Rapper and E-40 protégé OMB Peezy merges his Alabama roots with his Sacramento upbringing, making street-minded music that boasts substance and swagger. • OMB Peezy grew up in the Orange Grove projects of Mobile, Alabama. When he was 12, he relocated to Sacramento with his mother in a stolen moving van. • His 2016 track “Lay Down” pays homage to Bay Area rapper Celly Cel’s 20-year-old local hit “It’s Goin’ Down.” Nef The Pharaoh heard Peezy’s song and brought it to Celly Cel’s former boss, E-40. • After hearing “Lay Down,” E-40 was compelled to sign OMB Peezy to Sick Wid It Records. • He recorded his 2018 debut album, Loyalty Over Love, during a 15-hour studio session. Mozzy and TK Kravitz are among the guests. • The rapper shows his vulnerable side on 2020’s “Face in the Sky (R.I.P. Granny),” written for his late grandmother, who helped raise him and his brother. • Throughout his career, OMB Peezy has collaborated closely with Georgia producer DrumDummie. They partnered for the 2020 album In the Meantime.