A student of Freestyle Fellowship and the Project Blowed alt-rap movement on the Left Coast, Compton native Kail (born William Thedford) shed his greenhorn MC status like many others in the L.A. underground, performing at the famed Good Life café. Striking a deal with the U.K.-based Big Dada through L.A. indie Alpha Pup, the quirky rapper dropped his concept-driven debut, True Hollywood Squares, in 2008. ~ Cyril Cordor