Kamaiyah
Oakland
Kamaiyah is the 21-year-old rapper who dropped one of the most promising debut mixtapes of the year—A Good Night in the Ghetto. Oakland born and raised, she grew up listening to Bay Area legends E-40 and Too Short, though she also appreciated MC Hammer. Those influences are all over her project, making it a true ode to the city and those before her. Now living in L.A. and touring extensively, there's still no city quite like Oakland. "I feel like the energy in Oakland is different than any place," she says. "Everyone is so bossed up and independent."