By the time Mozzy released his breakthrough LP, 2017’s 1 Up Top Ahk, the Sacramento-born rapper had already issued 18 projects since launching his music career in 2010. The MC (born Timothy Cornell Patterson in 1987) matched his unrelenting work ethic with a classic West Coast sound, new-school charisma and the grit of his Oak Park neighbourhood. Mozzy was already a well-respected local legend in Northern California long before 1 Up Top Ahk found a wider audience, but his lack of national acclaim up to that point never deterred him. “I’ve been rapping since I was 14,” he told Apple Music. “I didn’t start popping until I was 27 or 28. Now I’m able to feed my family.” His diligence has carried over to albums like Beyond Bulletproof and Occupational Hazard, both of which were released in 2020. Mozzy’s signature California drawl is at the forefront of both LPs. In the past, his regionality was the focus, but Mozzy’s efforts since signing to the influential EMPIRE Distribution label in 2016 have found the rapper embracing different subgenres. On 2019’s “Just My Luck”, he embraces Detroit’s electro-bounce sound with the Motor City’s Sada Baby and on 2020’s “Body Count”, he invites Chicago drill stars G Herbo and King Von to showcase their city’s sound. Mozzy has always been a steady presence, slowly and patiently becoming a bona fide star. “All you have to do is stay consistent, dedicated, and passionate,” he told Apple Music. “It’ll pay off in ways you couldn’t imagine.”