Dom Kennedy facts for kids

Dominic Ross Hunn (born August 22, 1984), known as Dom Kennedy, is a rapper from Los Angeles, California. He is famous for his cool, laid-back style. Dom Kennedy started making music in 2008.

His fourth mixtape, From the Westside with Love (2010), became very popular. Its follow-up, From the Westside with Love II (2011), was his first official album. This album even made it onto the Billboard 200 music chart! His albums Get Home Safely (2013) and By Dom Kennedy (2015) also did very well. They both reached number 23 on the charts.

Dom Kennedy is also known for being on Nipsey Hussle's song "Double Up" in 2019. This song even reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Dom Kennedy is an independent artist. This means he releases his music through his own company, called Other People's Money (OPM). His song "My Type of Party" (2012) was named one of the best songs of that year by Complex magazine.

Dom Kennedy's Early Life

Dom Kennedy was born in Los Angeles, California, on August 22, 1984. He has described his childhood as "normal." After his parents divorced, he moved with his mom to Leimert Park.

Growing up, Dom played baseball and basketball. He played basketball every day from age five to 16. He used sports to stay safe and out of trouble. After high school, he went to Santa Monica College. He studied business management there. He wanted to learn about how companies work. He thought it would be useful if he didn't become a rapper.

Dom Kennedy's Music Journey

Dom Kennedy started his music career in 2008. He released his first mixtape, 25th Hour, with his cousin Jason Madison. A mixtape is like an album, but often released for free or online. The song "Watermelon Sundae" from this mixtape became popular on local radio. It helped people notice his music.

In 2009, he released two more mixtapes. One was called Best After Bobby. He worked with DJ Sour Milk and the Los Angeles Leakers on it. This mixtape got over 10,000 downloads very quickly. This showed that Dom Kennedy was becoming a big name in Los Angeles rap.

His mixtape From the Westside With Love (2010) made him even more famous. It got over 100,000 downloads online. This success helped him become a major independent artist. He started traveling to perform, even going to Djibouti, Africa. He also began releasing many music videos for songs like "1997" and "Locals Only."

In 2011, Dom Kennedy released his fifth mixtape, The Original Dom Kennedy. He said this project showed who he was as an artist. It also represented his hometown of Los Angeles. He wanted to show the lifestyle of kids from the inner city.

Later in 2011, he performed at the South by Southwest festival. This is a big event for music and film. His performance was even featured by The Source (magazine), a major hip hop magazine. He also performed his first show outside the U.S. in Djibouti, Africa, that same year.

After his album From the Westside With Love II came out, Dom Kennedy had sold-out shows in West Hollywood, California. He performed with other West Coast rappers.

In 2012, Dom Kennedy went on his Yellow Album World Tour. He traveled across Europe and the United States. The tour started in London and ended in San Francisco.

In 2013, Dom Kennedy released his second studio album, Get Home Safely. He released it through his own label, The Other People's Money Company. The album included other artists like Nipsey Hussle. It sold over 10,000 copies in its first week.

His third album, By Dom Kennedy, came out in 2015. It reached number 23 on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2016, he released his fourth album, Los Angeles Is Not For Sale, Vol. 1.

Dom Kennedy also formed a hip-hop group called Half-A-Mil with Hit-Boy. They released several EPs and an album called Courtesy Of Half-A-Mil in 2017. In 2019, he was featured on Kehlani's song "Nunya." He also appeared in the music video for the song.

More About Dom Kennedy

In 2014, Dom Kennedy signed a rap group called Warm Brew to his OPM label. This shows he helps other artists.

Dom Kennedy's Influences

Dom Kennedy often says "Leimert Park what's cool" to represent his hometown. He grew up listening to artists like The Notorious B.I.G., Outkast, 2Pac, and LL Cool J. He felt like he could understand where they were from just by listening to their music.

Dom Kennedy tries to do the same thing with his own songs. He wants to bring the feeling of Los Angeles streets to his listeners. He has said he wants to make music like DJ Quik or Ice Cube, but in his own unique way. He uses beats from both old and new hip hop songs. He always adds the feel of L.A. and West Coast hip hop to his music.

Dom Kennedy's Music Style

In 2011, Dom Kennedy was seen as a leader in a new wave of West Coast hip hop artists. He is known for his relaxed flow and clever lyrics. He is also good at telling stories through his music.

Dom Kennedy's Albums

Studio Albums

Mixtapes