Warm Brew
Los Angeles, CA
Hip Hop
Follow the Artist
About the Artist
Sprawling, loosely affiliated collectives have largely supplanted the tight-knit rap groups of the '90s. Connecting the dots between solo albums is increasingly difficult, and the collective often loses its binding ethos to too many translations. Luckily, Warm Brew continues to fill the void one line at a time. Since 2010's Natural Spirit, the Dogtown (Santa Monica and Venice) based trio of Ray Wright, Manu Li, and Serk Spliff have committed to recording together. Each project expounds on their singular, forward-thinking West Coast sound and expands their devoted local fanbase. After innumerable hours spent recording at Red Bull Studios in Santa Monica, the beachside group has become the first rap act signed to Red Bull Records. Today, their wave is poised to break far beyond the sands of the Pacific. Born and raised in various Los Angeles locales, the three 20-somethings formed their still unbreakable bond at Santa Monica High. Rap was initially a shared hobby, one flirted with between classes, parties, and trips to the beach. When post-high school plans didn't pan out, however, Warm Brew emerged. The group's earliest backyard shows remain the stuff of legend. College-aged fans up and down PCH toppled rickety fences and bounced on rooftops as Warm Brew developed their ever-kinetic live show. "It was like college for us," Li says. Really, the shows were a respite from their most turbulent years. Days were spent shuttling between the homes of their respective single mothers; nights were spent sleeping on floors and working graveyard shifts to make rent. Projects such as Kottabos (2012) and The Ride (2013) documented the highs and lows with increasing returns. "Our biggest influence is the struggle," Wright explains. "You don't necessarily have to be down to make your best music, but sometimes you make your best music when you're not in...