P-Lo Reignites Bay Area Slaps with Out the Box

Filipino rapper P-Lo has been an influential staple of the Yay-Area’s iconic sound. Anticipation is high for the summer release of Filipino American rapper P-Lo’s upcoming album, Out the Box, which features a knocking titular track and the bass-heavy single “Run It Back.”  The project, promoted alongside Oakland sports icon Marshawn Lynch, embodies the classic, heavy-hitting Bay Area rap sound. Earlier in the year, the now 35-year-old artist dropped a single “S/O Alysa Liu,” accompanied by a music video starring the gold medalist following the Winter Olympics. P-Lo’s journey began as a founding member of the influential hip-hop collective HBK Gang in 2008, eventually reaching national relevance with “Never Goin' Broke” in 2013.  That same year, he established himself as a powerhouse producer behind hits like Wiz Khalifa’s “Bout Me” and Yo Gotti’s “Act Right” featuring Jeezy and YG – with the latter skyrocketing past 110 million views on YouTube. He solidified his status as a solo force in 2017 with his debut studio album, More Than Anything, anchored by the standout slap “Put Me On Somethin’” featuring E-40.  The track gained mainstream traction after being included in a Wingstop commercial. P-Lo followed up with 2018’s Prime led by the single “Samesquad,” 2019’s Shine, and 2022’s Stunna, which spawned the song “Stunna Anthem.” Demonstrating his international reach, P-Lo was featured on Filipino artist Denise Julia’s smash hit “B.A.D” in 2023, which stands as his most streamed song on Spotify with 87 million streams. The Pinole native has kept the culture thriving more recently with 2025 releases like “Newly” featuring Vietnamese American singer Thuy and the star-studded “Players Holiday ‘25,” which unites a powerhouse roster of Bay Area legends including Saweetie, G-Eazy, and Larry June.