J-Diggs (
Jamal Diggs) is a prolific Bay Area rapper and co-CEO of
Thizz Entertainment, the influential label founded by the late
Mac Dre that became instrumental in popularizing the style of hip-hop known as hyphy. As with many hyphy artists,
Diggs' gruff yet laidback raps are typically focused on subjects such as fast cars/motorcycles, drugs, sex, and city life, highlighted on releases such as
Da Bad (2009),
California Livin', Pt. 3 (2016), and #90DayHouseArrestProject (2018).
Active since the mid-'90s,
J-Diggs, a native of Vallejo, California, has released well over a dozen solo and collaborative albums in addition to guesting on releases by his mentor
Mac Dre as well as fellow
Thizz artists including
Little Bruce,
Mac Mall, and
Mistah F.A.B. He has also contributed to releases by collectives Crest Creepaz and
Thizz Nation. His solo discography starts in 1999 with
Both Sides of the Gate. In 2005, he released
California Livin', Pt. 2, a sequel to
Mac Dre's 1999 album. Four years later,
Diggs' solo output grew considerably with a trilogy of separate albums titled
Da Good,
Da Bad, and Da Ugly.
All Gas!! and
No Brakes!! were simultaneously released in 2014, a year that also saw the arrival of
Montana Montana Montana's
Diggs-presented debut album, Really Not a Rapper, and yet another
Diggs release,
Soul of a Gangsta.
California Livin', Pt. 3: Chasin' My Dreams was issued in 2016. Within two years,
Diggs presented a sequel to Really Not a Rapper and also put together #90DayHouseArrestProject with over two-dozen featured guests, from Bay Area veterans (
Spice 1) to newcomers (Phatt Black). ~ Paul Simpson