Based out of Richmond, California, rapper
Kool John is a solo artist and also a member of the West Coast collective the HBK Gang. After selling his "Club Mix" cassettes around high school, he kicked off his career as an MC working with fellow rapper
LoveRance. In 2011 he joined
Iamsu!,
Sage the Gemini, and others in the Bay Area collective the HBK Gang and appeared on their debut mixtape, Gang Forever, in 2013. In 2014 he released the solo mixtape Shmop City, its title a reference to
Kool John's Shmoplife label. ~ David Jeffries