Earlier this year I went to Los Angeles to speak with a few of the city’s up-and-coming Hip-Hop acts. One of the artist I met was Casey Veggies. I was a huge fan of Veggies “Ridin’ Roun Town,” and he was one of the main reasons I wanted to go to the LA – the beautiful weather and tacos aren’t bad either.

I met Casey at the Trap House, one of his friends’ stores on West Pico Blvd, and greeted by a wide-eyed, 17-year-old grinning ear to ear. He was just excited to hold an MTV mic. During the interview, I was intrigued with the fact that Casey was still in high school and juggling a budding rap career. Read More...

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Family members, friends and hundreds of fans are turning out at Faithful Center to pay their final respects to Cali Swag influential member Mante "M-Bone" Talbert who was murdered on May 15th in his Inglewood stomping grounds. The vibrant yet sometimes silent group member was best known for his role in the introduction of the trendsetting "Dougie" movement that took the rap game by storm, propelling the collective as one of the West Coast's next wave of talent. The 22 year old talented dancer was shot two times in his head in a drive-by shooting. Inglewood Police Department's homicide division told MTV News that, while they have spoken to several witnesses, as of now they have made no arrests and have no suspects in the murder. Read More...

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The Rej3ctz checked in to this Wednesday’s edition of RapFix Live via Skype and the eccentric group of dancers, rappers and everything in between were as rambunctious as ever. Mowii and Bounce were present, but Pee Wee was AWOL. Nevertheless, host Sway Calloway got them to speak on the New West hip-hop scene that MTV News has been covering all week. Read More...

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Young Money's Tyga will be in the building this afternoon for a special edition of MTV News' "RapFix Live." The Cali native will not only chat it up with host Sway but will also be answering questions about his upcoming tour with Diddy, absence from Lil Wayne's "I Am Still Music" tour and his much hyped YM debut album. We'll also have an in-depth look at some of the Cali rap acts that are making L.A. a go-to hip-hop destination once again. Read More...

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As part of MTV News’ “The New West” coverage, we turn our attention out to the greater Los Angeles Metropolitan area where an exciting renaissance of sorts is underway. Today, we profile the home grown band of mischievous and menacing MCs and producers known as Odd Future.

Over the last two years, the California collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (the group’s full name is often abbreviated to OFWGKTA or simply Odd Future) has willed their way into the consciousness of music fans starving for the next big thing. Their rhymes are ripe with taboo topics like sexual violence and murder and their come up through rap’s ranks were as untraditional as the group’s music. Odd Future has made their mark by bucking nearly everything the music industry stands for with an almost nihilistic glee. Read More...

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Starting today MTV News will turn its focus all week on the burgeoning Hip-Hop scene out of California aptly titled “The New West.” Sway and the MTV News team will focus primarily on the variety of talented rappers and producers coming out of the vast expanses of the Los Angeles region.

With Los Angeles being the second largest city in the nation behind New York City, it is no surprise that L.A. will forever be a fixture of cultural lore. And when the greater Los Angeles suburbs and cities are factored in, there exists a rich pool of iconic landmarks, must-see destinations and neighborhoods forever immortalized in verse by many of the city’s celebrated rap artists in past times. Read More...

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Nipsey Hussle's career has been more stop-and-go than L.A. traffic, but the rapper is far from discouraged. After building a sizable buzz that landed him a record deal with Epic, a shoe deal with Pony, co-signs from the Game and Snoop, and acting credits in flicks with Vivica A. Fox and Ving Rhames, Nipsey still hasn't dropped his major-label debut, South Central State of Mind. No worries: The lanky hip-hop prospect is still delivering heat with his latest mixtape, The Marathon. Read More...

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MTV News' New West Week might be shining a spotlight on L.A. newcomers, but the rapper any rising Cali MC must pay homage to is Snopp Dogg.

Since his debut on "Deep Cover" with Dr. Dre, Snoop has achieved multiplatinum success and status as a hip-hop icon, utilizing his talents off the mic as an actor and executive too. The man born Calvin Broadus has always lent a helping hand to MCs making their way in the rap game, especially those hailing from his home coast. Read More...

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In recent years, Los Angeles hip-hop has lost its place at the top of the rap game. Dr. Dre's once ubiquitous G-Funk sound has largely disappeared thanks in part to the emergence of other super-producers, the growing dominance of southern hip-hop and the good doctor's own absence from the scene. As a result (with the exception of the likes of Game and Snoop Dogg), the region has been mostly dormant on a national scale — until now.

In recent years, a new wave of hip-hop acts has emerged, awakening a newfound interest in L.A. hip-hop culture. These artists have each individually carved their own lane without the help of their rap forefathers, creating a sound in contrast to the G-Funk/ gangsta rap sensibility. Beginning Monday, April 18, MTV News will be highlighting some of the best of L.A.'s talented and diverse acts with our weeklong coverage of the New West. Read More...

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RapFix is MTV News’ hub for breaking hip-hop stories, features, exclusive behind-the-scenes content and everything in between. The conversation begins on the blog and continues on our weekly show “RapFix Live,” hosted by Sway Calloway.

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