Straight outta Vallejo, California comes one of my favorite new artists Pofsky & I came across in 2023. I first met 21-year-old Xim Lahren (pronounced "Zim") at the Pofsky & KaceyFamily Stuck In Drive album release event in November. Pofsky had met him a few weeks prior at some juice bar somewhere in the Valley. 
One of the rarest things to see amongst up and coming rappers is the ability to write complete songs. You may get a quality verse, or a catchy chorus, but it's tough and takes time to create real songs with professional composing, bridges, vocal layering, etc. Xim's October 2023 single “THE EAST” does all of this in an impressive way, especially for such a young artist. Xim currently lives in the INFAMOUS 818 AREA, closer to the Southern California underground hip-hop scene than ever before.

Tap in with Xim Lahren on Instagram @XimsWorld.