Best Local Hip Hop Legend

Andre Nickatina

www.andrenickatina.com

With a gruff voice that scrapes against his beats and an unwavering flow that is at times dull and monotonous, Fillmore MC/hip hop mogul Andre Nickatina might seem an odd candidate for hip hop legend. But he's also armed with a constant cadre of great hooks and a rugged street reportage style that's alternately enthralling and scary. Nickatina has been a fixture on the S.F. scene for well over a decade. In 1998, fed up with being jerked around by various record labels, he formed Fillmoe Coleman to release his material exclusively. One of the more prolific artists in the Bay Area (or anywhere else, for that matter), he has produced 11 albums on Fillmoe Coleman and even starred in a short film released locally. His most recent record, The Gift, is yet another strong entry in an already dazzling catalog.