The concept and idea behind trap isn’t new, but the term is (relatively). Trap is a sub-genre of rap and hip-hop, where the lyrics are darker and more intense. You could also call trap gangsta rap, and people would know what you’re talking about.

But not everyone who makes trap music is a gangster, not in the traditional sense. So – they get their own genre. And one of the big players in the trap genre is Shoreline Mafia, out of California. While they met in 2010, they didn’t start making music “officially” until 2016. Late start or not, we’re glad they figured out what they wanted to do – which is jack up the street cred of our playlists.

Sex, Drugs, and Graffiti

Before the members of Shoreline Mafia were making music, they were partying and doing graffiti together. Half their crew are graffiti artists by trade, or at least that’s how they identified before joining the band.

Three out of the four members, Fenix, Ohgeesy, and Rob Vicious are LA natives, while Master Kato, hails from the windy city. Though he’s the “outcast” geographically, he’s still the perfect fit for this group. After years of knowing each other, partying, and otherwise having fun, the group decided to make things official in 2016. They put out the mixtape ShorelineDoThatShit, by themselves about a year later.

Getting Signed

After their mixtape came out at the end of 2017, they got attention, fast. Atlantic called, and they signed with them a few months later. With their new professional representation, they put out their first three studio albums in the span of a year. Yes, you read that right, three. They called their fourth album Party Pack, Vol 2, which managed to chart on the Billboard top 100.