In Rotation: Lefty Gunplay

Baldwin Park’s own Lefty Gunplay didn't just stumble into the center of hip-hop’s biggest stage. When Kendrick Lamar tapped him for that viral "Crazy, scary, spooky, hilarious" ad-lib on "TV Off," it put a massive spotlight on a grind forged behind federal walls. Franklin Scott Holladay spent nine years locked up on a gun charge. He stepped out in late 2023 with a hunger you absolutely cannot fabricate. Since his release, the Guatemalan and Mexican American rapper has been on a relentless tear, dropping five full-length projects in just over a year. You hear that ticking-clock urgency all over his catalog. On his latest video for "Where You From" alongside Jap5, the drums hit with a heavy, unapologetic West Coast swing. Lefty delivers brash street narratives, but he constantly pivots into heavy introspection. On his recent album Can't Get Right, he linked up with West Coast architect JasonMartin to craft a G-funk revival soundtrack. The basslines roll thick under his raspy delivery as he unpacks neighborhood rivalries, PTSD, and the harsh realities of incarceration. It is music that sounds exactly like surviving. The industry is finally catching the wave. Apple Music just flooded The New L.A. playlist with his joints. "Story Of My Life"—a standout featuring Coyote, Cricket, and Mike & Keys—is climbing up the ranks alongside "Grand Park Inn" and "MWA." Even terrestrial radio from New York's WKTU to Chicago's 670 The Score is adding his tracks to their daily programming. He is taking this momentum on the road this September, hitting legendary rooms like Antone's in Austin and Vinyl in Atlanta. I have had his music playing in the office all week because he bridges classic L.A. bounce with modern street reality. He is just making up for lost time. Check it out below.