Swiggle Mandela is one of the most prominent figures in the Portland hip hop community. He has been making music almost his entire life and is the leader of the collaborative La Familia Gang Music, which includes his two brothers Timmi HendriXXX and Jasey Cordeta, along with a bevy of other artists primarily based in Portland. In October 2015, Mandela released “Portland Parks,” which he says is when his music matured and he dedicated all of his time and resources to making music. Mandela opened Shop La Familia and Co-op in North Portland in January 2019 to give hip hop artists a place to sell their music, merchandise and art. One of his main inspirations to open a store was Nipsey Hussle. He has since traveled around the country playing shows, including recent trips to Detroit and Los Angeles. Critics praise Mandela’s musical versatility, lyricism, and conscious rap style. In October 2019, Mandela released his debut album Portlandsterdam.