Mr. Criminal

Although rapper-producer Mr. Criminal reps the Los Angeles hipster haven of Silverlake, California, he contends there's only one way to describe his style: "West Coast Southside G-funk Latino gangster shit."

Since hooking up with Hi Power Entertainment eight years ago – when it was still run by Chicano rap star Mr. Capone-E – Roberto Garcia, aka Mr. Criminal, has been nothing short of prolific. He's released an album every year since 2003, beginning with Criminal Mentality and followed by Organized Crime (2004), Sounds of Crime (2005) and Stay On The Streets (2006). Last year's Ryder Muzic spawned the underground banger Side to Side and the L.A. radio hit Mami Mira, a breezy party jam featuring the earworm vocals of West Coast veteran Nate Dogg. Music blog Idolator says Criminal's beats are "custom-made for riding low, and serve as evidence that he loves the sound of breaking glass."

On his latest release, Rise to Power, Mr. Criminal teams up with East Coast gangster Fat Joe on Drop It N Rock It, a club-ready track that could just as easily be found on an album by T-Pain or Akon. But make no mistake, there are enough of Mr. Criminal's Zapp & Roger-influenced beats on on Mr. Criminal’s latest tracks to keep lowriders bumping and heads nodding until he drops his next album.

See: myspace.com/wwwmrcriminalcom