AMG

Born Jason Lewis and tied to Inglewood, California, AMG emerged in the early 1990s in the wake of the West Coast hip-hop scene, with rap rooted in the nascent G-funk, smooth basslines and Los Angeles–derived funk productions. AMG first appeared in 1991 on DJ Quik’s Quik Is the Name, notably on several tracks that establish his name in the immediate circle of California rap. That same year, he released Bitch Betta Have My Money (1991), a largely self-produced album, followed by Ballin’ Outta Control (1995), then Bitch Betta Have My Money 2001 (2000). His writing rests on a direct, often blunt tone, frequently centered on sexual humor and the codes of pimp rap, in a format that blends laid-back phrasing, catchy hooks and grooves typical of West Coast rap. Over the course of his career, AMG also appears on soundtracks and pursues occasional collaborations, notably with DJ Quik, with whom he later forms The Fixxers, a duo whose Midnight Life project was due to be released in 2007 but never officially released after leaks. Active since the late 1980s, AMG remains associated with a branch of Los Angeles rap where mid-tempo speeds, digitized funk and a strongly local-culture oriented approach prevail.