Keith Dwayne HIckman Jr, professionally known as Hickman L.A., is a Los Angeles born MC, influenced by the depths of 2Pac's lyrics and the consciousness/imagery of Lupe Fiasco. While meeting Lupe (Hickman's favorite rapper) in 9th grade, Lupe told him that he was going to be creating Hip Hop music after Lupe retires. That was all the drive Hickman L.A. needed to take his craft seriously. He has stayed true to his insightful lyrics about his community, society, and how he can use his words to heal the wounds of his people. At the same time, he uses the competitiveness, hunger, and fearlessness that he learned from 2Pac to craft witty metaphors and bars (combined with a love for flow) that proves he can hold his own with the best of wordsmiths. At Tuskegee University, he built a following and released his first solo mixtape, Just A Start: Reconstruction, which received high praise from both peers and hip hop heads alike. He also teamed up with Houston MC Ghost Plato to form the Underground Rap Group Classic Kings, touring across colleges opening up for acts such as Hurricane Chris, Pastor Troy, Kid Ink, Skooly, Wale, and Three 6 Mafia.