When DIE FOR MY BITCH was released in 2019, Baby Keem was a 19-year-old virtual unknown scratching the surface of the underground scene. Due to a lack of money and resources, Baby Keem had taught himself to produce beats. He’d also learned how to hustle, cold-emailing links of his early music to countless bloggers and praying for a response. It all paid off with DIE FOR MY BITCH, which proved the barely-adult rapper’s prowess, determination, and potential to soar—while also yielding a sleeper-hit single with “Orange Soda.” DIE FOR MY BITCH was created by Keem under the guidance of his cousin, Kendrick Lamar, and Dave Free, the cofounder of the label and creative house PGLang (who later signed Baby Keem). The mixtape is a testament to the many faces of hip-hop, and Keem’s ability to dominate in all of them. He and fellow producers Kal Banx, Keanu Beats, DJ Dahi, and Cardo, among others, dip into grunge, rock, pop, and R&B, nailing the increasingly difficult-to-achieve goal of creating music that’s both innovative and replay-worthy.