feb 21, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Oakland Nights
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Grnd.Wrk, Inc. on Sep 18, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Divine Timing (Deluxe Edition)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Keep It Lit Records on Aug 5, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
How Does It Feel
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Interscope on Jan 1, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Thru The Week
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Keep It Lit Records on Jan 6, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
No Explanations
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by GRND.WRK - EMPIRE on Dec 11, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Got It Made
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by GRND.WRK - EMPIRE on Feb 21, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Windows
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Interscope Records on Jun 14, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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No Explanations
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by GRND.WRK - EMPIRE on Dec 11, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Still I Am
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by GRND.WRK - EMPIRE on Dec 13, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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9AM
Jay Worthy, Kamaiyah, Harry Fraud
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by GDF - Keep It Lit Records - SRFSCHL, LLC on Sep 29, 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
3 Nights in Seattle
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Keep It Lit Records on Sep 29, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo