AZ Chike is “one of them ones”, and listening to his music, he knows it. The Los Angeles-bred rapper is rapidly rising after a breakout 2024 with an alley-oop from Kendrick Lamar after delivering a standout feature on the chart-topping GNX album.
While the moment catalyzes his rap career, the Warner Records signee is not new to the game, or even to mainstream rap features, as he was featured on ScHoolboy Q’s 2024 Blue Lips album, signifying his support from Hip-Hop veterans. Now, as his star power expands, AZ Chike hopes to keep collecting “West Coast Infinity Stones.”
Being supported by the aforementioned Black Hippy members is seemingly fate for the “What X2” performer — who shares with VIBE that he was given a figurative stamp in the womb from DJ Quik — as he explains his desire to link up with some of the industry’s biggest pioneers from the Golden State, also naming Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre.
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“The thing with DJ Quik is, my mama put me on all the gangsta sh*t growing up. She was like a dope girl in the ’90s,” he explains.
“DJ Quik was one of her favorite artists. She went to one of his shows, and I don’t think he ended up performing in the venue or something. Long story short, he hopped and started performing on top of the limo. At the time, she’s pregnant with me. He’s rapping, and he rubs her stomach while she’s pregnant with me. I haven’t been able to tell him that. But my manager sent me a video of him recording himself when Kendrick was performing ‘Peek-A-Boo’ at the Super Bowl, and it was like a full circle moment.”
Further in the conversation, the rising rapper added the names of additional artists outside of California Hip-Hop with whom he’d like to connect creatively.
“Future for sure,” exclaims the 29-year-old. “Teddy Swims, for sure. Oh, man. I like Smino a lot, too. His sh*t is very cold and he can rap. He can rap. Doechii, for sure.”
AZ Chike’s horizon continues to expand as he recalls, “I got to get some UK artists in there too. I think Dave is dope from the UK…and honorable mention EST Gee, his sh*t got me in a chokehold right now.”
Laetitia Rumford/VIBE
Still, the “Big Dawg” rapper remains loyal to his home turf, and makes it clear when explaining the unreleased snippet heard at the end of the “Whatx2” music video.
“It was a flare being shot in the air,” AZ Chike declares. “I wouldn’t even say a fair warning because I’m not here to play fair.”
He continues to boast, “But it goes for everybody. Anybody who got something to say about what’s going on now for the West Coast, just tread lightly.”
Check out more from VIBE’s interview with AZ Chike below.
